New York City officials announced plans to advance a project aimed at accelerating bus service along Tremont Avenue in the Bronx, marking a revival of an initiative previously stalled due to federal objections. The project will establish a dedicated busway—restricted to buses, emergency vehicles, and trucks during peak hours—intended to reduce travel times for approximately 39,000 daily riders.

The announcement, made by Mayor Zorhan Mamdani on Wednesday, is part of a broader effort to improve bus service across the city, emphasizing faster commutes and enhanced safety. The proposed busway on Tremont Avenue will feature an eastbound dedicated lane from Third Avenue to Southern Boulevard, a westbound lane from Southern Boulevard to Belmont Avenue, and a shared bus-and-bike lane eastbound between Webster Avenue and Third Avenue. The busway is planned to operate seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The mayor’s office also indicated plans to engage with Brooklyn residents to gather input on improving bus service along 13 routes on Flatbush, Utica, and Church Avenues, which collectively serve around 150,000 riders daily. These developments come closely following Mayor Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s joint unveiling last week of a citywide initiative aimed at speeding up buses by up to six minutes through street redesigns, increased traffic enforcement, and other measures.

“Our administration is building streets that move people instead of sticking them in gridlock,” Mayor Mamdani stated. He emphasized that the projects will help return significant time to nearly 200,000 New Yorkers daily, while making commutes faster and streets safer. Governor Hochul expressed her support for the proposals, highlighting the city’s commitment to improving transit service across all five boroughs.

The Tremont Avenue project is notable as the Bronx’s first busway and follows a similar initiative on 34th Street in Manhattan that was put on hold last year. That Manhattan project faced suspension under former Mayor Eric Adams after the Trump administration raised concerns about road access for trucks and emergency vehicles and threatened to withhold federal funding and approvals for transit plans. Some transit advocates had expressed apprehension that federal scrutiny could also delay the Bronx project, given that portions of Tremont Avenue are part of the National Highway System. The U.S. Department of Transportation did not respond to requests for comment regarding the current project.

Transit advocacy groups have welcomed the proposal. Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director at Riders Alliance, described the Bronx busway as a vital improvement for a borough that is both the city’s poorest and heavily reliant on buses. He noted that riders have waited long for enhancements to service efficiency.

Currently, some bus routes on Tremont Avenue, such as the Bx36, average speeds as low as five miles per hour. The mayor’s office cited that nearly three-quarters of households in the area do not own a car, underscoring the importance of reliable bus service. Tremont Avenue, which has seen nearly 630 injuries and four fatalities between 2020 and 2024, is also among the Bronx’s most dangerous streets.

Mayor Mamdani has pledged to eventually provide both faster and free bus service citywide, but fully subsidizing the transit system could cost more than $1 billion annually, according to state transit officials. The City Council has, so far, prioritized expanding transit discounts for lower-income residents rather than pursuing full fare elimination. The upcoming busway projects suggest continued momentum toward improving public transportation infrastructure in New York City.