New York City’s plan to speed up bus service is moving into Central Brooklyn, where proposed improvements to Flatbush, Church and Utica avenues could bring faster, more reliable service to more than 150,000 riders.
The plan was discussed during a Central Brooklyn bus rider town hall at Brooklyn College, where residents shared their personal experiences with buses and provided input on potential improvements. The event was hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement, the New York City Department of Transportation and the MTA.
The three corridors include thirteen bus routes, and function as a network given their close proximity, said Senior Project Manager of NYC Department of Transportation Faith Chojar.
According to Moriah Richardson, MTA Transportation Planner, some buses on the routes travel as slowly as 2 mph on congested streets.
Many households in the area do not have private vehicles, making buses an essential way to reach work, school, health care and other destinations. Riders described missed work, lost pay, expensive car-service trips and lengthy commutes caused by unreliable service.
The improvements are part of Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service, a citywide plan that aims to increase bus speeds by up to 20 % on 50 priority corridors. Proposed changes include bus priority measures, accessible bus stops, seating, shade, real-time arrival information and pedestrian safety improvements.
The entire plan covers 175 bus routes, which is almost two-thirds of local and select bus service routes, according to Department of Transportation commissioner Mike Flynn.
The city and MTA are also exploring busway designs along the busiest sections of the three corridors. Longer-term plans call for the potentially separated bus lanes, bus priority at intersections and upgraded bus stations.
Rapid bus treatments are planned for Flatbush Avenue by 2030, with designs for similar improvements on Utica and Church avenues expected to advance during the same timeframe.
Flynn said the town hall was just one of many workshops to come.
