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City plans bike lanes and bigger plazas for Manhattan's 14th Street busway
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Mar 9, 2026
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Stephen Nessen
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Stephen Nessen
Published Mar 9, 2026
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City officials on Monday said they’d start planning upgrades for pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders on 14th Street — Manhattan’s only “busway,” where most car traffic has been banned since 2019.
It will be the first major redesign of the crosstown corridor since the traffic restrictions were put in place. From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., only buses, trucks and emergency vehicles are allowed to drive along most of the street.
It’s become a model for bus improvements across the five boroughs. After the changes, traffic congestion all but disappeared from the street, and bus speeds increased 24%, from about 5 mph to 6 mph.
The city said they plan to install bike lanes, improved bus stops and more pedestrian space along 14th Street, while also making improvements to neighboring blocks. Officials did not lay out an exact design, but said they’d move forward with two-year study that was funded under former Mayor Eric Adams. The transportation department plans to hold a series of public workshops to gather feedback on the redesign starting later this month.
“This process will deliver truly transformational, permanently constructed upgrades for the corridor that capitalize on the benefits of the busway and create a world-class street from river to river,” DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said.
The City Council and the former Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine previously secured $9.5 million in funding for the project.
The plan is likely to build on proposals outlined by the Union Square Partnership that envisioned a 33% increase in public space around Union Square, with double the sidewalk space, containerized trash bins and fixed bollards that separate traffic from pedestrians.
The first community workshop on the redesign will be on March 25 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pratt Institute at 144 West 14th St.
Tagged
manhattan
new york city
transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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