Construction begins on new 96th Street bus lanes

The daily commute for 15,500 bus riders in Manhattan is about to speed up. Construction officially began this week on 1.7 miles of new bus lanes on 96th Street, stretching between West End Avenue on the Upper West Side and Second Avenue on the Upper East Side, the city’s Department of Transportation announced Monday. The redesign of 96th Street includes dedicated bus lanes for the M96 and M106 routes, left-turn bays, and treatments to “calm turning drivers’ speeds,” according to the agency.

Currently, there are 15,500 average weekday riders on both the M96 and M106 routes; the buses travel as slow as 4 miles per hour during peak hours.

NYC DOT will implement an offset or curbside bus lane in each direction between West End Avenue and Central Park West, between Madison Avenue and Second Avenue. This keeps the lane free of parked or standing vehicles while allowing curb access for parking, truck loading, and passenger pickups and drop-offs.

Left turn bays at intersections and hardened center lines will be added at intersections to calm traffic and reduce conflicts between turning vehicles and traffic. DOT will also lengthen bus stops to serve M96 and M106 riders at the same time and provide more space to wait, board, and depart.

The bus lanes will operate 24/7, except for the eastbound curbside lane between Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue, which will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

“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. These improvements will make commutes faster, more reliable, and safer for everyone,” NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.

“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.”

The city’s proposal faced backlash from Upper West Side residents last month. As 6sqft reported, the West 96th Street Neighbors Coalition, along with Council Member Gale Brewer, rallied against the plan, which they said would affect their quality of life by cutting “residents’ buildings off from the street, preventing passenger loading and unloading for taxis, disabled and school children…”

But DOT argues the roughly 40,000 people who live along the route would benefit from the bus lanes and increased speeds as nearly 75 percent of households on 96th Street do not have access to a private vehicle and 68 percent commute via public transit, walking, or biking.

Construction of the bus lanes is expected to be completed by later this year.

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• 96th Street bus lane plan faces backlash from Upper West Side residents