Fast Buses: Mayor Mamdani Breaks Ground on Bronx's First Busway Along Tremont Avenue

New York – New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced today that construction has begun on the long-stalled Tremont Avenue busway and safety upgrades in the Bronx.

The project will deliver safer streets and faster, more reliable bus service along one of the busiest bus routes in the borough, helping 39,000 daily bus riders spend less time stuck in traffic and more time where they want to be. Tremont Avenue is one of the Priority Corridors identified for its high ridership and frequent delays in the Next Stop action plan, the City's historic partnership with New York State and the MTA to make bus service faster and more reliable along 175 bus routes.

"After years of slow and unreliable service, Tremont Avenue is finally getting the upgrades that Bx36 bus riders have long deserved," said Mayor Mamdani. "Time is money, and this project will give 39,000 daily bus riders more of it back while making Tremont Avenue safer and easier to navigate for everyone. We are going to keep working with our partners at MTA to build better busways and make getting around our city faster, safer and easier for every New Yorker."

"Bronx residents deserve world-class bus service – and that starts with finally delivering on upgrades promised years ago. This project will bring badly needed bus and safety upgrades on a critical crosstown route in the borough." said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. "Every day, 39,000 bus riders will spend less time stuck in traffic and more time where they need to be: with their families, loved ones and friends, or at work and appointments. We look forward to building off the success of this busway and working with the community to develop Tremont Avenue into a world-class rapid transit corridor."

The Bronx's first busway will lay the foundation for future bus rapid transit along a broader Tremont corridor, as outlined in Next Stop. Future upgrades will include streetscape improvements, station-like bus stops with improved shelter and other investments to create world-class bus service.

The redesign will deliver one mile of new busway and another 0.26 miles of bus lane. The project also includes safety-focused intersection redesigns along the corridor and on neighboring streets, as well as new bus priority treatments stretching from Webster Avenue to Southern Boulevard. These improvements will make it easier for riders to connect to eight subway routes, Metro North and several local bus routes. Busways in New York City have improved bus speeds by up to 60% and reduced pedestrian and cyclist injuries by up to 45%.

Tremont Avenue serves riders on the Bx36, where buses travel at less than 5 mph during rush hours and more than two traffic injuries are reported each week along the corridor. Faster bus service will be better connect riders to the nearby 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, A, B and D subway lines, Metro-North Railroad and other local bus routes. Along Tremont Avenue, 72% of households do not own a private vehicle, and 78% of residents commute to work by public transit, walking or biking.

The Tremont busway is also one of the key projects included in the City's Reimagine the Cross Bronx vision. During more than two years of community outreach on rethinking the Cross Bronx Expressway, residents called for stronger east-west connections that serve as alternatives to the interstate built by Robert Moses, which divided the Tremont neighborhood in the 1950s. Residents also highlighted the long, unreliable bus commutes many Bronx residents face and the need for better bike infrastructure.

Since January, the Mamdani administration has advanced major projects to speed up bus service across the five boroughs, including on Fordham Road, 161st Street and Tremont Avenue in the Bronx; 34th Street, 116th Street, Madison Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan; Marcy Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Utica Avenue, Church Avenue and Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn; Victory Boulevard on Staten Island; and Broadway in Queens.

Busway Design

The new street design will include an eastbound busway from Third Avenue to Southern Boulevard, a westbound busway from Southern Boulevard to Belmont Avenue, and an offset shared bus/bike lane eastbound from Webster Avenue to Third Avenue.

The shorter westbound busway segment will preserve vehicle access to every block for local pick-ups and drop-offs, truck loading and unloading and on-street parking.

The busway will be the eighth installed in New York City and will operate seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Buses, trucks with six or more wheels, emergency vehicles and Access-a-Ride vans can travel through the entire corridor. All other vehicles, including taxis and for-hire vehicles, may enter from side streets for local access but must leave the corridor at the next available right turn.

The busway will be enforced through stationary cameras along the route, bus-mounted cameras and NYPD enforcement.

NYC DOT will also adjust curb regulations and install new loading zones to reduce double parking and provide dedicated space for loading, deliveries and parking while maintaining access for cyclists.

