A bus lane redesign project on Fordham Road in The Bronx has drawn sharp criticism from local Democratic City Councilmembers, who say the plan falls short of addressing broader street safety and infrastructure needs in one of the borough’s busiest commercial corridors.

The controversy came to a head Wednesday when Mayor Mamdani did not attend the ceremonial groundbreaking for the project, prompting Bronx Councilmember Oswald Feliz to skip the event in protest. Feliz accused the mayor’s administration of offering “crumbs” rather than making substantial investments in street safety measures such as signage, medians, and lighting along Fordham Road.

“The bus lane project presents an opportunity to make transformative investments on Fordham Road,” Feliz said in a social media statement. “It is disappointing that, rather than making meaningful investments, the administration has chosen to offer crumbs.”

The redesign aims to speed up the Bx12 bus by adding an “offset” lane away from the curb, repurposing the existing curb lane for parking and loading. However, the plan has not satisfied all local officials. Bronx Councilmember Pierina Sanchez also declined to attend the groundbreaking, citing unresolved concerns raised in earlier discussions with city officials.

With Mamdani absent, Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn addressed the press, noting that the agency had heard feedback from local stakeholders but would proceed with the project using available tools.

“We have heard some concerns from some of the local stakeholders, some of the electeds,” Flynn said. “Right now we are moving ahead with the toolbox we can do through a bus project.”

The mayor’s office maintained that it continues to engage in open dialogue with communities and elected representatives, pledging to move forward with what it called “critical projects” while remaining receptive to input.

Nevertheless, Feliz expressed frustration over his interactions with the mayor’s aides, saying that meetings appeared to be scheduled mainly to create the appearance of engagement without resulting in tangible commitments. He recounted efforts to secure additions like trees and plantings in the median being rebuffed due to purported Department of Environmental Protection concerns, which he said were contradicted by DEP officials when contacted directly.

“They’ve repeatedly created obstacles to discourage the community from fighting for investments,” Feliz said.

This dispute adds to broader criticisms aimed at Mamdani’s administration over perceived inequities in resource allocation. Bronx Councilmember Althea Stevens, who voted against Mamdani’s $126 billion budget in June, charged that wealthier neighborhoods are receiving disproportionately higher investments while high-poverty districts like hers endure neglect. Stevens emphasized the need for directing resources “where the needs are greatest.”

Beyond The Bronx, Mamdani and fellow members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have faced scrutiny for their engagement with Black communities citywide. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards recently criticized the predominantly white DSA on social media, calling the group a new face of “white supremacy” and accusing it of sidelining Black and Latino communities amid its political ambitions.

“White supremacy comes in all forms,” Richards wrote, highlighting tensions surrounding representation and responsiveness in local governance.