NYC Council Slams City's Failure to Meet Bus and Bike Lane Targets

New DOT commissioner vows to revive stalled projects under previous administration

Mar. 3, 2026 at 10:19pm

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Members of the New York City Council sharply criticized the city's failure to meet mandates for expanding protected bus and bike lanes, with one councilmember saying the city's 50% completion rate is a 'big, fat F.' New DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn acknowledged the backlog from the previous administration but promised to revive stalled projects, including on Fordham Road in the Bronx and McGuinness Boulevard in Brooklyn.

Why it matters

Expanding bus and bike infrastructure is a key priority for Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration to improve public transit speeds and safety for cyclists. The city's inability to meet its own targets under the previous mayor has frustrated advocates and council members who want to see faster progress on these issues.

The details

The NYC Streets Plan, established in 2019, set mandates for the city to build at least 150 miles of protected bus lanes and 250 miles of protected bike lanes between 2022 and 2026. But Department of Transportation data shows the agency repeatedly fell short of those targets under Mayor Eric Adams. Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu said the city is 'trying to make up for lost time' after two years of hovering near the halfway point of its mandate. New DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn acknowledged the backlog from the previous administration but said the Mamdani administration is reviving stalled projects, including on Fordham Road in the Bronx and McGuinness Boulevard in Brooklyn.

  • The NYC Streets Plan was established in 2019.
  • The city was mandated to build at least 150 miles of protected bus lanes and 250 miles of protected bike lanes between 2022 and 2026.
  • In 2025, the city had completed just 20.8 miles toward its 30-mile goal for bus lanes that year, an improvement from 13.5 miles the previous year.
  • Earlier this month, Mayor Mamdani announced the revival of the Fordham Road bus lane project.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The current mayor of New York City, who has made improving bus and bike infrastructure a key priority.

Mike Flynn

The new commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, appointed by Mayor Mamdani.

Shaun Abreu

The City Council Majority Leader, who criticized the city's failure to meet its targets for expanding bus and bike lanes.

Lincoln Restler

A City Council member who said the city's performance on street redesigns has not been good enough and wants to see significant improvement.

Jolyse Race

An advocate with the Riders Alliance, who testified that bus riders were 'completely disrespected' under the previous administration.

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What they’re saying

“A 50% is a big, fat F.”

— Shaun Abreu, City Council Majority Leader

“The way things have been working is not good enough. And I hope that you are hearing that clearly from this City Council, that we want to see significant improvement.”

— Lincoln Restler, City Council Member

“It was a long four years fighting for bus riders under the Adams administration. And for four years, the streets plan was ignored and bus riders were completely disrespected by the elected officials.”

— Jolyse Race, Advocate, Riders Alliance

“The mayor has been clear that we can and must do better, and that safe and livable streets are a priority for this administration.”

— Mike Flynn, DOT Commissioner

“The bottom line is this: The buses can only move as fast as conditions at the street level allow.”

— Janno Lieber, MTA Chairperson and CEO

What’s next

The City Council has put the DOT leaders on notice that they need to follow through on the commitments laid out in the next five-year streets plan, and said they don't want to see failures again on building enough bike and bus lanes.

The takeaway

The failure to meet mandates for expanding bus and bike infrastructure under the previous administration has frustrated city leaders and advocates, who are now looking to the new DOT commissioner to revive stalled projects and make significant progress on these key priorities for improving public transit and safety.