Traffic Safety Upgrades

Tremont Avenue is a Vision Zero Priority Corridor, meaning it is among the most dangerous streets in the Bronx, with among the highest rates of pedestrian deaths and serious injuries per mile. Between 2020 and 2024, nearly 630 people were injured in crashes on Tremont Avenue – an average of two injuries every week. During that period, 46 people suffered severe injuries and four people were killed. As part of the busway installation, NYC DOT will add safety improvements at eight intersections along the corridor and on nearby streets:

• Tremont Avenue at Webster Avenue
• Tremont Avenue at Third Avenue
• Tremont Avenue at Southern Boulevard and Crotona Parkway
• Third Avenue at East 175th Street
• Southern Boulevard at Crotona Parkway and 180th Street
• Crotona Avenue and 180th Street
• Third Avenue and 180th Street
• Tremont Avenue and Washington Avenue

The redesigns will feature new painted sidewalk extensions that shorten pedestrian crossing distances and naturally slow turning drivers. Intersections were selected based on crash history and to accommodate traffic pattern changes resulting from Tremont Avenue's redesign.

Painted sidewalk extensions will be reinforced with plastic flex posts, granite blocks and bicycle parking to deter illegal parking.

"We have pro-transit Governor in Kathy Hochul and pro-transit Mayor, who are committed to getting buses moving faster for riders, and team lead by Chair Lieber and President Crichlow at the MTA who know how to make that happen," said Frank Farrell, MTA NYC Transit Executive Vice President, Department of Buses/MTA Bus Company. "That is the key that unlocks these transformative projects that will have a real impact on the millions of New Yorkers who rely on the bus everyday."

"Bronx riders depend more on the bus than people in any other borough. After years of organizing, the Bronx is finally getting a busway. Riders look forward to working with the Mamdani administration to improve service across the borough and into Manhattan and Queens. Together, we will save the precious time we all need and deserve," said Danny Pearlstein, Riders Alliance.

“Reliable transit is essential to strong commercial corridors and a healthy Bronx economy,” said Lisa Sorin, president of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. “For the small businesses along Tremont Avenue, faster and more dependable bus service can mean better access to customers, employees and economic opportunity. We welcome this investment in one of the borough’s busiest corridors and look forward to working with the City to ensure implementation strengthens mobility and safety while continuing to support the businesses and neighborhoods that make Tremont Avenue such an important part of the Bronx.”

“We’re ecstatic that the Tremont Avenue busway is finally becoming a reality,” said Shawn Garcia, Director of Advocacy for Transportation Alternatives. “Tremont Avenue is an essential East-West connector in the city's most bus-dependent borough where crosstown streets have long been slow and dangerous. This new busway is an opportunity to rethink cross-borough travel in the Bronx, and will bring faster buses as well as critical safety upgrades, ensuring residents have easier, safer and more reliable transit to work, to school, or to the doctor — and we will keep fighting for additional, robust and expansive crosstown bus projects across the Bronx."

“We’re thrilled to see the Bronx receive the level of investment and thoughtful street design its riders and communities deserve. A world class bus corridor that prioritizes both safety and speed can be transformative, delivering faster, more reliable service by giving buses the space they need to move while creating safer streets for everyone. This is what it looks like to put Vision Zero into practice while investing in high quality public transit. We hope this becomes a model for the kind of safe, reliable and people centered street design communities across the city should expect,” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

"Tremont Avenue should be a gateway to the Bronx River, not a neglected corridor where 630 people were injured and four lives lost in just five years. The Bronx River Alliance strongly supports this project because it delivers the modern transportation investment our community deserves. With this investment, the Mamdani administration is once again showing the people of the Bronx that it respects their time, prioritizes public health and is committed to improving air quality. By seamlessly connecting our neighborhoods to the Bronx River Greenway and moving away from harmful highway reliance, we are building a healthier, safer Bronx for generations to come." said Javier Lopez, Interim Executive Director, Bronx River Alliance.

"We are excited to see the city under its new administration return to its commitment to improving east-west transportation across our borough for working-class Bronxites. Delivering faster and more reliable service with a new busway and safety improvements along the Tremont Ave corridor is a public transportation and environmental justice win for our communities who overwhelmingly rely on public transit and have long struggled with slow bus commutes, congested streets and limited cross Bronx public transit options,” said Reece Brosco, Program Manager at local community organization, Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice Inc.

"The Tremont Avenue busway is an investment in both mobility and safety. It will give thousands of Bronx bus riders faster, more reliable trips while making the corridor safer for everyone who walks, bikes and travels along it. RPA is excited to see this long-awaited project finally move forward," said Sam Bowden Akbari, RPA.