Bx36 buses travel in the recently activated busway on Tremont Avenue i
NYC DOT
Bx36 buses travel in the recently activated busway on Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. Credit NYC DOT - 1
The Bronx's first busway is now operating on Tremont Avenue, bringing bus-priority and street-safety improvements to a corridor used by 39,000 Bx36 riders each day. The route has historically experienced slow bus speeds and is designated a Vision Zero priority corridor, with four people killed and nearly 630 injured in crashes between 2020 and 2024. As part of the project, NYC DOT installed safety upgrades at eight intersections, including painted sidewalk extensions designed to shorten pedestrian crossings and slow turning vehicles. The busway operates from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week and is also expected to serve as the foundation for future bus rapid transit improvements along the broader Tremont Avenue corridor.
Fast Buses: Mayor Mamdani Completes the Bronx’s First Busway on Tremont Avenue
NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced the completion of the Tremont Avenue busway, bringing faster, more reliable service to 39,000 daily Bx36 riders and making one of the Bronx’s busiest and most dangerous corridors safer.
Tremont serves the Bx36, where buses historically traveled as slowly as 5 mph. The corridor connects riders to nearby subway routes and the Metro-North Railroad and is home to a transit-dependent community, where 72% of households do not own a private car.
The busway is now operating seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Buses, trucks with six or more wheels, emergency vehicles and Access-a-Ride vehicles are permitted to travel the full corridor. Other vehicles, including taxis and for-hire vehicles, may enter only for local access and must exit at the next available right turn.
With high ridership yet frequent delays, Tremont Avenue is one of the corridors prioritized in Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service, Mayor Mamdani’s historic partnership with Governor Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to make bus service faster and more reliable across 175 bus routes.
The new busway also lays the groundwork for future bus rapid transit along a broader Tremont Avenue corridor. As outlined in Next Stop, future upgrades will include streetscape improvements, station-like bus stops with improved shelters and other investments to deliver world-class bus service.
“Two months ago, we announced that the City would finally move forward with the Bronx’s long-delayed busway. Today, it’s officially up and running,” said Mayor Mamdani. “For 39,000 daily riders, that means less time stuck in traffic and more time getting where you need to go. This is what it looks like when we build a city that respects New Yorkers’ time and makes our streets safer for everyone.”
“When I stood with Mayor Mamdani to launch New York’s most ambitious plan to improve bus service in history, we promised riders that we would move fast to deliver the better service they deserve,” said Governor Hochul. “Now, by delivering the Bronx’s first busway along Tremont Avenue, 39,000 bus riders will benefit from faster trips and better service and the entire community will benefit from safer streets that move better for all.”
“Fast, reliable bus infrastructure has arrived on Tremont Avenue. Bus riders will now spend less time stuck in traffic and more time where they need to be: with their families, friends and making it on time to work and appointments,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “We look forward to building off the success of this busway to deliver true world-class, bus rapid transit upgrades in the future. We will be starting the public outreach process soon to share with the community how we can take this design to the next level with upgrades to streets, sidewalks and bus stops to bring comfortable, reliable and convenient transit options to Bronx residents.”
“When the State, City and MTA are all on the same page, results come quick,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “The Tremont Avenue Busway has been completed just two months after it was announced, and it’s going to build on MTA’s local bus network redesign to improve speeds and reliability for almost 40,000 daily riders.”
“The completion of the Tremont Avenue busway is what happens when government puts bus riders first and prioritizes people’s everyday needs,” said Elizabeth Adams, Senior Advisor for Fast and Free Buses for Mayor Mamdani. “Mayor Mandani has been committed to fast and free buses from day one, and today we are giving New Yorkers real time back in their day to spend with families, friends or just taking care of what’s needed during their day. Today is an exciting step, and we are excited to continue to roll out new fast bus projects across the city.”
Tremont Avenue is among the most dangerous streets in the Bronx and a Vision Zero priority corridor. Between 2020 and 2024, four people were killed and nearly 630 people were injured in crashes along Tremont Avenue — an average of two injuries every week.
As part of the busway installation, NYC DOT added safety improvements at eight intersections along the corridor and nearby streets:
- Tremont Avenue at Webster Avenue
- Tremont Avenue at Third Avenue
- Tremont Avenue at Southern Boulevard and Crotona Parkway
- Third Avenue at East 175th Street
- Southern Boulevard at Crotona Parkway and 180th Street
- Crotona Avenue and 180th Street
- Third Avenue and 180th Street
- Tremont Avenue and Washington Avenue
The redesign includes painted sidewalk extensions that shorten pedestrian crossing distances and encourage turning vehicles to slow down. The curb extensions are reinforced with flexible delineators, granite blocks and bicycle parking to discourage illegal parking.
In 2026, the Mamdani administration has advanced major projects to speed up bus service across all five boroughs, including:
- The Bronx: Fordham Road, 161st Street and Tremont Avenue
- Manhattan: 34th Street, 116th Street, Madison Avenue and Lexington Avenue
- Brooklyn: Marcy Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Utica Avenue, Church Avenue and Linden Boulevard
- Staten Island: Victory Boulevard
- Queens: Broadway
Together, these projects are part of the administration’s broader effort to make bus service faster, more reliable and safer for millions of New Yorkers who rely on it every day.
“Finally, the Bronx has a busway, saving time and aggravation for 39,000 daily riders,” said Danny Pearlstein, Policy & Communications Director at Riders Alliance. “Bronxites depend more on buses than other New Yorkers, yet for too long have lacked the state-of-the-art in bus priority treatments. Now, the Mamdani administration has put bus riders first on Tremont Avenue, speeding commutes up and down hills, across the borough and to healthcare jobs and appointments in Washington Heights.”
“We applaud the Mamdani administration for speeding up bus commutes and improving street safety for tens of thousands of Bronx residents,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “The completion of the Tremont Avenue busway is a major accomplishment achieved in Year 1, and we hope to see DOT rapidly roll out more car-free busways and street safety upgrades across the five boroughs.”
“The new Tremont Avenue busway will make a real difference for the 39,000 riders who rely on the Bx36 every day, helping them get where they need to go faster and more reliably while making the street safer for everyone,” said Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President of Regional Plan Association. “We’re excited to see this long-awaited project become a reality and hope to see more improvements that make getting around New York safer, easier, more sustainable and more equitable.”
“The rapid delivery of the Tremont Avenue busway proves that when there is political will, we can move quickly to transform our streets and improve people’s lives,” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “We celebrate this milestone, and we must use this momentum to deliver fast, frequent and reliable bus service to every neighborhood across New York City. Equitable transit cannot wait.”
“Tremont Avenue is a lifeline for the small businesses along the corridor and for the workers and customers who reach them by bus every day, and in a community where most households don’t own a car, a faster, safer Tremont should mean more customers and easier commutes,” said Lisa Sorin, President of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. “We thank Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Flynn for this investment, and we look forward to working with the City to make sure deliveries, loading and customer access work for Tremont’s merchants and to bring this kind of attention to commercial corridors across the Bronx.”
“Reliable bus service is one of the most direct ways we can improve daily life for New Yorkers, and the completion of the Tremont Avenue busway is a major step forward for the Bronx. By improving travel times, increasing reliability and enhancing safety, the Mamdani Administration, in partnership with Governor Hochul and the MTA, is helping New Yorkers get where they need to go with greater ease and confidence,” said Melanie Hartzog, President and CEO of The New York Foundling and MTA Board Member. “This project represents important progress, and I hope it is one of many continued investments in this community.”
Source: New York City Mayor's Office
