Fast Buses, Faster Commutes: Mayor Mamdani Completes Madison and Lexington Avenue Bus Lane Projects Serving More Than 150,000 Daily Riders

Double bus lanes on Madison Avenue allow buses to stop for riders without disrupting the flow service.

NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced the completion of two major bus priority projects in Manhattan that will deliver faster, more reliable commutes for more than 150,000 daily riders from across the five boroughs.   

On Madison Avenue, new double bus lanes now extend from East 23rd Street to East 42nd Street, improving service for 92,000 daily riders across 34 local and express bus routes. On Lexington Avenue, offset bus lanes between East 52nd and East 60th Street replace curbside bus lanes, helping keep lanes clear of illegally parked vehicles and speeding up service for 71,000 daily riders traveling between the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan on eight routes.  

“Since the cold days of January, our administration has unstuck and advanced bus lane projects that will shorten daily commutes for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Now, as summer enters full swing, we’re completing them — and returning more time to New Yorkers’ already busy schedules,” said Mayor Mamdani. “These projects will deliver on our promise of fast buses and build a reliable, efficient transit network for the working New Yorkers who power our city.”  

“Our bus priority work on Madison and Lexington Avenues will speed up buses and keep New Yorkers safer as they travel from all corners of the five boroughs,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “These improvements are just the beginning of our commitment to support the next generation of bus service. We look forward to continued partnership with the MTA to deliver faster, more reliable service across the city.”

Rendering of the completed Madison Avenue redesign between East 23rd Street and East 42nd Street.

Faster Buses on Madison Avenue

Buses along Madison Avenue’s 34 local and express routes often crawl through traffic south of East 42nd Street; speeds have fallen as low as 4.5 mph — nearly half the citywide average bus speed of 8.1 mph. Along this stretch, 55% of people traveling on the corridor ride the bus, despite the absence of a dedicated bus lane before to this project.

MTA data shows double bus lanes can significantly speed up service. After similar lanes were installed on neighboring Fifth Avenue, local bus speeds increased by as much as 12% and express bus speeds increased by as much as 20%.

During Mayor Mamdani’s first month in office, the administration announced it would move forward with the stalled Madison Avenue project, extending double bus lanes from East 42nd Street south to East 23rd Street. In addition to the two new bus lanes, the redesign includes one general travel lane, a parking lane with left-turn pockets between East 23rd and East 34th Street and a parking lane that converts to a travel lane during rush hours between East 34th and East 42nd Street. The project also updates curb regulations on Madison Avenue and nearby side streets to improve parking availability.

Rendering of the redesigned Lexington Avenue with an offset bus lane.

Better Bus Service on Lexington Avenue

Buses on Lexington Avenue average just 5 mph during daytime hours because vehicles frequently block curbside lanes while making deliveries or picking up and dropping off passengers.

In May, Mayor Mamdani announced work to convert eight blocks of Lexington Avenue between East 52nd Street and East 60th Street from curbside to offset bus lanes, helping keep bus lanes clear and buses moving.

The redesign builds on a similar project completed in 2019 between East 96th Street and East 60th Street. After NYC DOT converted that corridor to offset bus lanes, bus speeds increased by 26% and pedestrian injuries declined by 35%.

“As a proud champion for congestion pricing and improved mass transit, I am pleased to celebrate the opening of the new bus lanes on Madison and Lexington Avenues,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler. “New York City must have a fast, safe and reliable mass transit system to support our residents and visitors, and dedicated bus lanes help achieve this goal by keeping New Yorkers moving and reducing traffic on the streets. The new lanes will improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and make trips faster and more efficient for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who rely on bus transportation every day.”

“As a longtime advocate for better and faster bus service in Manhattan, I am thrilled that NYC DOT is advancing bus lanes projects on Madison and Lexington Avenues that will improve commute times for thousands of New Yorkers,” said Assemblymember Keith Powers. “These redesigns will keep our buses moving, make our transit network more reliable and help get New Yorkers where they need to go faster. I thank Commissioner Flynn and NYC DOT for continuing to prioritize projects that make our streets safer and our commutes shorter.”

“I’m thrilled that the City Administration under the leadership of Mayor Mamdani and NYC DOT Commissioner Flynn are focusing on buses, which have historically been an underutilized component of mass transit,” said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. “As part of this effort, the completion of new bus lanes on Madison and Lexington Avenue will deliver faster and more reliable commutes for more than 163,000 daily bus riders. For too long, two of Midtown’s most important corridors have been slowed by congestion, delaying the workers, residents and visitors who rely on buses every day. These dedicated bus lanes will help keep our borough moving, strengthen our economy and make it easier to access jobs, businesses and cultural institutions in Manhattan.”

“New Yorkers deserve a bus system that is fast, reliable and works for the people who depend on it every day. These improvements on Madison and Lexington Avenues will help tens of thousands of riders spend less time stuck in traffic and more time where they need to be,” said Council Member Carl Wilson. “Investing in dedicated bus infrastructure is one of the smartest ways we can improve mobility, reduce congestion and make our streets work better for everyone. I thank NYC DOT for continuing to prioritize transit improvements, and I look forward to working with them to expand this into District 3!”

“Double bus lanes on Madison Avenue and an offset bus lane on Lexington Avenue will make commutes faster and more reliable for 163,000 New Yorkers,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director at Transportation Alternatives. “We congratulate DOT on getting these twin projects completed, and we hope to see similar haste for bus priority projects across the city.”

“Fast, reliable bus service is one of the most cost-effective investments we can make in New York City's transportation network,” said Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President, Regional Plan Association. “The completed segments along Madison and Lexington Avenues will help more than 160,000 daily riders spend less time stuck in traffic and make transit a more attractive option for commuters from every borough. As congestion pricing helps reduce traffic in Manhattan's core, projects like these ensure those benefits are reinvested in a faster, more reliable bus system that moves people more efficiently.”

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