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3w ago

NYC to Extend Madison Avenue Double Bus Lanes From 42nd to 23rd Streets This Year

Officials cite 4.5 mph bus speeds below 42nd Street as justification for a two-lane bus layout.

New York City to Extend Madison Avenue Bus Lanes to Speed Trips for Nearly 100,000 Riders
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Traffic clogs Madison Avenue near 30th Street, where new bus lanes are set to be added.
Deputy Mayor of Operations Julia Kerson and NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn make a bus lane announcement on Madison Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday. (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

Overview

  • The Mamdani administration restarted a 2025 plan paused under former Mayor Eric Adams, with Deputy Mayor Julia Kerson and DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn saying the extension will be finished in 2026, weather and painting-season conditions permitting.
  • The redesign will dedicate two lanes to buses, retain one general traffic lane, and convert the curb lane to parking off-peak and a travel lane during rush hour.
  • Roughly 92,000 daily riders use the corridor, where DOT data show bus speeds near 4.5 mph south of 42nd Street versus a citywide average of about 8.1 mph.
  • Officials point to a recent Fifth Avenue overhaul with double bus lanes that increased local bus speeds up to 12% and express speeds up to 20% as evidence the Madison Avenue changes will deliver gains.
  • Routes expected to benefit include the M1, M2, M3, M4 and Q32, and leaders say the project will build on early traffic reductions from congestion pricing below 60th Street.