Eliminating Brooklyn bus stops under redesign project will make commutes longer, residents say
NEW YORK — Brooklyn transit riders are worried about an ongoing proposal to cut bus stops as part of a redesign project.
It's been five years of anxiety and frustration for transit activists who have been following the MTA's plans to redesign Brooklyn's bus networks. The initiative was launched in 2019 and postponed during the pandemic. Commuters got their first look at a draft plan in 2022.
"This is our lifeline to the subway"
Allan Rosen, who retired from MTA in 2005, says he immediately saw red flags.
"The biggest problem is the elimination of bus stops. They are planning to eliminate around one-third of the bus stops in Brooklyn, over a thousand bus stops," he said.
The problem, he adds, is that many riders aren't even aware.
"I had no idea that they were proposing to cut any stops. And, you know, this is our lifeline to the subway," said Jamee Schleifer, pointing to a stop which is proposed to be cut along Oriental Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.
Rosen, who is on the board of Passengers United, a grassroots advocacy group for transit riders, says information on MTA's website about public hearings is often outdated or difficult to find, and many of the decisions to cut stops don't take into account the needs of the community.
Last spring, CBS News New York reporter Hannah Kliger reported on similar concerns among residents in Coney Island.
"It angers me because the people making these decisions don't even come to these neighborhoods," said lifelong resident Ann Michelle Valdez at the time.
MTA says buses will run faster
The MTA says this will make buses run faster, but Rosen and others believe it's actually going to make their commutes longer.
"They're saying that each bus will save an average of 20 seconds per bus stop, for the bus stops they eliminated. But the fallacy in that argument is that every bus stops at every stop. Now, usually all these stops are skipped anyway. So all you're doing is making people walk further to get the bus and the bus is not, won't be traveling any quicker," Rosen said.
An MTA spokesperson responded with the following statement:
"Brooklyn deserves bus service that goes where people want to go - and doesn't leave riders stuck in traffic. The Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign project will accomplish that. We are in a planning phase right now, and will have a lot of outreach and briefings across the borough to gather input before the plan is final."
Since last year, MTA says it hosted 50 public events and workshops to get community input, and says the comment portal remains open online.
On Thursday, after months without update, the redesign website was changed to say the final plan will be published in late 2025.
"Being that the first draft was universally rejected by virtually everybody in Brooklyn, I don't see how they're ready to do a final plan. They need at least one more draft," Rosen said.
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