Riders Need #BetterBuses for the Bronx!
2 min readMay 15, 2019
What is the MTA network redesign?
As part of the Fast Forward Plan, MTA is revisiting the bus network in all five boroughs and designing a plan to improve speed, reliability, and efficiency. Additionally, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Better Buses Action Plan Commits To:
- Improving bus speeds by 25% for all New Yorkers by the end of 2020
- Installing 10–15 miles of new bus lanes and implementing better enforcement
Why does the Bronx bus network need a redesign ?
- Bronx buses crawl at an average of 6 mph because of limited bus lanes and closely located bus stops
- Buses are unreliable, making it difficult to plan trips
- Long commutes cost riders time
- Key destinations are difficult to reach because routes have not been updated in several decades
When will this redesign happen?
In June 2019 the MTA will hold public open houses to present a draft plan and they will another round of public open houses in September and October 2019 to present a final plan!
Who is impacted by slow and unreliable Bronx bus service?
- 650,000 daily bus riders
- low Income riders with an income of $20,200
- 95% are New Yorkers of color
What do Bronx riders need to see in the proposed redesign?
A Network & Plan That Provides…
- Fast, reliable and frequent bus service
- Better access to job centers, hospitals, and key destinations (i.e. Fordham, Hunts Point Market, LaGuardia)
- More bus lanes to improve bus speeds and reliability
- Equitable access for current and future populations (i.e. Mott Haven Jail, NYCHA, new developments)
- Improved access, especially crosstown service within the borough and service to other boroughs (i.e. Manhattan, Queens)
- More frequent service (e.g. on high ridership routes and to accommodate riders with nontraditional work schedules)
- Rebalance bus stops and improve amenities (i.e. bus shelters, benches, bus maps and route information)
How can I get involved?
- Text “BUSNYC” to 52886 to join the grassroots team organizing to win #betterbuses in the Bronx!
- Visit busturnaround.nyc to learn more about how we can improve NYC bus service.
- Download a PDF copy of this information here.
