Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that

Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.

1 minute read

September 29, 2026, 8:00 AM PDT

By Zachary Whalen


The new busway. The pavement is painted red, indicating it as a bus-only lane.

The communities along the Bronx's Bx36 route are transit-dependent, with 72% of households not owning a private car. | NYC DOT

The New York City Department of Transportation has completed the Bronx’s first busway. The project aims to bring faster service to the 39,000 daily commuters who ride on the Bx36 route, where buses have traditionally traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour, Noah Kolenda writes for Mass Transit. 

The communities along the Bx36 are transit-dependent, with 72% of households not owning a private car. The busway will function seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and will only be accessible to buses, emergency vehicles, Access-a-Ride vehicles and trucks with six or more wheels. 

“The new busway also lays the groundwork for future bus rapid transit along a broader Tremont Avenue corridor. As outlined in the plan, future upgrades will include streetscape improvements, station-like bus stops with improved shelters and other investments to deliver improved bus service,” Mass Transit reports.

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