NEW YORK (VINnews) — New York City transportation officials have begun construction on a long-delayed bus lane project along Madison Avenue aimed at improving service for tens of thousands of daily riders.

The New York City Department of Transportation said work started this week to extend double bus lanes from 42nd Street south to 23rd Street, a corridor where officials say buses can move as slowly as 4.5 miles per hour.

City officials said the redesign is intended to improve travel times and reliability for roughly 92,000 riders using local and express bus routes serving commuters from across the five boroughs.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said the project, which had previously been delayed, is part of a broader push to improve mass transit and reduce car dependence in Manhattan.

Transportation officials pointed to similar bus lane upgrades on nearby Fifth Avenue, where data showed bus speeds improved after dedicated lanes were added.

The Madison Avenue work is expected to continue over the coming weeks, weather permitting.