New York's Bus Lane Program Slow to Start

It's a case of arrested development, as local opposition has derailed ambitious plans to greatly expand bus priority on streets around the city of New York.

1 minute read

August 17, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


14th Street Busway New York City

Local business owners in other parts of the. city haven't been convinced by the 14th Street busway's example. | Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit / Flickr

"Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 'urgent' effort to install new busways across the city as part of its coronavirus reopening plan has stalled in the city’s planning bureaucracy," reports Nolan Hicks. 

In June, the mayor announced an initiative to vastly expand the bus priority capacity by deploying car-free busways and dedicated bus lanes throughout the city. The first planned project, a busway on Main Street between Sanford and Northern Boulevard in Flushing, Queens, has yet to break ground, according to Hicks. 

"Two months later, officials admitted Thursday they haven’t even broken ground and attributed the delays to intense opposition from some business owners along the corridor and local Councilman Peter Koo (D-Queens)," reports Hicks.

Only one of the five projects announced in June is underway. "The conversion of Jay Street from Fulton to Tillary streets into a dedicated transit passage is set to be completed in September, one month late."

Thursday, August 6, 2020 in New York Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

7 hours ago - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation