14th Street To See New Bus Boarding Platforms This Winter: MTA

14TH STREET CORRIDOR, NY — The 14th Street corridor is getting seven new bus boarding platforms by this winter, the MTA announced.

Work begins Thursday on the new platforms, which make it easier for riders to get on the bus from the sidewalk, transit officials said.

The bus route upgrades along the M14 route are a part of sweeping changes this year to revamp the route to a Select Bus Service line and bar much of private cars from 14th Street from Third to Eighth avenues in what's known as the "busway" — a transit change that drew months of supportive rallies from advocates and a heated legal battle from some nearby residents opposed to the plan.

NYC Transit President Andy Byford said, "The combination of SBS with NYC DOT's Transit & Truck Priority put our customers and buses first, and these new bus boarding platforms further enhances that."

The platforms make it so that buses don't have to pull up to the curb, helping buses travel quicker and giving riders more space to hop on the bus. Bus drivers have to take about 20 seconds to more than one minute during rush hours to get back into a bus lane from the stop, according to the MTA and Department of Transportation.

"DOT has installed bus boarding platforms, where bus riders have found that a wider sidewalk makes hopping on a bus even faster and more convenient," DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said in a statement.

"Especially along 14th Street, where our busway has helped spur dramatic increases in M14 ridership, this should be another step that should help our month-old pilot work even better," Trottenberg added, referencing a 17 percent spike in weekday riders after the busway was implemented on the M14, a route notoriously known for being slow.

Construction will be done this winter after seven platforms are complete, with work phased to avoid construction at two stops in a row simultaneously.

Pedestrian space south of Union Square was expanded ahead of the holiday market opening as well, Trottenberg said.

Local politicians welcomed the changes.

"Boarding platforms will help to further improve service and increase pedestrian space in the area and I welcome their addition," Borough President Gale Brewer said in a statement.

Stuyvesant Town and Murray Hill Council Member Keith Powers added, "The 14th Street busway pilot has been a runaway success."

"Since 2017, I have advocated for a true People's Way and pushed for more along the corridor following the launch, including investments in pedestrian space and calls for additional features to truly enhance the thoroughfare," Powers said. "I am thankful to DOT for heeding these requests and investing in the potential of 14th Street."

For updated information on service changes at your bus stop, check in with the MTA.