The city is moving forward with a redesign of 34th Street in Manhattan in hopes of significantly improving bus speeds, after the White House halted the project last year. (NYTimes article linked) —— Short TLDR for Context The 34th Street Busway wa...
The city is moving forward with a redesign of 34th Street in Manhattan in hopes of significantly improving bus speeds, after the White House halted the project last year. (NYTimes article linked) —— Short TLDR for Context The 34th Street Busway was proposed by NYC DOT in May 2025 and paused by former Mayor Adams that July. The Adams administration revived it in August 2025 as a concession to the City Council to pass the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan rezoning (1) (2), scheduling construction for October 2025. On October 16, 2025, the Federal Highway Administration ordered an immediate halt. The federal government asserted jurisdiction because 34th Street connects the Lincoln and Queens-Midtown tunnels on the National Highway System, citing a lack of regional traffic studies and coordination. On June 2, 2026, Mayor Mamdani announced the city would resume the project (The Gothamist) immediately without waiting for an official FHWA sign-off (citing dialogue with Trump administration). The city argues that the design permits necessary multi-axle truck access, keeping the project within local authority while federal reviews remain pending. —— City Hall spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said the city is “in active communication with the federal government regarding their concerns” and has submitted the busway plans to the feds’ Transportation Improvement Program as it proceeds with the project. The city’s transportation department will begin public outreach on the 34th Street project this month, with plans to begin installing new street infrastructure in the summer. The agency anticipates completing construction by the end of the fall. The Gothamist, By Ramsey Khalifeh submitted by /u/Donghoon [link] [comments]
