NEW YORK — Brooklyn transit riders are worried about an ongoing proposal to cut bus stops as part of a redesign project.
It’s been five years of anxiety and frustration for transit activists who have been following the MTA’s plans to redesign Brooklyn’s bus networks . The initiative was launched in 2019 and postponed during the pandemic. Commuters got their first look at a draft plan in 2022.
“This is our lifeline to the subway”
Allan Rosen, who retired from MTA in 2005, says he immediately saw red flags.
“The biggest problem is the elimination of bus stops. They are planning to eliminate around one-third of the bus stops in Brooklyn, over a thousand bus stops,” he said.
The problem, he adds, is that many riders aren’t even aware.
“I had no idea that they were proposing to cut any stops. And, you know, this is our lifeline to the subway,” said Jamee Schleifer, pointing to a stop which is proposed to be cut along Oriental Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.