Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Plans for 34th Street busway move ahead, and Mayor Adams says he's on board
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Aug 6, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Aug 6, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After transit advocates and some city councilmembers grew concerned that Mayor Eric Adams and members of his administration were working behind the scenes to scuttle plans for a new busway on 34th Street, it appears to be back on track.
The busway would restrict passenger vehicles on 34th Street to only traveling one block before turning off. It was added as part of a larger package for a massive rezoning of Midtown that includes adding 9,500 homes and more car-free blocks on Broadway.
The New York City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, and the Committee on Land Use signed off on the plan Wednesday. It goes before the full Council for a vote on Aug. 14.
City Councilmember Keith Powers, who represents Midtown, wrote the Department of Transportation a letter after hearing that the long-planned busway on 34th Street was being stalled. He breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday when the two Council committees approved the rezoning, including the busway.
“ It was one of the big priorities and commitments that we were able to land,” Powers told Gothamist. “ We wanted to make sure that if we're going to transform the neighborhood to be more 24/7, we want to make sure that the residents of that area have quicker ways to get around.”
Adams, whose administration said it wasn’t stalling the busway but rather wanted to be sure to collect enough community feedback, issued a statement of approval for the zoning plan and the new busway.
“Not only will this plan deliver thousands of new homes for this central neighborhood, but it also represents a down payment on our vision of 100,000 new homes across all of Manhattan over the next decade,” Adams said in a statement. “Furthermore, this agreement underscores our commitment to pairing housing with investments in our infrastructure — including the transformation and reconstruction of Broadway and 34th Street busway.”
Transit advocates continue to cast a wary eye on the Adams administration, which has flip-flopped on transit and pedestrian-friendly projects in the past. The administration killed plans for a busway on Fordham Road in the Bronx. Most recently, Adams ripped up a protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn — which his administration had installed last year — after community pushback.
"Even a belated busway is good news for 34th Street riders, but New Yorkers from Brooklyn to the Bronx are still waiting on other bus improvements being blocked by City Hall,” Riders Alliance Policy and Communications Director Danny Pearlstein wrote in a statement.
“As a rule, faster buses for millions of people shouldn't ride on last-minute bargaining over zoning changes.”
The Midtown rezoning plan will also spend $325 million in pedestrian improvements for more than 20 city blocks — from 21st to 42nd streets — including wider sidewalks, better bike lanes, two more car-free blocks and a “Kid-First Play District” with interactive street furniture.
Under the plan, the Department of Transportation would remove all cars from 22nd to 23rd streets and 24th to 25th streets on Broadway.
At the heart of the rezoning is a plan to create more housing and more affordable housing in Midtown. In addition to the 9,500 units the city hopes to add to the neighborhood, 30% of those would be permanently affordable housing, as part of a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requirement for developers. That means the units must be affordable to people who earn between 40% and 80% of the average median income. The affordable units are expected to be distributed in each building with half of them being big enough for families.
There are currently 2,300 affordable units in the Midtown district that is being rezoned.
Public outreach for the busway is expected to begin later this year.
Tagged
manhattan
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].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
A bill facing a hearing Monday would require cooling tower owners to notify city health officials when bacteria levels reach a much lower threshold.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 7:36 p.m. ET
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
By
Gino Fanelli
NYPD identifies Bronx man, 26, killed in Midtown subway shooting
By
Ryan Kost
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Phil Corso
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .