A group of New Yorkers set out in Midtown on Thursday to answer the question: Is it faster to walk across town or take the bus?
Dozens of elected officials, including 2025 mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, community groups and transit advocates on Aug. 7 raced the M34 bus that picks up passengers along 34th Street. Group members divided into teams that would ride the bus or walk from Third to Eighth Avenues along the historic corridor.
The walkers — who added speed to their side — beat the slow-moving bus during the rush hour race by seven minutes.
“We should never have it where any one of us feels confident about smoking the bus in a race,” Mamdani said before the race. “But today I feel very confident because of how slow these buses are. These are the slowest buses in the United States of America.”
The attention-getting race took place just one day after the NYC Council’s subcommittees on Zoning and Franchises, and Land Use, approved the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, which includes a busway limiting cars on a major segment of 34th Street.
City Council Member Erik Bottcher, who represents the area, said 86% of his constituents do not have cars and rely on public transportation.
“These are folks, when they leave to get crosstown, it takes forever,” he said. “We’re changing that now.”
Buses along 34th Street average just 5.5 mph for 28,000 daily riders, according to the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives. A crosstown trip on the bus takes about 22 minutes.
“We’re ecstatic that there’s going to be a miracle on 34th Street — a car-free busway along the corridor — and a fully pedestrianized Broadway,” Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said. “The Midtown South rezoning proves just how critical new homes, great streets, and reliable transit work are to New York City. We’re excited so many elected officials and fellow New Yorkers are excited about speeding up the nation’s slowest buses.”
One man, who lives in the area, was waiting for the M34 as the race continued on 34th Street. He said he was expecting to see more buses on the road.
“I don’t see any buses coming,” he said, adding that he has often missed train connections because of slow buses.
If passed into law, 34th Street would have the third busway corridor in Manhattan, after 14th Street and 181st Street, where NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez was previously a NYC Council Member.
“New Yorkers deserve fast, reliable, and world-class bus service, and that is why Mayor Eric Adams and our administration are building the 34th Street Busway to speed up commutes for riders and make this corridor safer and less congested,” Rodriguez, who attended the race, said.
The commissioner touted the success of the 14th Street busway, where he said bus speeds increased by 24% and crashes dropped by 42%.
“This new busway will prioritize buses and trucks while maintaining local access for pick-ups, drop-offs, and loading,” he said.
Mayor Eric Adams said in a social media post on Thursday that the busway would be “safer and faster,” adding that commuters rely on mass transit as a “quick and reliable way” to traverse the city.
“We heard from New Yorkers about the traffic changes they want to see on 34th Street in Manhattan,” the mayor said. “The busway we’re going to add to this busy thoroughfare will make it safer and faster so everyone can get around as they get stuff done.”
NYC Council Member Keith Powers, who was also at the race, championed the busway plan.
“It’s time to get buses moving faster, and the busway will do just that,” he said. “I’m proud to have fought for the busway, and I look forward to faster service on 34th Street.”
