Overview

• The City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and the Committee on Land Use approved a car-free busway along 34th Street between Third and Ninth avenues in a Midtown South rezoning package.
• Mayor Eric Adams reversed his July pause on the project and publicly endorsed its inclusion in the rezoning deal, linking dedicated infrastructure upgrades to nearly 10,000 new housing units.
• Transit advocates and elected officials beat the M34 bus by seven minutes in a rush-hour pedestrian challenge, highlighting its average speed of just 5.5 miles per hour.
• DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez cited a 24% increase in bus speeds on the 14th Street busway as precedent, while some opponents warn of congestion spilling onto adjacent avenues.
• A full City Council vote is scheduled for next week, with a 2025 public engagement phase set before any construction begins.