FHWA requests New York City halt work on 34th Street Busway Project

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Sean McMaster, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator, said the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) has halted work on the 34th Street busway project following his agency’s request for a pause.

McMaster said the FHWA has requested the pause over concerns with project blueprints, including an alleged absence of plans to accommodate truckers relying on access to routes impacted by the project. To resolve the issue, the FHWA has requested a meeting between NYCDOT and the New York State Department of Transportation for coordination and discussion on how to bring the project into compliance with the National Highway System, and to ensure the safe movement of commuters and commerce, as well as maintain access for emergency vehicles along the affected routes.

“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,” McMaster said. “Ensuring our great truckers and emergency vehicles can safely access this important corridor with as few aversions as possible is top priority.”

The FHWA sent in September listing a number of concerns with NYCDOT’s proposal for the 34th street corridor across Manhattan, including clarifying whether routes will continue to meet applicable National Highway System standards; clarification on whether the busway can safely and efficiently accommodate all commercial motor vehicle deliveries, and clarification on whether the traffic analysis of the busway proposal has been completed and what the implication would be for traffic diversions in the area.