NYC DOT completes major redesign of Manhattan’s 96th Street

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) has completed the major redesign of Manhattan’s 96th St. The redesign was aimed at enhancing bus service speed and reliability and included the installation of offset and curbside bus lanes in both directions to prevent vehicle blockages, along with pedestrian safety improvements, left-turn bays to streamline traffic flow, neighborhood loading zones and treatments to reduce turning speeds for drivers. 

The redesign stretched from Second Avenue to West End Avenue and adds 1.7 miles of bus lanes on both the Upper East and Upper West sides, significantly improving commutes for the 15,500 weekday riders on the M96 and M106 routes. According to NYC DOT, the redesign of 96th St. is part of a broader effort to improve public transportation and make car-free commuting more accessible, benefiting existing riders while encouraging more New Yorkers to use public transportation as service improvements are implemented. 

“96th St. is one of the city’s busiest crosstown routes, where bus speeds during rush hours can be as slow as walking. The addition of dedicated bus lanes will dramatically enhance service for the 15,500 weekday riders who depend on this corridor, making their commutes faster, safer and more reliable,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “By prioritizing both bus and pedestrian improvements, we’re enhancing efficiency and safety for everyone who uses 96th St., creating a better commuting experience for all New Yorkers.” 

“A full bus can move 20, 30 or 40 times as many people as the average personal vehicle. Adding dedicated bus lanes to improve service so that it’s actually faster than walking is a no brainer,” said Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “We look forward to working with the city to make more changes to benefit the two to three million New Yorkers who ride the bus every day.” 

NYC DOT notes 74 percent of households along 96th St. do not own cars while 68 percent of residents commute by public transit, walking or biking. Bus speeds along the corridor are as low as four mph during peak hours, even as 96th St. serves as a key connector between the East and West sides of Manhattan, serving the M96 and M106 bus routes, carrying 15,500 weekday riders and linking them to seven subway lines at four separate stations, 14 additional bus routes, two hospitals, Central Park, schools and other major destinations. 

To address those challenges, NYC DOT implemented offset or curbside bus lanes in each direction between West End Avenue and Central Park West and from Madison Avenue to 2nd Ave. NYC DOT says similar infrastructure projects have already demonstrated success on other bus routes such as the Lexington Avenue offset bus lane project, which boosted bus speeds by up to 19 percent, and the 21st St. offset bus lanes in Queens saw an increase of up to 10 percent in bus speeds. The new dedicated lanes on 96th St. will improve bus speeds and reliability by keeping them clear of parked or standing vehicles while still allowing curb access for parking, truck loading and passenger drop-offs/pickups. The design ensures that traffic flow for other vehicles remains unaffected. 

In response to community feedback, NYC DOT also implemented daytime neighborhood loading zones to facilitate deliveries and service vehicle access between Amsterdam Avenue and Central Park West. The zones reserve curb space for drop-offs, deliveries and service vehicles, ensuring smoother traffic flow and safer passenger pick-up and drop-off activities. The agency has also conducted a community education program to inform residents about the bus lane rules, which allow for quick and safe pick-ups and drop-offs in bus lanes. 

According to NYC DOT, the bus lanes will operate 24/7, except for the eastbound curbside lane between Lexington and 3rd Ave., which will be in effect from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. NYC DOT also installed left-turn bays and hardened center lines at intersections to smooth traffic flow and enhance safety by reducing conflicts between turning vehicles, pedestrians and through traffic. 

As part of the project, bus stops were lengthened to allow M96 and M106 buses to access them simultaneously, reducing delays and improving accessibility. NYC DOT notes riders will benefit from expanded space to wait, board and exit buses without causing traffic to be blocked. 

NYC DOT notes that as the January implementation of congestion pricing nears, the redesign of 96th St. is one of 37 projects that NYC DOT is advancing to make commuting to New York’s central business district easier without cars. The traffic analysis for the project examined conditions both with and without the effects of congestion pricing. NYC DOT will monitor the area throughout and after the project’s implementation, with the ability to adjust traffic signal timing if necessary.