Upper West Siders Protest Proposed Bus Lane on 96th Street

On Thursday, September 5th, a group of Upper West Side residents, supported by local politicians, rallied against the New York City Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposed bus lane on 96th Street. The DOT plan aims to speed up the slow M96 and M106 bus routes, which have average speeds as low as 4 miles per hour during peak hours. However, the opposition claims the new lane will disrupt residential blocks and limit access for vehicles like taxis and ride-sharing services.

The plan, which was introduced in May, would replace one traffic lane in each direction on 96th Street between First and West End Avenues with a bus-only lane. Proponents argue this will benefit the more than 15,000 daily bus riders who rely on the crosstown service. The M96 and M106 buses currently crawl at speeds well below the citywide bus average, making the service unreliable. However, local activists believe the change is ill-suited for their neighborhood.

At a rally on Thursday, Councilmember Gale Brewer, a prominent figure in Upper West Side politics, expressed concerns and demanded the DOT explore alternatives. While Brewer has supported similar bus lanes on other streets like 14th and 181st, she argues that the 96th Street lane needs further review. Residents claim that the bus lane would reduce curb access and limit parking, although the DOT has stated that parking would be preserved.

The opposition has drawn comparisons to other recent street redesign battles in the city, such as the scaling back of a bus-priority plan on Fordham Road in the Bronx. Advocacy groups, including Open Plans, have criticized the opposition’s arguments, calling them “out-of-touch” and “not factual.” These groups believe the bus lanes will reduce congestion and improve public transit without disrupting neighborhood life.

The DOT plans to proceed with the project by the end of the year despite resistance from the community. A spokesperson for the DOT emphasized the lane’s potential to make bus service faster and more reliable on one of the city’s busiest crosstown routes. With no legal requirement to gain community board approval, the DOT retains the authority to implement the bus lanes.