The New York City Department of Transportation has paused work on the 34th Street busway after the Trump administration threatened to withhold funding or federal approvals for other projects until the city convinces them the busway should go forward.
In a letter sent city and state officials on Oct. 16, Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster wrote that "FHWA is concerned about the lack of coordination between NYC DOТ, NYS DOT, and the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Council on this regionally significant project," while claiming 34th Street as a route on the National Highway System. The roadway is not a highway, but the street connects the Lincoln and Midtown tunnels, and is listed on a map of the Federal Highway System as an "other" NHS route.
The letter cited vague "planning" concerns as well as questions about "truck access, and whether the busway can safely and efficiently accommodate large vehicle deliveries." McMaster gloated about slowing down buses that move at just 3 miles per hour in a statement released after the letter went public.
"I'm glad to see New York officials have agreed to halt the project and come to the table to discuss the project's impact on the flow of traffic through one of the city's most important corridors on our National Highway System,” he said. “Ensuring truckers and emergency vehicles can safely access this important corridor with as few aversions as possible is top priority."
According to McMaster's letter, the FHWA previously sent a letter demanding information on the project on Sept. 8, which he said DOT and the MTA ignored.
In the Oct. 16 letter, McMaster demanded the city "cease and desist all activities to implement the 34th Street busway project immediately, until a meeting occurs between NYC DOT, NYSDOT, and FHWA to discuss the project and its implications."
It's unclear what authority the feds actually have to kill the project, but McMaster warned he will move to take actions including "withholding project authorizations and approvals, restricting the obligation of funding, limiting transfers, or other actions deemed necessary" if the city continues to work on the busway.
A rep for city DOT confirmed that the agency had received the threatening letter while projecting confidence that the project will still happen.
"The vast majority of commuters in Midtown are traveling by transit and they deserve world-class, fast, and reliable buses," said DOT Press Secertary Vincent Barone said in a statement. "The redesign for 34th Street mirrors other street designs from across the city and allows for truck, private, and emergency vehicle access on every block. We are confident that the design complies with all applicable federal laws and regulations, and we will work with the federal government to advance this critical project."
McMaster's concern-trolling about truck and emergency vehicle access is a red herring given the history of busways in the city: Removing private car traffic from a street specifically gives more room for emergency and freight vehicles to get where they need to go; every major street project that the DOT does is done in consultation with the NYPD and FDNY.
Trucks, meanwhile, are explicitly permitted on New York's bus-only streets. The lack of cars actually clears the way for trucks to make faster deliveries: Naysayers predicted the 14th Street busway would yield a total collapse for businesses in the area when it launched in 2019. Of course, that didn't come to pass — and delivery and trucking companies have not lodged any complaints about getting access to the block.
The federal interference in the project is just the latest indignity for the simple effort to speed up crosstown buses on 34th Street. An attempt to create a shorter bus-only stretch on the block during the Bloomberg administration died a death of a thousand NIMBYs in 2008. DOT finally came back with a busway plan earlier this year. The project won overwhelming support from the local community boards. However, in July, Trump-friendly local pols instituted their own pause on the project when the Adams administration halted work on the busway. The busway then went back on the menu in August when Council Members Erik Bottcher and Keith Powers insisted that it be included in their deal with Mayor Adams to rezone a large swath of Midtown Manhattan.
Powers, who initially backed the busway and then had to fight for it to be included as part of the deal to rezone Midtown South, said he would keep fighting.
"I fought for the 34th Street busway because it will speed up buses, reduce congestion, and get New Yorkers where they need to go," said Council Member Keith Powers. "President Trump is once again using his agencies to punish New York City, to the detriment of the everyday New Yorkers who need this busway to happen."
Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner in next month's mayoral election, took to Twitter to condemn the Trump administration's latest anti-New York tantrum.
"The Trump administration is once again seeking to meddle with our streets to make buses slower, worsen congestion and pollute our air," said Mamdani, who has pledged to make buses "fast and free" if elected.
This is a developing news story. Check back for more updates.
