New bus redesign plan revealed by MTA; routes shortened
Noel Ellison (c), Riverbay Corporation general manager, voiced his and
residents’ concerns regarding the proposed Bronx Bus Redesign affecting
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR UNE 14-20, 2019 9
Co-op City, as Councilman King (l) listens. Photo by Jewel Webber
BY ALEX MITCHELL
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 fi rst
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.
Specifi cally, the route
changes and redrafts are aimed
at making service more direct
by shortening many routes and
using connecting busses, according
to an MTA offi cial.
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 Coop
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 Coop
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/bronxbusredesign.