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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                           SEPTEMBER 11, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 28

                Fast Buses: Mayor Mamdani Breaks Ground on

            116th Street Overhaul to get 65,000 Riders Moving

            New bus lanes, protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety upgrades will transform a critical Manhattan crosstown corridor

            OUR BUREAU
            NEW YORK, NY

                     ayor Zohran Kwame Mam-
                     dani  and  New  York  City
            MDepartment of Transpor-
            tation (NYC DOT) Commissioner
            Mike  Flynn  have  announced  that
            construction has begun on a major re-
            design of 116th Street in Manhattan,
            including 2.5 miles of new bus lanes
            and  street upgrades  that  will  speed
            commutes for more than 65,000 daily
            bus riders across 10 routes while im-
            proving safety for everyone traveling
            along the corridor.
                In some sections of 116th Street,
            buses currently travel at less than 4
            mph — slow enough that New York-
            ers  can  walk  nearly  as  fast  as  they
            can  ride  the bus.  The redesign will
            change that. The project will add off-
            set and curbside bus lanes, dedicated
            traffic signals known as queue jumps
            that give buses a green light before                 Rendering of the future design of East 116th Street and Madison Avenue. Credit: NYC DOT
            other vehicles at intersections, pro-
            tected bike lanes, 35,000 square feet   we’re  showing  New  Yorkers  that   116th Street is also a critical con-  an islands, a speed hump, on-street
            of new pedestrian space and critical   the City and MTA are serious about   nection to the 2, 3, 6, B and C subway   bike  parking,  updated  parking  reg-
            street safety infrastructure.     better bus service,” said MTA Chair   lines, as well as the future 2nd Ave-  ulations to support curb access for
               “When your bus is moving slower   and CEO Janno Lieber. “Dedicated   nue Subway Q train.           drivers and deliveries and hardened
            than  you  can  walk,  something  isn’t   bus lanes and transit signal priority   Protected  bike  lanes  will  be  in-  daylighting.
            working,”  said  Mayor  Mamdani.  are proven solutions that are going   stalled on Pleasant Avenue between   A NYC DOT Art mural will also
            “New Yorkers should spend less time   to  make  a  huge  difference  for  the   East 120th and East 116th streets,  be installed at the intersection of East
            in  traffic  and  more  time  with  their   65,000 riders who travel on 116th   creating new connections to existing   120th Street and Pleasant Avenue.
            families and enjoying the city. This re-  Street every day.”        bike  lanes  serving  Randall’s  Island   Construction is expected to con-
            design brings together bus lanes, bike   The redesign will benefit riders   and the Harlem River waterfront.  tinue through fall 2026. Drivers are
            lanes, pedestrian space and proven   of the M116, one of Manhattan’s    NYC DOT will also improve     encouraged to use alternative routes,
            safety improvements because our   slowest bus routes, as well as the   safety along the corridor by install-  take mass transit or allow additional
            streets have to work for the millions   M3, M7, M102, BxM1, BxM6, BxM7,  ing  three  new  midblock  crosswalks,  travel time.
            of New Yorkers who use them every   BxM8, BxM9 and BxM11.           new traffic signals, pedestrian medi-  116th Street is one of 50 priori-
            day — however they get around.”                                                                       ty corridors identified for faster bus
               “When buses are fast, it means                                                                     service in Mayor Zohran Mamdani
            getting to work on time, making it to                                                                 and Governor Hochul’s Next Stop:
            an important doctor’s appointment                                                                     Fast Buses, Better Service, a compre-
            and simply more time with family                                                                      hensive City and State plan to make
            and friends. Faster bus service mat-                                                                  buses up to six minutes faster on
            ters and we are delivering on May-                                                                    more than 175 routes across the city.
            or Mamdani’s commitment to fast                                                                           Since January, the  Mamdani ad-
            buses here on 116th Street,” said                                                                     ministration has advanced major proj-
            NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Fly-                                                                        ects to speed up buses across the five
            nn. “Buses on this corridor are often                                                                 boroughs, including on Fordham Road,
            stuck  in  traffic  with  current  speeds                                                             161st Street and Tremont Avenue in
            almost  as  low  as  walking.  We  look                                                               the Bronx; 34th Street, 116th St., Mad-
            forward to speeding up buses  and                                                                     ison  Avenue  and  Lexington  Avenue
            delivering life-saving pedestrian and                                                                 in Manhattan; Marcy Avenue, Flat-
            cycling improvements that will make                                                                   bush Avenue, Utica Avenue, Church
            this critical crosstown connector and                                                                 Avenue and Linden Boulevard in
            surrounding area safer for everyone.”            116th Street redesign project area. Credit: NYC DOT  Brooklyn; Victory Boulevard on Stat-
               “With every street redesign,                                                                       en Island; and Broadway in Queens.

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