NYC DOT Finishes 8 Miles of New Queens Bus Lanes

QUEENS, N.Y., Oct. 28, 2025 — Faster commutes are now within reach for more than 215,000 daily riders along one of Queens’ busiest corridors. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) has completed eight miles of redesigned and upgraded bus lanes on Hillside Avenue, a major milestone in one of the agency’s most extensive bus priority projects to date.

Spanning from 139th Street to Springfield Boulevard, the new bus lanes create a fully connected, camera-enforced bus priority corridor. The project supports 22 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus routes connecting to multiple subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road, and the JFK AirTrain — vital transit links for commuters, students, and workers.

NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said:
“NYC DOT is changing the game, one bus lane at a time—and this redesign of Hillside Avenue brings consistent, camera-enforced bus lanes across the corridor while freeing up curb space to support local shops with their deliveries and customer access. We thank Mayor Adams and the MTA for their support in improving this critical transit corridor for everyone who uses it.”

Modern Bus Priority + Improved Street Access

Hillside Avenue previously relied on curbside bus lanes that only operated during rush hours — an approach dating back to 1969. With this redesign, the corridor is now equipped with:

• 24/7 offset bus lanes in both directions
• Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) to keep lanes clear
• Over 600 new parking and loading spaces to reduce double-parking and improve retail access
• A simplified road layout:
  • One parking lane on each side
  • One general vehicle lane each way
  • A dedicated turning lane
  • A full-time bus lane in each direction

This combination supports faster and more dependable transit while helping local businesses maintain deliveries and customer flow.

Community-Driven Design

The completed redesign stems from nearly 300 multilingual pedestrian surveys and outreach efforts involving community boards, local merchants, and elected officials. Residents have long called for improvements to traffic reliability and safety along the corridor.

A Major Boost for Transit Equity

Hillside Avenue serves neighborhoods where many rely on transit for daily mobility. By improving bus speeds, the redesign targets inequities that often leave transit-dependent communities with slower commutes.

Officials said the improvements underscore the City’s focus on transit-first planning, climate goals and safer streets, while also supporting economic vitality across Queens.

Originally reported by Joey Stoate in Bus News.