Controversial Bus Lanes Completed On 96th Street

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY – The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) wrapped a major redesign of Manhattan's 96th Street this week, adding 1.7 miles of dedicated bus lanes and pedestrian safety enhancements from Second Avenue to West End Avenue, the agency announced at a press conference at East 96th and Madison Avenue on Tuesday.

The upgrades to 96th Street aim to improve the experience of the 15,500 weekday riders who rely on the M96 and M106 buses – a major crosstown route between the Upper East and Upper West Side – and address notoriously slow bus speeds that previously dropped to 4 mph during rush hours.

The new bus lanes are operational 24/7 except for a specific eastbound segment with daytime-only hours. Left-turn bays and hardened centerlines have also been added at intersections to ease traffic flow and reduce conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians, and bus stops have also been lengthened, allowing multiple buses to load passengers simultaneously, further easing flow. DOT plans to monitor traffic patterns post-implementation to ensure smooth operation.

Community Opposition On The UWS

The announcement was made across the park far from West 96th Street, where residents mounted a brief opposition to the new bus lanes earlier this fall.

Incorporating community feedback, DOT added neighborhood loading zones between Amsterdam Avenue and Central Park West to accommodate deliveries and service vehicles, and has sought to inform residents that the new lanes permit brief drop-offs and pick-ups.

The project is one of 37 citywide initiatives connected to the upcoming implementation of congestion pricing in January.

'We Gotta Prioritize The Bus'

DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez was joined by MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber at a press conference.

"I grew up on the West Side in the 1970s and I rode this bus, it was then called the M19...[and] it was slow, it was really slow, and it's still really slow," Lieber said. "But that's about to change, due to the installation of this bus lane. Bus lanes actually work...we saw it on 14th Street, we've seen it over on Second Avenue...and when there's 50 or 60 people on a bus and there's one person in a car...we gotta prioritize the bus," he continued.

"The bus is for more people, it takes up a lot less space, and it's carrying people...who are trying to get around on limited incomes."

Video of Tuesday’s press conference is below.