NYC DOT Complies With Pause on 34th Street Busway Redesign

The Trump administration is attempting to put a halt to another transit improvement project in New York City, this time putting a roadblock on the 34th Street busway.

The redesign that would be similar to the 14th Street busway implemented in 2019 would restrict vehicular traffic to buses during certain hours of the day, which White House officials say would be harmful to emergency response units and trucking.

Unlike with other transit projects in the city run by the state in which the feds have tried to intervene, New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) is complying with the order, which comes after at least one previous request in September.

“I’m glad to see New York officials have agreed to halt the project and come to the table to discuss the project’s impact on the flow of traffic through one of the city’s most important corridors on the national highway system,” Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster said in a statement. “Ensuring our great truckers and emergency vehicles can safely access this important corridor with as few aversions as possible is top priority.”

Regardless of its compliance, NYC DOT says the project is not unlike other busways in the five boroughs that prioritize Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus riders, in that truck and emergency responders will be accommodated.

“The vast majority of commuters in Midtown are traveling by transit and they deserve world-class, fast, and reliable buses,” an NYC DOT spokesperson said in a statement. “The redesign for 34th Street mirrors other street designs from across the city and allows for truck, private, and emergency vehicle access on every block. We are confident that the design complies with all applicable federal laws and regulations, and we will work with the federal government to advance this critical project.”

The 34th Street redesign has come with a high level of support from local officials, including Manhattan’s Community Board 5. The redesign was funded in part by $340 million included in legislation passed in August that made the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan a reality.

The MTA, a state agency that would benefit from the redesign by providing improved bus service, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Trump administration came out swinging against New York’s transit plans in February when it ordered the state to halt congestion pricing just weeks after it began, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revoked the tolling plan’s federal approval.

The order, however, got bogged down in a court battle when Gov. Kathy Hochul fought back. As a result, congestion pricing is still in effect.

On Oct. 1, as the ongoing government shutdown began, the federal government also revoked $18 billion in funding for the Second Avenue Subway and the Gateway Tunnel project, explaining that the process for awarding contracts by prioritizing disadvantaged business enterprises or minority- and women-owned business enterprises was discriminatory.

That funding freeze also put the status of anti-terrorism efforts in question, but the White House soon released funds for that particular aspect of the grants going to the state.

But the Trump administration’s willingness to involve itself in city and state matters has not always been viewed through such a negative lens, as when the federal government claimed authority over the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Station in April.

Hochul couldn’t have been more pleased to be unburdened by the challenge at the time.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.