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Controversial busway project on Fordham Road in Bronx scrapped by city planners

By
Erica Lunsford
Erica Lunsford
Erica Lunsford joined the CBS News New York team as a multi-skilled journalist in January 2025, focusing her reporting in the Bronx.
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Erica Lunsford

/ CBS New York

There are mixed reviews after a controversial busway project aimed at improving bus times and congestion on Fordham Road in a busy section of the Bronx was canceled. 

Last week, city organizations spoke to CBS News New York about the change and why the proposals were canceled.

Fordham Road busway project canceled

In 2023, there were talks about changing the traffic pattern along Fordham Road to include a parking lane for cars beside the bus lane, or to make a portion of Fordham Road exclusively accessible for buses.

"This congestion is crazy right here," bus passenger Tahj Varela said about traffic on Fordham Road. "So it been like this, I could say for like 30 years, it just got even more worse because everybody, now, got older and now we get cars and there's more like bike vehicles, these electric bikes."  

But according to the New York City Department of Transportation 2025 streets plan, neither project will be happening.

"The Fordham Road busway project which would have sped up trips for 85,000 riders on the second busiest route in the entire city was abandoned after local elected and stakeholder pushback," NYC DOT said.

Bronx community members react

Albert Dalipi, deputy director of the Fordham Road Business Improvement District, said the organization is glad the plans will not be taking place.

"We have over 300 businesses here in the BID, and we have major cultural institutions as well as educational institutions here. And we did have some concerns about just kind of how this would change our neighborhood structure," Dalipi said.

Danny Pearlstein, the policy and communications director of Riders Alliance, hopes the plans will come into fruition in the future.

"Any of the options would have been better than what we have today, which is a free-for-all of cars on the street and a bus lane that is constantly blocked," Pearlstein said.

A City Hall spokesperson released a statement on the issue.

"When we are talking about reshaping neighborhoods, DOT must listen to all sides to make an informed decision that is best for the community. We continue to consider upgrades to the corridor as we build a New York City that works for everyone — straphangers, cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike," the statement said in part. 

You can email Erica with Bronx story ideas by CLICKING HERE. 

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