BROOKLYN (PIX11) — Bus routes across Brooklyn are being redesigned, shaking up the rider experience for borough residents and workers.
The MTA has already implemented changes in the Bronx and in Staten Island. A redesign is in the works for Queens. Changes in each borough are meant to make routes faster and better for riders.
In Brooklyn, this will be the first overhaul in decades, according to the MTA. The draft plan calls for 69 local routes and 19 express routes, for a total of 88 routes, which would be an increase from the 62 local and 9 express routes currently operating. About a quarter of bus stops are in the borough are proposed to be removed in the plan.
“New Yorkers deserve buses that are faster and more reliable to connect them to jobs, education, health care and everything New York has to offer,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “Redesigning and improving the route system is a huge part of that strategy and we look forward to working closely with Brooklynites to adjust the plan to reflect their feedback.”
To speed up rides, some bus stops would be removed. Bus stops on local routes in Brooklyn are an average of 830 feet apart, which means buses sometimes stop every one to two blocks.
Some turns would also be removed to speed up routes. Narrow streets would be avoided. The redesign also calls for eliminating route redundancy so that buses don’t end up blocking each other.
Two dozen routes would get increased service frequency under the plan. The plan also proposes more connections between Brooklyn and Queens.
There will be six stakeholder briefings, starting Dec. 2, on the proposed changes. The MTA will also hold 18 virtual workshops, starting Jan. 11, 2023. Click here for the schedule.
Across New York City as a whole, more than 1,600 bus stops across 300 routes could be removed as part of the redesign efforts.
