DOT, MTA propose offset bus lanes and wider bike lanes on 6th Avenue; residents warn stop removals could hurt seniors

DOT and MTA staff presented a joint proposal at the Community Board 2 meeting on June 30 to improve bus speeds and bike safety on 6th Avenue by installing continuous offset bus lanes, widening bike lanes where feasible and upgrading boarding facilities.

"Over 51,000 average weekday riders ride local and express buses on 6th Avenue," explained Dustin Ku of DOT's transit development and bike team, who walked the board through project goals including Vision Zero safety improvements, pedestrian islands and bike corrals. MTA planner Jamie Cho said local PM peak bus speeds in parts of the corridor fell to as low as 3.5 miles per hour and proposed removing four low‑use local stops (Broome/Broom Street, 12th Street, 29th Street and 51st Street) to increase bus reliability. Cho said the affected stops average 200 or fewer boardings on an average weekday and that the post‑removal spacing would still fall within guideline distances (about 1,088–1,297 feet).

DOT described the block‑by‑block design: converting the rightmost travel lane into an offset bus lane while keeping protected bike lanes (and floating parking where it exists), adding double bus lanes in limited blocks north of 35th Street, and installing bus boarding islands at some locations so buses do not have to pull into the bike lane to pick up passengers. The agency said design adjustments based on traffic counts show existing peak traffic (roughly 750–1,000 vehicles/hour at key intersections) can be managed in the remaining travel lanes, and that signal timing and curb regulations would be monitored and adjusted after implementation.

Residents and board members raised consistent concerns about access and equity. Laura, a neighborhood resident, said the Broome/Broom Street stop is a critical uptown boarding point for seniors and people with limited mobility, and asked that seating and shelter be provided at islands. "It's my first uptown bus from where I live... it's almost a half a mile for me to get to there," she said. Jeffrey Rowland and other commenters urged DOT and MTA to keep the Broome/Broom Street stop or, if removal proceeds, to install islands and widen crosswalks and passenger waiting areas so older riders and wheelchair users can board safely.

DOT and MTA staff said they will accept public feedback through the MTA's customer feedback portal and DOT's outreach channels, evaluate seating and shelter feasibility with the street furniture unit, examine rumble strips and signal timing to improve crossing safety, and consider enforcement or loading‑zone changes to reduce double‑parking that can block curb access.

Timeline and next steps: DOT said implementation could begin in the fall and that the project team will continue monitoring traffic and bus operations post‑implementation to refine signal timing and curb management. Community Board 2 members agreed to draft a resolution supporting the busway but asking the agencies to include specific mitigations: retain the Broom Street stop if feasible, add seating and shelters where possible, widen crosswalks to access islands, and evaluate raised crossings or rumble strips to slow cyclists approaching boarding islands. The board recorded its draft comments but did not have quorum to formally adopt the resolution at the June 30 meeting.

What residents asked for: more benches and shelters at island stops, wider access ramps and crosswalks to islands, clearer criteria for stop removals and a public rationale returned to the board; DOT and MTA agreed to follow up with site‑specific answers and post materials and slides to the CB2 website.