UPDATE: Sept. 25, 2023: New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration decided Sept. 21 not to go forward with the proposed Fordham Road busway project in the Bronx, according to news reports. Instead, the city will repaint existing bus lanes. A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transportation told The City that the decision was “in response to feedback from community leaders.”
“Letting influential suburbanites dictate policy for the Bronx when 70% of people on Fordham support a busway and 86% of Fordham shoppers arrive by walking, bus, or train is a disgrace,” said Riders Alliance Danny Pearlstein in an emailed statement. “Punting on Fordham undermines years of hard work by dedicated public servants to speed up bus service for 85,000 New Yorkers who can't afford to waste any more time.”
In the Bronx, New York, a proposed dedicated busway is pitting transit riders and advocates against local retailers, Fordham University and major tourist attractions such as the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo.
Fordham Road carries five bus routes serving 85,000 daily riders. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority designated Fordham Road a bus priority corridor in its 2019 Bronx bus network redesign plan. Last year, it put forth options for a two-way or eastbound-only busway for a half-mile section of the road, which would restrict traffic to trucks, buses and emergency vehicles. Other vehicles would be allowed limited access for pick-ups, drop-offs and garage access.
On May 31, the New York City Department of Transportation opted for offset bus lanes, which would keep Fordham Road open to all traffic. In this configuration, the curbside lanes are for parking and loading zones, the adjacent lanes are for buses, and the inner lanes are for other traffic.
In response to the decision, Riders Alliance Executive Director Betsy Plum urged Mayor Eric Adams in a June 7 letter to adopt both the busway and the dedicated bus lanes. “While offset lanes would offer modest improvements, a busway would be a true victory for riders,” she said. “Its creation would stand out as the most important transit equity project in the city.”
In a letter to Mayor Adams obtained by the New York Daily News, the businesses expressed concerns about traffic being diverted onto local streets, increasing congestion and air pollution, and reduced access for customers who arrive by car.
Bus speeds and ridership along Fordham Road have declined in recent years, according to the NYC DOT, hurting those who rely on public transit. According to its 2019 survey, 86% of those coming to Fordham Road businesses arrived by bus, train or on foot, and nearly two-thirds were from nearby neighborhoods. Car ownership is less than 24% in the wider Fordham area, according to a New York City Small Business Services survey.
