NYC Leaders Race Bus on 34th Street to Advocate for Car-Free Busway

The 34th Street Busway Initiative

• 🚶 Local leaders and advocates participated in a test to demonstrate that walking can be faster than a city bus on 34th Street.
• 🎯 The goal was to show support for a car-free busway along the 34th Street thoroughfare.

The Race Against the Bus

• 🏁 A group raced the M34 bus from 1st to 8th Avenues, not by running, but by walking.
• ⏱️ The walkers arrived in 15 minutes, which was 7 minutes faster than the bus.
• 💡 Advocates believe a busway would enable buses to complete the distance in 5-6 minutes.

Proposed Changes and Benefits

• 🏘️ A rezoning plan approved by the city council committee on land use includes a busway on 34th Street.
• 🚗 The plan aims to remove unnecessary private vehicles from 34th Street.
• 📈 The DOT commissioner cited a 24% increase in bus speed on 14th Street since its busway was implemented 8 years ago.

Concerns and Next Steps

• ⚠️ Some residents worry about increased traffic congestion on surrounding streets.
• 🗳️ The city council is scheduled to vote on the busway proposal later this month.
• 🚀 Councilman Eric Botcher intends to push for the busway's swift implementation if approved.