Ahead of World Cup, Mamdani Unveils Plan to Speed Up Buses From LaGuardia Airport
Another painfully slow bus is about to run free like USA soccer star Christian Pulisic sprinting up the pitch.
The city will build a bus lane before next month’s World Cup to speed up rides between the subway and LaGuardia Airport in Queens, Mayor Mamdani announced on Wednesday.
The eastbound bus lane will run on Broadway from 69th Street to Roosevelt Avenue, serving the free Q70 airport shuttle, Mamdani and the Department of Transportation said.
“Arriving in New York City should be fast, affordable and reliable all year round — not just during major events,” the mayor said in a statement. “This new bus lane will help welcome visitors from around the world this summer while delivering faster commutes every day for the thousands of-working class New Yorkers who rely on the Q70.”
DOT’s redesign will slap a center-running bus lane on Broadway, where the Q70 exits the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway towards the 74 Street-Broadway/Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue subway hub.
That small stretch of new bus lane could have big impacts: Serving 9,000 daily riders, the Q70 moves just 2.7 miles per hour during rush hour in the project area — slower than walking.
Wednesday’s announcement is the second transportation initiative Mamdani’s pegged to the upcoming World Cup so far.
Earlier this year, Hizzoner announced plans to build a cyclist-only entrance to Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge to eliminate bike-pedestrian conflicts at the base of the span.
The mayor’s noble attempt to roll out the welcome mat for the Games may not wind up greeting as many visitors as World Cup boosters have promised. On Tuesday, the news outlet The City reported that 75 percent of New York City hotel rooms remain available for the six-week period when matches will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
For those who do head to the game, Gov. Hochul on Tuesday announced that the state had intervened with $6 million to lower the cost of bus rides to the World Cup games from $80 to $20, and that the New York/New Jersey host committee increased the available capacity of bus seats by hiring a yellow school bus company to provide rides.
Across the river, Hochul’s counterpart, Gov. Mikie Sherill announced that NJTransit tickets to World Cup games have dropped from $150 to $98 thanks to a coalition including corporate bad citizens Door Dash, FanDuel and DraftKings buying themselves some goodwill by covering the costs.
Mayor Mamdani campaigned on a pledge to make buses “fast and free.” Last month, his administration broke ground on a bus lane redesign of Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn — one of several bus priority project advanced by DOT since Mamdani took office.
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