Overview
- The Mamdani administration restarted a 2025 plan paused under former Mayor Eric Adams, with Deputy Mayor Julia Kerson and DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn saying the extension will be finished in 2026, weather and painting-season conditions permitting.
- The redesign will dedicate two lanes to buses, retain one general traffic lane, and convert the curb lane to parking off-peak and a travel lane during rush hour.
- Roughly 92,000 daily riders use the corridor, where DOT data show bus speeds near 4.5 mph south of 42nd Street versus a citywide average of about 8.1 mph.
- Officials point to a recent Fifth Avenue overhaul with double bus lanes that increased local bus speeds up to 12% and express speeds up to 20% as evidence the Madison Avenue changes will deliver gains.
- Routes expected to benefit include the M1, M2, M3, M4 and Q32, and leaders say the project will build on early traffic reductions from congestion pricing below 60th Street.