New York City transit infrastructure expansion

New York City is advancing transit initiatives aimed at improving bus speeds and reliability through infrastructure changes and administrative reforms.

Initially, a city charter revision commission proposed accelerating the approval process for bike and bus lanes by approximately one-third. This plan seeks to transfer decision-making authority from local community boards and council members to the Department of Transportation. Concurrently, work began on an offset bus-lane redesign of Fordham Road in the Bronx to benefit approximately 130,000 daily riders.

Following these developments, the city launched the ‘Next Stop Plan,’ a joint program between the MTA and the Department of Transportation targeting 50 priority corridors to increase bus speeds by up to 20 percent. Implementation includes new busway projects on Flatbush, Church, and Utica Avenues in Brooklyn, as well as East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. On East Tremont Avenue, cars will be largely banned from certain sections between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., though emergency vehicles and large trucks remain permitted. While officials state these measures will improve service, such as the Bx36 bus, local motorists and business owners have raised concerns regarding economic impacts and driving difficulties.