Transit advocates rally for busway on Fordham Road
Riders Alliance members say about 85,000 Bronx riders rely on bus services in the busy corridor.
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Advocates for bus riders held a rally in the Bronx on Wednesday to push for a busway on Fordham Road to help speed up traffic.
Members of the Riders Alliance dressed up as zoo animals to push for faster bus service along Fordham Road. The group says about 85,000 Bronx riders rely on bus services in the busy corridor, and that previously made changes to speed up service aren’t doing enough.
“Speeds have improved 2% to 4% in that range, but to boldly improve bus service on what's really the Cross Bronx Expressway for bus riders the second busiest route in the city is a busway,” said Danny Pearlstein member of the Riders Alliance.
Advocates say a busway would give priority to buses and improve ridership overall, adding that a middle bus lane on Fordham Road would help this issue best.
While some riders are in favor of this change, not everyone is on board with the addition of a busway in the neighborhood. Concerns have been raised about increased traffic in residential areas around Fordham Road.
Councilmember Oswald Feliz says other methods can be used first, like fixing the existing bus lane on Fordham Road and installing cameras.
“We can improve bus services by taking these two steps,” said Feliz. “Now, if we take these two steps and more is needed, maybe we should install a second bus lane… We shouldn’t do something that drastic when we haven’t tried the basics.
Members of the Riders Alliance handed out fliers to bus riders to gain support in the push for a busway on the busy Bronx road.
