96th Street Bus Lanes Are Happening

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY – The construction of new bus lanes has begun on 96th Street, city officials announced Monday.

The new lanes, stretching from West End Avenue on the Upper West Side to Second Avenue on the Upper East Side, will include dedicated bus lanes in both directions, an upgrade that will make service faster and more reliable for riders along one of Manhattan’s busiest crosstown bus routes, according to the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT).

"Bus lanes are one of the best ways to speed up service, and the new bus lanes on 96th Street will reduce wait times and improve service for 15,500 weekday riders,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

Bus speeds along the M96 and M106 route, which traverses 96th Street, have sunk to a crawl – as low as 4 mph during peak hours – as the city grapples with traffic that’s among the worst in the world.

“These improvements will make commutes faster, more reliable, and safer for everyone. By enhancing bus and pedestrian infrastructure, we're also ensuring that Manhattan commuters can get to their destinations quicker and safer. Bus riders deserve reliable service to spend less time commuting and more time with loved ones or at important appointments."

Work is expected to be completed as soon as later this year, according to officials.

Neighborhood Brouhaha

Opponents of the bus lanes, concerned about adverse impacts on pickups and drop-offs, quality of life, and traffic, mustered their forces in September, holding a press conference attended by City Council Member Gale Brewer, who represents the Upper West Side.

Supporters of the lanes quickly responded, releasing a statement of their own that described opposition as beyond “out-of-touch.”

Patch received a number of emails in response to a previous story about the 96th Street redesign, all of them from readers who are opposed to the new bus lanes.

“96th Street…is a very busy crosstown street,” wrote Barbara. “It connects the West Side Highway with the FDR. Should congestion pricing come into play it will become even more busy as a way to get from the highway to the FDR and onward bridges to Brooklyn and Queens,” she continued.

“To eliminate one of two lanes is insane. The traffic on 96th is already heavy. I can’t imagine one lane in each direction. I cannot fathom how they see this as a viable solution.”

Jay, on the other hand, is more concerned about pickups and drop-offs on 96th Street, especially for older residents.

“In general, I personally support prioritizing public transportation and oppose NIMBYism. But the particulars of West 96th [Street] seem not to have been taken into account,” he wrote.

“Between Amsterdam Avenue and Central Park West, West 96th St is exclusively residential. Every day, there are many private car, taxi, Uber, and Access-A-Ride pickups and drop-offs…as well as deliveries and ambulance pickups. All of these would become more difficult and more dangerous if those lanes were to be dedicated bus lanes…The DOT report about its plans says pickup and drop-offs will not be affected…but my observation is that on West 96th an empty parking space is extremely rare and pickups and drop-offs are frequent.”

Other readers wondered if altering bus logistics might solve the problem of slow bus traffic along the route, pointing to transfer points between buses and subways.

“There is no fast way to load passengers on a bus that services two major subway lines,” wrote Jonathan. “DOT should measure how long it takes 30 or more [passengers] to board a bus if they’re worried about how long it takes for a bus to go three blocks.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates bus and subway service in New York City, and in fact, the M96 bus serves four subway lines: the 1/2/3 at Broadway, the B/C at Central Park West, the 6 at Lexington Avenue, and the Q at Second Avenue.

Still others hoped that upgrades on the route would include the addition of new bus shelters, which they feel are scant – especially between Broadway on the West Side and Fifth Avenue on the East Side.

Agencies Respond

Although DOT did not address questions pertaining to the impact of the new bus lanes on traffic flowing to or from the West Side Highway, the agency is confident that the new lanes will not disrupt pickups and drop-offs.

What's more, DOT adjusted the redesign to include “Neighborhood Loading Zones” between Amsterdam Avenue and Central Park West in response to community feedback, which will reserve curb space for pickups, drop-offs, deliveries, and service vehicles.

Additionally, bus lanes on 96th Street will be offset, meaning that they'll be one lane away from the curb, a design which preserves parking, as well as space for pickups, drop-offs, and deliveries, according to DOT materials.

Furthermore, any pickup or drop-off of five minutes or less would not be enforced per new automated enforcement systems on buses, which issue a violation only if the same vehicle is observed by two buses at least five minutes apart.

A majority of residents in the corridor do not own cars, DOT has emphasized, and commute to work via public transit, biking, or walking. The redesign will improve service for bus riders, and a similar bus lane on Lexington Avenue has sped up service by up to 19%.

At this time, no additional bus shelters are planned, but pedestrian safety upgrades along the route are part of the project.

What about those congested transfer points between buses and subways?

“We closely monitor conditions on M96 and M106 routes and continue to work with NYC DOT and city partners to implement bus lanes, which are a proven tool to speed up buses for the thousands of customers that rely on them every day,” said MTA spokesperson Meghan Keegan.