Mayor and Governor Unveil $800 Million Bus Improvement Plan

Mayor Zoran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul introduced an $800 million initiative on Wednesday aimed at reducing bus ride times in the city. This plan includes the creation of special bus lanes and the installation of additional traffic cameras to encourage better driving behavior.

During a press conference held in Flatbush, the Democratic leaders described how these new “express bus routes” would reportedly save passengers about six minutes on their travels. The proposal foresees adding 200 more automated enforcement cameras across 50 routes by next year.

“In New York City, time is money, and we intend to give some of that time back to New Yorkers,” Mamdani remarked, specifying, “Six minutes to be exact.”

Interestingly, Mamdani started a stopwatch during the announcement to underscore his commitment to keep his speech under six minutes. However, he ended up speaking much longer, possibly akin to delays like those faced by the M42 bus.

Alan Rosen, vice president of Passengers United, voiced skepticism about the six-minute savings claim. He suggested that the promise doesn’t hold when examining the typical distance people travel on buses.

The MTA, with decades of experience in bus planning, noted, “They say having bus lanes can save up to six minutes.” But he further explained, “If you travel the entire bus route, say eight miles, you save six minutes. Yet, the average local bus trip is only 3.7 miles, which means riders might save only two to three minutes on a 45- or 60-minute trip.”

The partnership between the City Transit Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority aims to implement features like traffic lights with green turn arrows for buses and a tape-and-go boarding system to cut ride times. Nonetheless, a former MTA bus planner expressed doubts that these measures would significantly impact overall travel time.

City officials plan to invest $254 million and allocate $628 million in capital over five years for this initiative. The project will also revise bus stop spacing to align with national standards as part of the MTA’s ongoing redesign of the bus network.

However, according to the MTA, the standard practice in urban settings is to position bus stops roughly every 400 meters. In New York City, they are currently spaced more like every 800 feet, which means some stops will be removed altogether.

Rosen emphasized that losing bus stops could negate any time saved with faster routes. “If you miss your bus because a stop has been taken away, that could easily add another 10 minutes to your journey,” he stated. “So your trip could end up taking 20 minutes longer under the MTA’s plan.”

He pointed out that the core issue remains the reliability of the bus service; with only about 20 supervisors managing the city’s 6,000 buses, the system faces significant challenges. The MTA did not address questions about the current number of bus operators in their employ.

Rosen highlighted concerns related to the planned increase in ticketing cameras. “The main reason for implementing bus lanes is to escalate fines for those who violate regulations, not necessarily to benefit bus riders,” he argued.

Mamdani’s initiative is also expected to bolster anti-car advocacy groups, which, according to some claims, are funded by a company profiting from the increased proliferation of road cameras.

Transportation Alternatives had previously outlined a wish list for Mamdani’s administration that closely mirrored the mayor’s proposals, calling for greater camera enforcement and expanded express bus services. The organization is noted in the plans, with a former executive being appointed as the administration’s bus director.

Moreover, Transportation Alternatives had identified Verra Mobility, the firm managing the city’s automated enforcement cameras, as a significant donor in recent years. They documented contributions of $100,000 or more annually from 2020 through 2023.

In a press release, it was discussed that the NYC DOT had also signed a new five-year contract with Verra, which increased by approximately 34% from the previous agreement. Increased enforcement of bus lane cameras played a large role in the scale of the contract.

The city and MTA reported that $152.9 million was collected from bus lane-related camera fines in fiscal year 2025, which included $126 million from drivers. Notably, revenue from bus-mounted cameras surged by 551% compared to the previous year, following the state’s expansion of the MTA’s bus camera program to ticket drivers blocking bus stops and double-parking along bus routes.