Bike Lane, Pedestrian Fixes Coming To 5th Ave — But No Busway Yet

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A busy stretch of Fifth Avenue will soon be outfitted with a long-awaited bike lane and other pedestrian improvements — but a highly anticipated busway isn't ready yet, according to the city.

Starting this month, a new, one-way bike lane will be installed between 59th and 34th streets, along the avenue's east side. It will help fill in the long gap that currently exists between 25th Street, where the bike lane currently ends, and 110th Street, where it starts up again. (There is no lane along Central Park.)

The city will also install painted sidewalk extensions along Fifth Avenue's east curb, painted pedestrian islands at some key intersections, and a drop-off/pick-up lanes between the bike and travel lanes, the Department of Transportation said this week.

Absent from this month's work is the dedicated busway on Fifth Avenue between 57th and 34th streets, first promised by Mayor Bill de Blasio last summer as a way to speed up transit on the crammed corridor.

But the busway has been delayed for months amid objections from local retailers, and DOT later revealed it had watered down the proposal to allow for more private car traffic. (Fifth Avenue already has bus lanes, but not a restricted busway: a corridor like the one on 14th Street where most other traffic is banned.)

Lawmakers and advocates rallied last September in support of the busway, calling on de Blasio to follow through on his initial promise.

Reached for comment, the agency vowed that the busway would still be implemented in some form this year.

"We’re also discussing the busway restrictions we’ll implement this year, and we’ll present final plans to [Community Board 5] and Community Advisory Board later this month," DOT spokesperson Brian Zumhagen said.

Recently implemented busways elsewhere in the city include Jay Street in Brooklyn and 181st Street in Washington Heights.

As of June, bus speeds across the city were between 12 and 33 percent faster than they were in October 2019, before the pandemic, according to DOT. But speeds have declined within the last few months, which the agency says proves the need for more dedicated bus lanes.

Previous coverage:

• Midtown Pols, Advocates Rally For 5th Avenue Busway
• Midtown's Fifth Avenue Gets 23-Block Busway, Mayor Says