
NYC Breaks Ground on 116th Street Bus Lane Overhaul to Speed Up Service for 65,000 Daily Riders in Harlem
Construction is underway on a 2.5-mile redesign of 116th Street in Harlem and East Harlem that will install dedicated bus lanes, protected bike infrastructure, and pedestrian safety upgrades across one of Manhattan’s most transit-dependent corridors. Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn announced the groundbreaking on August 31, targeting a stretch of roadway where bus speeds in some sections have fallen below 4 miles per hour, roughly half the citywide average. The project area spans 116th Street from Morningside Avenue to Pleasant Avenue, covering a corridor that serves 65,000 daily bus riders across 10 routes and connects to five subway lines. Key Takeaways The project will add 24/7 red-painted bus lanes in both directions from Fifth Avenue to Pleasant Avenue, along with dedicated “queue jump” traffic signals that give buses a green light before other vehicles at intersections. Protected bike lanes will be installed on Pleasant Avenue between East 120th and East







































