Select bus service is back on track for 125th Street after it was nixed over the summer due to a lack of community support.
The new M60 service will launch next April, and will replace the local service. All stops will have real-time bus arrival information, and new parking spaces will be created along 124th and 126th Street, according to the DOT.
Currently, the bus route is one of the slowest routes on 125th Street— people walking are sometimes faster.
“By bringing dedicated bus lanes and speeding up boarding times, select bus service will provide a lifeline to thousands of residents and visitors and bring world-class streetscapes to one of the world’s most famous streets,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sakik-Khan in a statement.
There are other improvements scheduled for 125th Street as well—including 62 new street lights, funded by Assemblyman Keith Wright, and new DOT street maps at the station.
Other local routes will also use the new dedicated bus lanes and improve their speeds.
The plan was initially canceled after concern over the route’s effect on 125th Street merchants, but has gained more support from local elected officials.
State Senator Bill Perkins, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, and Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito said they backed the plan, and added that it would reduce traffic collisions.
There will be new left-turn restrictions on Fifth Avenue and Lexington to make 125th Street safer for pedestrians, and traffic congestion is expected to be lessened by the bus service.