NEW YORK (VINnews) — New York City has completed new bus lane projects on Madison and Lexington avenues aimed at reducing travel times for more than 150,000 daily riders, city officials announced Monday.

The improvements include new double bus lanes on Madison Avenue between East 23rd and East 42nd streets, serving about 92,000 riders on 34 local and express bus routes. On Lexington Avenue, curbside bus lanes between East 52nd and East 60th streets have been replaced with offset bus lanes designed to reduce delays caused by parked and standing vehicles, benefiting about 71,000 daily riders.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the projects are intended to shorten commutes and improve reliability for bus passengers across the five boroughs.

City transportation officials said buses on parts of Madison Avenue had slowed to about 4.5 mph before the project, while buses on Lexington Avenue averaged about 5 mph during the day because vehicles frequently blocked curbside bus lanes.

The Madison Avenue redesign also includes updated traffic lane configurations and parking regulations. Officials said previous double bus lane installations on Fifth Avenue increased local bus speeds by up to 12% and express bus speeds by up to 20%.

The Lexington Avenue project expands on an earlier offset bus lane installation farther north, where the city said bus speeds increased by 26% and pedestrian injuries declined by 35%.

Transportation advocates and elected officials welcomed the projects, saying dedicated bus lanes can improve transit reliability, reduce congestion and enhance street safety.