NYC needs a smarter transportation web
New York is a city built on movement. Every day, millions of us rush to buses, hop on the subway, cross bridges on bikes, or board ferries with the belief that the city will take us where our lives require it. Users want a transportation system that respects their time and reflects their needs. To meet the expectations of New Yorkers, the next four years must be focused on urgency, fairness and results.
Transit is not an abstract political issue. It defines the daily lives of millions of people. A slow bus isn’t just an inconvenience; It’s a missed paycheck. A route that doesn’t reach your neighborhood isn’t just a hole on a map; it’s a wall between you and opportunity. Communities like the one I represent in southeast Queens have lived with these barriers for decades. This moment requires more than promises. It requires delivery.
Our buses tell the story of a system in crisis. The average bus speed in 2024 was just 8.17 mph, a figure that has not improved significantly in 10 years. Runners feel this stagnation every day.
Despite clear mandates, the city has allowed critical investments in buses to wither. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) installed just 5.5 miles of new bus lanes in fiscal year 2025, down from 15.7 miles the previous year, and far short of the 30 miles per year required under the Streets Plan. The result is predictable: slower buses, longer journeys and a loss of confidence.
We need a fully staffed and empowered NYC DOT capable of rapid deployment, enforcement, and performance monitoring. We need to be smart about targeting the corridors that need it most. Drivers deserve speed backed by strategy.
But a world-class public transportation system must be affordable for people. Thanks to the City Council’s persistent advocacy, Fair Fares now covers New Yorkers earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level. This was an essential step, but we cannot stop there.
Expanding Fair Fares to 200% of the federal poverty level would reach 1.6 million New Yorkers, nearly doubling access to discounted public transportation. It’s not just a budgetary choice; it is a strategy to combat poverty. Affordable public transportation connects workers to jobs, parents to child care, and students to opportunities. It is one of the simplest and most powerful levers we have to increase economic mobility. Let’s use it.
Transportation equity also means safer streets and healthier neighborhoods. In southeast Queens and other outlying communities, truck congestion, illegal parking and constant idling harm public health and quality of daily life. Council has prioritized off-street truck parking and a complete overhaul of truck routes. The next administration must accelerate this work.
Our future cannot depend on just one mode. Ferries, bike paths and pedestrian corridors all play an essential role in a resilient and equitable network. New Yorkers living near the waterfront deserve reliable ferry service that seamlessly connects to buses, with integrated fares and true last-mile solutions. We must improve coordination with partners like the NYC Economic Development Corp., whose management of the city’s ferry system must focus on fairness and reliability for riders who rely on water for their travel.
With the MTA advancing the Interborough Express and evaluating proposals like QueensLink, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment for true connectivity outside the boroughs. QueensLink alone could serve 47,000 daily riders, create up to 150,000 jobs, increase personal income by $13 billion and generate $75 billion in real estate value along the corridor. These are not marginal improvements; they change the situation structurally.
But major projects require coherent political will, long-term investments and agencies capable of carrying them out. The vision is only as strong as our ability to achieve it.
Today, inequalities are blatant. Black New Yorkers commute on average 46 minutes, Latino New Yorkers average 40 minutes, while white New Yorkers average 34 minutes. These disparities reflect decades of underinvestment and misplaced priorities.
We can do better. The next four years will determine whether New York finally builds a system worthy of its people. I intend to work with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and my Council colleagues to create a faster, fairer, more reliable and more just transportation system. A system that moves all New Yorkers forward – together.
Brooks-Powers represents southeast Queens and the eastern Rockaways on the City Council and chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
