Major Redesign of Manhattan’s 96th Street With Offset Bus Lanes and Pedestrian Safety Improvements

Construction has Begun To Redesign 96th Street, from West End Avenue to Second Avenue, With New Bus Lanes and Pedestrian Safety Upgrades

With 15,500 Weekday Bus Riders on the Route, the Redesign Will Make Commutes Faster and More Reliable Along One of the Busiest Crosstown Routes in Manhattan

New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the agency has begun construction for a major redesign of Manhattan’s 96th Street with new bus lanes and pedestrian safety improvements to enhance safety and make service faster and more reliable for riders along one of Manhattan’s busiest crosstown bus routes. The new design, which will stretch from West End Avenue to Second Avenue, will include dedicated bus lanes in both directions, which cut down on vehicles blocking buses, left-turn bays to facilitate traffic flow, and treatments to calm turning drivers’ speeds. The project will add 1.7 miles of bus lanes on the Upper East and Upper West sides, improving the commutes for 15,500 weekday bus riders on the M96 and M106 routes. Construction is expected to be completed later this year.

Along 96th Street, the vast majority of residents along the corridor do not own cars and commute by transit: 68 percent of residents commute to work via public transit, walking, or biking and 74 percent of households do not have access to a private vehicle. 96th Street serves the M96 and M106 bus routes, which together rank third among Manhattan crosstown routes in ridership. With 15,500 weekday bus riders, the corridor is a crucial connector for the East and West sides, linking riders to seven subway routes, 14 other bus routes, two hospitals, Central Park, schools, and other major destinations. Bus speeds are as low as 4 mph during peak hours on this critical uptown crosstown transit connection.

To enhance the bus service, NYC DOT will implement an offset or curbside bus lane in each direction between West End Avenue and Central Park West, and between Madison Avenue and Second Avenue. These changes will improve bus speeds and reliability by keeping the lane free of parked or standing vehicles, while still maintaining curb access for parking, truck loading, and passenger drop-offs/pickups. NYC DOT will implement daytime ‘Neighborhood Loading Zones’ to better facilitate curb access for deliveries and service vehicles. The design also ensures that traffic flow for other vehicles remains unaffected.

The bus lanes will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week except for the eastbound curbside lane between Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue (in effect 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. all days). This uninterrupted, dedicated space will allow buses to move more efficiently, minimizing lane blocking and improving overall reliability. NYC DOT will also add left turn bays at intersections, helping traffic move more smoothly. These left turn bays, coupled with hardened centerlines will calm traffic, enhancing safety by reducing conflicts between turning vehicles and through traffic.

NYC DOT will also lengthen bus stops, which will improve service by allowing the M96 and M106 to access the stop simultaneously, reducing delays and improving accessibility. Riders will benefit from increased space to wait, board, and exit, while buses will no longer block traffic as they wait to approach stops.