Meetings are once again slated to pore over the MTA’s bus route redesign plan. The move comes days after MTA officials announced it will spare any changes to express bus service operating, including the BxM4, which runs through Norwood.

Two meetings are scheduled for the Bronx in February, with state Sen. Gustavo Rivera hosting a meeting on Feb. 1 at Monroe College and the MTA hosting a hearing at the Bronx Museum of the Arts on Feb. 20, where officials will offer an overview of impending changes to the bus network while seeking input from riders.

I just got off the phone with @NYCTSubway President Andy Byford. He told me service will remain the same on MTA express buses throughout The Bronx.

A hearing will be held next month to discuss the final draft of the Bronx Bus Redesign and proposed changes to local bus routes.

— Ruben Diaz Jr. (@rubendiazjr) January 16, 2020

The latest meeting comes days after MTA president Andy Byford told elected officials that the agency will not institute any changes to express bus routes, but continue monitoring ridership as it implements changes to the Bronx. It’s not quite an about-face, though elected officials are interpreting this as a win.

“Hard work and community organizing pays off. It is wonderful news to hear that the MTA has postponed their plans to cut express bus service,” said Norwood Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, whose office organized a town hall discussion on express bus service in the Bronx. “Our community is disproportionately reliant on express buses to access Manhattan – especially those along the northern and western borders of the Bronx who do not have nearby subways. I am glad that President Byford and the MTA listened to riders’ concerns, and I look forward to a continued dialogue on how we can efficiently continue to provide essential mass transit service for the people of the Bronx.”

Councilman Andrew Cohen, who also represents Norwood, called the news “a reprieve.”

“Bronx commuters throughout the district have expressed their frustration and dissatisfaction with the proposed service cuts and there is no doubt that the MTA and President Andy Byford have heard our voices,” said Cohen.  “I’m proud of the hard work from the community and Assemblyman Dinowitz’s leadership in combatting these changes. I look forward to working with the MTA to put forward a plan that meets the needs of Bronx commuters and ensures access to reliable and efficient transportation.”

Had the changes gone through, it would have seen some major revisions for the BxM4, which runs through Norwood via Bainbridge Avenue. Had the plan gone through riders would have not gotten service between Katonah Avenue and East 237th Street in Woodlawn and the Grand Concourse and East 158th Street in Melrose. The bus would not longer have run through the Grand Concourse, redirected instead to the Major Deegan Expressway. In total, the line would have 30 of its 43 stops discontinued, with two of them being officially removed.

In the meantime, residents can still sound off on proposed changes to the borough’s bus routes, which impacts the Bx28, Bx30 and Bx34 buses at the Feb. 20 meeting.

Editor’s Note: The Feb. 1 meeting will take place at Monroe College at Mintz Auditorium, 2501 Jerome Ave., from 1 to 3 p.m. while the Feb. 20 event takes place at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse, from 6 to 8 p.m.