Senior leadership from the MTA and Bronx elected officials announced that final plans have been approved for a redesign of bus routes in the Bronx. Officially known as the Bronx Bus Network Plan, it is the most significant change in bus transportation in decades.
Although the 323-page report, titled “The Bronx Bus Network Redesign” includes the words “Final Plan” on the cover, transit officials are encouraging continued feedback from community boards, elected officials, and commuters.
The MTA estimates that 490,000 Bronxites ride the 57 bus routes in the borough every day and every route will be affected in some way.
During a press conference announcing the final plans, MTA President Andy Byford reminded everyone that he has been personally involved in the changes about to go into effect in the Bronx. “I do remember going up to Co-Op City and speaking to around a thousand people about why we’re doing this, the redesign, and why it’s important,” Byford said.
For Norwood, the new changes mean discontinued service on the Bx34 line, which runs along southern Bainbridge Avenue and Valentine Avenue. Service would be rerouted onto East 204th Street and Webster Avenue and access to Fordham Road will still be provided. The Bx28 will also be rerouted, allowing for smoother ride, according to the MTA.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. echoed earlier words from Byford in describing the importance of these changes. “When you look at all the bus routes, in fact so many of them have been around for so long, since the days of trolleys 50 or 100 years ago. Well the Bronx has changed considerably in the last 10 years alone.”
All the elected officials present praised the MTA administration for listening to the concerns of their districts. From state Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey to Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez to Councilman Mark Gjonaj, all expressed gratitude for the MTA’s willingness to listen to their constituents’ concerns. “In Co-Op City we saw something, we said something, you [the MTA] did something. Doing something is the most important part of what this is,” said Bailey.
One change impacting the north Bronx is the proposal for a new crosstown bus, the Bx25, that will run between Bedford Park and Co-op City along Allerton Avenue.
The MTA also hopes to speed up the travel time of buses by eliminating 400 bus stops in the borough. The agency has concluded that one of the reasons for congested bus routes is the relatively close spacing between stops—on average 882 feet, the equivalent of over three city blocks. By extending the spacing to an average of 1,092 feet, the MTA hopes to improve the speed of buses between stops.
Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director for Riders Alliance, applauds the change in bus stop spacing but believes that the governor and MTA can do more for the Bronx. “The state needs to invest much more in the 650,000 Bronxites who depend on buses to get to work, school, and other appointments,” Pearlstein said in a written response to today’s announcement.
Pearlstein is hoping that the governor will continue to listen to riders’ concerns for even more improvements. “Riders need the governor’s strong leadership to make major improvements to Bronx buses now,” Pearlstein said.
admin
Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
English
Arabic
Bengali
Chinese (Simplified)
French
Spanish
Not stated in this article is that the BxM7 which serves as an express bus between Co-Op City and Manhattan will be discontinued at 3 PM on Weekdays going south bound. This is awful for folks trying to go to evening jobs or cultural events in the city during the week.
Bx36 rerouting
The MTA’s plan for redesigning the Bronx bus routes is a welcome. However, there needs to be a bit more thought before the implementation. Much of what the MTA wants to do could be done with simple local & limited service. Select Bus Service can be expensive to implement and confusing to riders. Adding limited options to local bus lines would be feasible without complete rerouting lines. The Bx40/ 42 could stand to use limited service.Placing bus stops farther apart is a good idea, but it in some cases building stops outward should be considered. Buses pulling into stops and then back out to traffic is time consuming.
Using the center lanes such as on the Grand Concourse would help Bx1 and Bx2 buses considerably; those lines were left out of the plan. Extending the Bx2 to W231 street would also be of considerable help.
The Bx28/ 38 currently operate via Mosholu Pkwy and Paul Avenue, perhaps where they operate the fastest. Rerouting these buses would take service away from two high schools, a college and several businesses. Additionally residents in neighboring apartments would be without service, not to mention the future residents of apartment houses now under construction.
We ask that the MTA give further consideration to these and other proposals before proceeding to implement its plan in 2020.