The package announced includes a detailed plan on how NYCDOT will implement the Bus Action Plan with the goal of increasing bus speeds 25% by 2020; a plan to triple the number of businesses switching to off-hour deliveries; and pursue the creation of new pedestrian priority zones around Lower Manhattan. These measures will help New Yorkers get around and complement the implementation of congestion pricing in early 2021.
The mayor recently made the announcement along Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side, among the corridors that will see major bus improvements this year. “Making it easier to get around our city means New Yorkers have more time for what matters most—for their family and themselves,” said Mayor de Blasio. “These measures are part of our OneNYC strategy to build a fairer, better city for all. They complement congestion pricing, helping us fix our subways and reduce traffic delays to get our city moving.”
As part of the citywide goal to improve bus speeds by 25% by 2020, the Better Buses Action Plan identifies the specific routes and projects the city will undertake in 2019 to increase bus speeds in all five boroughs. The include improvements on 2 miles of 42nd Street from 12th Avenue to FDR Drive in Manhattan; .25 miles of Webster Avenue from 176th Street to 174th Street in the Bronx; 3.7 miles of Rockaway Beach Boulevard from Beach 116th Street to Beach 73rd Street in Queens; improvements on Livingston Street from Boerum Place to Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn; and improvements on Narrows Road at Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island.
