A new bus plan was proposed as the Department of Transportation and MTA are looking at three different options to improve bus services in the Bronx.
Fordham Road is one of the top priorities, and is a potential candidate to become a full or partial busway; this would restrict car traffic between Morris and Webster Avenues.
This comes after a slew of assessments conducted by the MTA. The Bx12 bus route is the busiest bus route in the Bronx, and second busiest in New York City, behind the M15 in Manhattan. This was a key factor in potentially deciding to make Fordham Road a full or partial busway.
Community members in Fordham told News 12 that they are not against the mass transportation initiative, but that the bus lane on Fordham Road already is there and traffic continues to get worse.
“Some of the side streets off of Fordham do not have the capacity to deal with this traffic that Fordham Road has already, and then [it will be] more if this actually becomes a full bus route,” said one concerned resident.
Others have vocally supported the new proposal, saying that it would make navigating the busy street and bus schedule easier.
“I think that’s great because it would be nice if I could get to work on time for once," said local resident Dawn. "This street is always congested and busy, it takes me longer than needed to get to and from work.”
The DOT told News 12 that they are committed to improving bus services while supporting Bronx businesses, and plan to continue working closely with the community to accomplish these goals.