East Bronx buses not effected by MTA redesign plan
BY ALEX MITCHELL
East Bronx residents were
elated to learn that the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority’s
bus route initiative
will have little to no impact on
their present bus travel confi
gurations.
The Bx8, Bx24 and Bx40
routes, which service Throggs
Neck and several communities
to its north, appeared to
be facing major rerouting and
inconvenient tranfers. They
will be left as is.
In Co-op City the Bx23, Bx26,
Bx26, Bx30 and QBx50 will continue
to service the Mitchell-
Lamas’ 45,000 residents.
The Bx8 route, which
would have had its terminus
at Layton Avenue and
Dean Avenue under the MTA
plan, will continue to snake
through Locust Point, across
a piece of Throggs Neck that
lies between the Throgs Neck
Expressway and Eastchester
Bay, as it heads north to Williamsbridge
Road via Crosby
Avenue. The MTA plan had
envisioned the Bx24 stating
in Locust Point, picking up
the former Bx8 stops, then
proceeding to Country Club
and Spencer Estate and out
to Hutch Metro center via
Westchester Avenue.
In addition the MTA
planned to replace the Bx24’s
current looping route through
Country Club and Spencer Estate
with a two-way route that
had fewer stops.
Residents from the shoreline
communities in Throggs
Neck loudly opposed the MTA
plan that requirred a transfer
People boarding the BX40 Bus at Tremont and Randal Avenue Silvio J. Pacifi co
to access Crosby Avenue and
other non-residential areas of
the east Bronx, according to
Throggs Neck Homeowners
Association president Lynn
Gerbino.
“Between people going food
shopping, to seniors in our
community, and bad weather,
having to transfer (at Layton
Avenue) to get to Crosby Avenue
shouldn’t be necessary,”
she said, mentioning that Assemblyman
Michael Benedetto
was instrumental in
pressing the MTA to keep the
routes intact
Assemblyman Benedetto
and Assembly Speaker Carl
Heastie worked quietly behind
the scene to mitigate the impact
of the bus route changes.
“Andy Byford, president of
NYC Transit told the people
of Co-op City that he would
consider their needs after he
presented the fi rst draft of the
bus plan several months ago.
I want to thank Mr. Byford
and his team for listening to
its riders, Benedetto said, adding
the MTA was just as responsive
to his constituents in
Throggs Neck, Country Club
and Spencer Estate.
Spencer Estate Civic Association
vice president, George
Havranek opposed the Bx24’s
two-way bus traffi c proposal
because he felt the community’s
narrow streets could not
support such a plan.
The bus route redesign
had the Bx24 travelling on
the area’s main thoroughfare,
Stadium Avenue, between
Throggs Neck and Country
Club. Havranek explained
that the street’s narrowest
point between Fairmount and
Layton avenues would not
support the route’s proposed
realignment.
“Even if you daylighted
the entire block, two buses
wouldn’t be able to pass (at the
same time),” he said mentioning
that one of the only options
would be to remove all street
parking in the area.
Havranek pointed out that
a similar logistical problem
would occur at Ampere Avenue
and Kennellworth Place
as well.
“Those streets are critically
to the redesign,” he said.
According to the redesign
plan, the current Bx40 coverage
area would have become a
two-fare zone, which was also
opposed by many in the area.
The Bx40 currently terminates
at Maritime College.
The proposed change would
terminated the Bx40 route
at Harding Avenue and East
Tremont Avenue and would
have extended the Bx42 bus to
Maritime College. Bx40 riders
would need to make a transfer
to reach the Pennyfi eld area.
The Bx40 route along Harding
was dramatically shortened
under the MTA plan,
cutting out service to residents
between Graff and Emerson
avenues. The proposed
plan had the northbound Bx40
making a right turn from
Harding Avenue onto Balcolm
Avenue and then a right at
Randall Avenue, and then returning
to East Tremont, on
its way to Westchester Square.
To accomplish this route the
MTA would remove a guard
rail located on Balcom Avenue
that deliberately prevents
through traffi c on the residential
block.
That plan was opposed by
Balcom Avenue residents that
fear opening the street would
lead to an infl ux of speeding
vehicles.
Activist Egidio Sementelli
held a rally on Balcom Avenue
to keep the Bx40 bus route as
it currently is on Friday, September
6.
Other east Bronx bus
routes that won’t be effected
by the MTA redesign are the:
Bx23, Bx26, Bx28 and Bx30.
Co-op City had formed an adhoc
committee to present its
needs to the MTA in response
to the bus proposal. All of
the committee’s recommendations
were fully accepted
with the exception of one. In a
compromise, the group ceded
an expansion of the BxM7 to
Wall Street in exchange for
peak period QBx50 service to
Co-op City. Also, City Island’s
Bx29 will no longer service
Co-op City. It will now terminate
at Pelham Bay Station.
The MTA plan wii be released
next week.
A Paqrchester resident signs the petition. Sen. Luis Sepulveda’s offi ce
Sepulveda petitions for elevator
at Parkchester IRT train station
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Senator Luis Sepulveda hit
the concrete, advocating for
residents to sign a petition to
The Parkchester train station has waited
far too long for an elevator.
Luis Sepulveda
Senator
have the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority install an
elevator at the Parkchester #6
IRT stations which currently
operates without one.
He stood outside the station at
Hugh Grant Circle, collecting 204
petition signatures requesting an
elevator be included in the MTA’s
new, fi ve-year capital plan, on Friday,
August 30.
“The Parkchester train station
has waited far too long for an
elevator. The thousands of commuters
who pass through, or are
excluded from, this massive transit
hub every day deserve to have
a fully functioning and ADA-compliant
station, to serve all residents
and workers of Parkchester
and beyond,” Sepulveda said following
the petitioning.
He is working with the Chair
of the Senate Transportation
Committee Timothy M. Kennedy,
while also contacting the Governor’s
offi ce and the MTA to establish
an estimated funding of 30-50
Million for the elevator, according
to his offi ce.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, S 2 EPTEMBER 13-19, 2019 BTR BTR BRONX TIMES REPORTER, SEPTEMBER 13-19, 2019 2