City leaders on foot cruised to victory in a race against a Midtown MTA bus during Thursday evening’s rush as they celebrated a renewed plan to limit or ban cars on 34th Street for a controversial busway along the traffic-jammed route.
A handful of local lawmakers and officials, including Councilman Erik Botcher, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Comptroller Brad Lander, and mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani, speed-walked across 34th Street from First to Eighth avenues, beating out the M34 bus by seven minutes.
The race was held a day after the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and the Committee on Land Use signed off on the busway — part of a larger Midtown South rezoning plan — after it had reportedly hit a roadblock.
The busway, different from a bus lane in that it would limit private vehicles along the busy crosstown thoroughfare, was first proposed in May with the goal of speeding up the normally sluggish M34 and M34A buses.
But Council members grew concerned that Mayor Eric Adams left the plan dead in the water until it was revived Wednesday.
“There was some back and forth. That’s why people were calling it the Miracle on 34th Street because this was taken off the table … we got it back, so I’m very grateful for that,” Holyman-Sigal told The Post at the race.
Adams sent out a statement Wednesday touting the rezoning plan after it was approved by the Council committees.
“With today’s vote, we’re taking another step forward in helping to create a more dynamic Midtown South where New Yorkers of all income levels can live, work, and play,” he said.
“This agreement underscores our commitment to pairing housing with investments in our infrastructure — including the transformation and reconstruction of Broadway and 34th Street busway,” Hizzoner added.
The rezoning plan will be sent off for a vote in the full Council next week
Twenty-eight thousand commuters ride the bus on 34th Street every day. Buses often run slower than 5.5 mph in rush hour traffic, officials said.
During Thursday evening’s race, Councilman Keith Powers, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, and about 30 volunteers rode the losing bus.
The triumphant “Pedestrian Prancers” were handed the “Busway champion” medals after completing the fast-paced walk alongside 50 volunteers.
Hecklers on the street also followed Mamdani as he was the first to cross over the orange finish line.
Critics have previously lambasted the busway proposal as rushed through with zero data or traffic analysis during heated community meetings.
Arguments descended into a full-blown shouting match, with accusations about conflicts of interest flying.
“This is a sham!” exclaimed Samuel “Peter” Panuccio, a retired NYPD sergeant and Murray Hill resident, as he turned to the board. “We’re getting blindsided.”
