The city has commenced construction on a bus lane spanning 96th Street between the Upper West and Upper East Sides, aiming to speed up straphangers’ crosstown commutes over the objection of some local elected officials and residents.
The bus lane will replace a traffic lane in each direction between West End Avenue and 2nd Avenue, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) expects completion by the end of 2024.
“These improvements will make commutes faster, more reliable, and safer for everyone,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Bus riders deserve reliable service to spend less time commuting and more time with loved ones or at important appointments.”
The move aims to speed up two heavily-used crosstown bus lines, the M96 and M106. Both of these lines move at crawling speed due to dense traffic congestion on the roadway.
In August, the M96 clocked average speeds of 6.3 miles per hour while the M106 was barely better at 6.6 mph—both trailed the systemwide average of 8.2 mph, which itself makes New York’s buses the slowest of any major American city.
According to the DOT, bus speeds on the corridor can be as low as 4 mph at peak hours.
The new bus lane will operate 24/7, except for the eastbound curbside section between Lexington and Third Avenues on the East Side; that section will only be in effect from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Some bus stops will also be lengthened.
DOT contends the bus lane will benefit most residents in the area: 74% of 96th Street residents don’t own a car, and 68% commute to work via mass transit, bike, or foot, the agency says. The M96 sees more than 15,000 riders each day.
Still, some residents have opposed the bus lane, arguing certain sections of 96th on the West Side are too residential in character to support one.
Their cause has been boosted by local City Council Member Gale Brewer; she did not return a request for comment on this story.
