The Metropolitan Transportation Authority released the preliminary draft of the Bronx bus network’s proposed redesign earlier in June.
Before the MTA impements the many service changes, cuts, and route alterations in October, it’s holding a series of public scoping meetings about the plan throughout the summer, starting at the Fort Independence Community Center at 3350 Bailey Avenue, which was held on Tuesday, June 11.
It was there that Bronx commuters learned for the first time the fate of the 27 Bronx bus routes, including four lines with proposed frequency increases.
If approved, changes will be coming to the Bx4A, Bx6, Bx8, Bx11, Bx15, Bx18, Bx24, Bx26, Bx28, Bx29, Bx30, Bx34, Bx35, Bx36, Bx38, Bx40, Bx42, Q50 LTD, M100, M125, BxM2, BxM4, BxM5 (formerly BxM11), BxM8, BxM10, BxM17, and BxM18 lines, and additional buses on the Bx13, Bx22, Bx23, and Bx41.
Specifically, the route changes and redrafts are aimed at making service more direct by shortening many routes and using connecting busses, according to an MTA official.
For instance, in the Throggs Neck and Country Club, the Bx8 bus will no longer service commuters south of Layton Avenue as part of the MTA’s route shortening plan.
Instead,that waterfront east Bronx community will be part of the Bx24 route, originating at Waters Place, taking a more direct path, along Stadium and Dean avenues, losing its serpentine travel through a dozen side streets in Country Club due to what the MTA described as very little ridership. Otherwise the route remains essentially the same.
Co-op City is targeted for one of the largest overhauls if the proposal remains as is.
The Bx28 bus line will be shortened by cutting out its Asch Loop portion, and terminate at the Mall at Bay Plaza. In addition, it will no longer service Mosholu Parkway and Paul Avenue at its current western en.
The plan would also entirely eliminate the Bx38 which now runs from Norwood to Co-op City, due to the Bx28’s planned service increase for the north Bronx.
Under the plan all sections of Co-op City will now be serviced exclusively by the Bx23 circulator bus, which will have increased frequency as part of the MTA’s plan.
Councilman Andy King joined Co-op City residents on Thursday, June 6 to express concerns about the new proposal.
“Who is this (plan) for? The MTA or the riders of Co-op City,” the councilman said when he questioned why only the Bx23 would wrap around the complex and why more scoping wasn’t done with the residents prior to the draft’s release.
According to an MTA representative, Co-op City residents’ most frequent complaint with bus service is extensive waiting times, which the shortened routes will rectify.
The Bx 26, Bx 28 and the Bx 30 will connect with the Bx 23 to take Co-op City travelers to the Allerton, Gun Hill and Dyre avenue train stations. The MTA is trying to eliminate Co-op City’s two-fare zone dilemmawhich occurs when a resident takes two buses to any one of the nearby train stations.
In the MTA plan, Co-op City re-gains express bus service to Wall Street, the BxM17.
The line would run down the Hutchinson River Parkway, over the Whitestone Bridge and enter Manhattan through the Queens Midtown Tunnel, terminating in lower Manhattan at Water Street.
Also the Bx 29 that services City Island will terminate at Pelham Bay Station instaed of the Mall at Bay Plaza.
The next scoping session for the MTA bus redesign will be on Monday, June 17 with Community Board 12 at 4101 White Plains Road.
After that the meetings will be on: Tuesday, June 18 at 1994 Bruckner Boulevard, Wednesday, June 19 at 3040 Roberts Avenue, Monday, June 24 at 2501 Jerome Avenue, Tuesday, June 25 at 2038 Davidson Avenue, and Thursday, June 27 at 2049 Bartow Avenue.
For an entire list of proposed service changes, visit new.mta.info/
