New York DOT To Fail Bus Lane Goals

The New York City Department of Transportation admits it may not be able to meet the targets for new bus lanes mandated by law next year, reports Jesse Coburn for Streetsblog NYC.

As Coburn explains, “The Streets Plan law, passed by the City Council in 2019, requires DOT to build at least 20 miles of bus lanes this year and at least 30 miles in each of the next four years.” DOT says it already expects to miss its goal for 2022 and indicates “it expects it will be unable to build the 150 miles of new bus lanes over four years that Eric Adams promised while running for mayor.”

DOT blames the failure on staff shortages, but a DOT spokesperson declined to comment on why the close to $1 billion allocated by the city is insufficient to meet its targets. “Political meddling has also gotten in the way of the city’s efforts to redesign the public realm, as Streetsblog reported last month, with mayoral appointees slowing bus lane projects at the behest of Adams’s political allies.”

Coburn points out that the 2019 law does not contain an enforcement mechanism, and city officials have not indicated a further course of action.