Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Buses

New Refuge Islands for Bronx Pedestrians & Bus Riders

bronx_bus.jpg

Streetsblog reader Ed Ravin sends along a photo of a new pedestrian refuge island that has recently emerged beneath an elevated subway platform in the Bronx. While the new sidewalks make bus riders' lives a bit easier (and, perhaps, longer-lasting), Ed also has some ideas for additional improvements. He writes:

Bus passengers on streets under elevated subways have long suffered with the paradox of a bus stop that is one lane into the roadway. If you want to be seen by the bus driver, you need to stand in the middle of the asphalt next to an el pillar, while cars and trucks pass in front of you in the main travel lane and occasionally behind you in the curbside lane.

The "el-pillar bus stop" is the norm for major Bronx arteries like Broadway and Jerome Ave that run under the el, with an occasional exception like the temporary sidewalk extension at Jerome Ave and Fordham Road installed several years ago.

But perhaps as part of a PlaNYC initiative, recent construction in the Bronx is creating at least three safer versions of the "el-pillar bus stop." The photo above shows Broadway and West 238th St under the #1 line where new concrete islands are being built to give bus riders a safe place to wait. Similar construction is underway at Broadway and West 231st Street, and at Jerome Avenue and Mosholu Parkway (where renovations at the #4 line station will also re-open the southern subway entrance for the first time since its abandonment 30 years ago, putting subway riders a block closer to a heavily-used bus stop).

Though these islands are a big improvement, one has to wonder about the DOT's thought processes. The newly built island on the northbound side of Broadway at 238th Street has an interesting mid-island pedestrian ramp, but it's sure to get blocked by parked cars if that little curbside lane stays open to vehicular traffic. On the other hand, maybe the DOT is thinking of relocating the crosswalk to that spot, as the current crosswalk leaves people in the middle of an empty sea of asphalt on the west side of Broadway, defended only by a bunch of thermoplastic stripes and splatters of pigeon droppings.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway

The highly-anticipated 34th Street busway may not happen under Mayor Adams after all, sources said.

July 3, 2025

Manhattan DA Says Alleged Central Park Hit-and-Run Cyclist Didn’t Flee, Drops Charges

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old cyclist "remained on the scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person."

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025

Ex-DOT Official Warns NYC’s ‘Counterproductive’ E-bike Speed Limit Will Curb Biking, Safety

The mayor is working overtime to undo the decade of gains for cycling in the Big Apple, a former de Blasio administration official told Streetsblog.

July 3, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

Things are slowing down for summer, but not entirely. Here's the news.

July 3, 2025

DOT Boss Defends Adams’s ‘Vision Zero’ Record As Agency Fights A Bike Lane in Court

Traffic fatalities are down and the DOT is taking a victory lap — even as it argues against a protected bike lane in court.

July 2, 2025
See all posts