1.7 miles of new bus lanes have been created on 96th Street
The New York Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Tuesday that it has completed a major redesign of 96th Street, which includes new bus lanes from Second Avenue to West End Avenue. But with congestion pricing set to come into effect in Manhattan below 60th Street next year, some New Yorkers think that the move represents another slight against the city’s driving population.
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The alterations to the stretch of 96th Street add 1.7 miles of bus lanes to both the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side, “significantly improving commutes for the 15,500 weekday riders on the M96 and M106 routes,” the DOT said in a press statement released Tuesday.
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“96th Street is one of the city’s busiest crosstown routes, where bus speeds during rush hours can be as slow as walking. The addition of dedicated bus lanes will dramatically enhance service for the 15,500 weekday riders who depend on this corridor, making their commutes faster, safer, and more reliable,” NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, according to the statement. “By prioritizing both bus and pedestrian improvements, we’re enhancing efficiency and safety for everyone who uses 96th Street, creating a better commuting experience for all New Yorkers.”
For those who rely on public transit, the announcement most likely seems like a rare win; after all, according to the DOT, 74 percent of households on the 96th street corridor don’t have access to a private vehicle.
However, some people aren’t exactly thrilled about the new development; the project has been met with some resistance in the past, particularly on the Upper West Side. In September, City Council Member Gale Brewer (D-Upper West Side) tried to shut down the creation of these dedicated bus lanes between Amsterdam Avenue and Central Park West.
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“In the past, I supported bike lanes, supported bus lanes on 14th Street, 34th Street, 181st Street,” she said at the time, as quoted by StreetsBlog. “I think that you have to look at alternatives to making the bus go faster.”
The DOT ended up incorporating this feedback into the final plans, adding neighborhood loading zones between Amsterdam Avenue and Central Park West in order to serve delivery and service vehicles. The new lanes also allow for brief stops for dropping off and picking up.
East Side Feed reached out to Upper East Side Council Member Julie Menin on Tuesday regarding the new bus lanes, but didn’t hear back by press time.
Discussion about the new lanes was lively on Tuesday on the r/UpperEastSide subreddit, with opinion pretty evenly split about whether or not these new lanes are ultimately a good thing for the neighborhoods.
“Do I think there should be more bus lanes? As a concept yes. But in practice taking away a lane and turning it bus exclusive on a street that feeds into the FDR on one side and through the park on the other is a relatively awful idea,” one user wrote.
Another person commented on the already-heavy traffic in the area: “I’m sure the daily commuters who actually drive themselves are a little annoyed. The traffic is already pretty crazy in the mornings.”
A woman who asked to remain anonymous told East Side Feed on Wednesday morning said she was happy to see the new bus lanes, adding that she expects her westbound commute to be faster as a result.
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In the end, however, it seems to have boiled down to a very utilitarian argument: providing the most good for the greatest number of New Yorkers.
“A full bus can move 20, 30 or 40 times as many people as the average personal vehicle. Adding dedicated bus lanes to improve service–so that it’s actually faster than walking–is a no brainer,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a press statement Tuesday. “We look forward to working with the city to make more changes to benefit the 2-3 million New Yorkers who ride the bus every day.”
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Just wait! Whatever curbside parking might be left on 96th will be turned into a bike lane. This is a total war on cars and pedestrians. The street is already congested with crosstown traffic.. And where do all of the taxis, Ubers, Lyfts and other for hire vehicles pick up and drop off passengers? Where do ambulances and fire trucks This seems like an accident waiting to happen.