181st Street Busway

The project runs from Amsterdam Ave to Broadway along West 181st Street. Located in Washington Heights, the corridor connects the Bx3, Bx11, Bx13, Bx35, and the Bx36 routes to the 1 and A trains.

The West 181st Street bus corridor is one of the highest-trafficked corridors for buses in the city. Prior to the implementation of this busway, buses navigated roadblocks such as double-parked cars and poorly marked transit lanes. These factors significantly delayed travel time, slowing down average bus speeds to 3.7 mph.

DOT, in coordination with the MTA, selected 181st Street for a bus priority corridor due to high traffic and community need. The busway was proposed to improve service for 68,000 daily passengers serving 5 different bus routes. During peak hours, over 50 buses traverse 181st Street, connecting an essential east-west regional corridor. Notably, 69% of Washington Heights and Inwood households do not have a car.

To provide enhanced service to a vital corridor in upper Manhattan, DOT installed a two-way busway. Busways limit through traffic to buses, Access-A-Ride vans, trucks, and emergency vehicles, in effect from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The corridor permits local access from side streets, but personal and for-hire vehicles must take the next available turn off the corridor. For more information, review Busways.

Community Advisory Board Meetings

• July 2020; September 2020; January 2021; and February 2022

Community Board #12 Transportation Committee

• November 2020 and February 2021

Door-to-door Business Outreach and Rider Surveys

• Pre-implementation, November 2019
• Post-implementation, Spring 2022

* It should be noted that DOT partnered with the MTA in all community board and community advisory board meetings.

After extensive community outreach, construction began in March 2021.The busway launched in late April 2021, with camera enforcement of the corridor beginning in July 2021. The project was initially considered a pilot location, dependent on monitoring and evaluation after a year-long run.

Post-implementation modifications include changes to signal timing along Broadway to assist with the flow of traffic. Additional signage was installed along the bus route to better inform drivers of new regulations. DOT, in coordination with the MTA, also consolidated the bus stops along St. Nicholas Avenue to further streamline passenger pickup and drop-off.

Altogether, bus travel time has decreased, and average traffic speed has remained unchanged since implementation. Bus speeds increased as much as 43% during peak periods, with increases at all times of the day compared to the same time periods in 2019 and 2020. Because of these improvements to service and enhancements to safety, DOT opted to continue the pilot permanently.