Bronx Busway Project Revived to Speed Commutes for 39,000 Daily Riders

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that New York City will move forward with a dedicated “busway” on a segment of Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. The lane will be reserved for buses, emergency vehicles and trucks during peak travel times, a design the mayor’s office says will shorten trips for the roughly 39,000 bus riders who use the corridor each day. The administration also said it will seek input in Brooklyn for improvements on 13 routes—Flatbush, Utica and Church Avenues—that serve about 150,000 daily riders.

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New York City’s bus fleet ranks among the nation’s slowest, averaging eight miles per hour. A similar bus-lane initiative was halted after objections from the Trump administration, leaving the Tremont Avenue plan on hold for several years. The current rollout follows a joint announcement by Mayor Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul outlining a citywide effort to make buses up to six minutes faster through street redesigns, expanded traffic enforcement and other measures.

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• 39,000 daily riders on Tremont Avenue will benefit from the new busway.

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• 150,000 daily riders on the 13 Brooklyn routes are slated for future improvements.

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• Citywide bus speed averages 8 mph, one of the lowest in the United States.

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Mayor Mamdani framed the project as part of his campaign promise to improve bus service, stating his administration is “building streets that move people instead of sticking them in gridlock.” Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn emphasized the outreach angle, noting, “We want New Yorkers to have faith in our outreach, and that starts with actually delivering on projects promised years ago, like on Tremont Avenue, where riders deal with unreliable, overpacked buses every day.” Governor Hochul’s joint announcement highlighted the broader goal of shaving up to six minutes off bus travel times citywide.

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• “We want New Yorkers to have faith in our outreach, and that starts with actually delivering on projects promised years ago, like on Tremont Avenue, where riders deal with unreliable, overpacked buses every day,” — Mike Flynn, Transportation Commissioner

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• “building streets that move people instead of sticking them in gridlock.” — Zohran Mamdani, Mayor

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These actions aim to address chronic bus-speed issues and restore confidence in the city’s public-transit infrastructure.

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