Riders of the Bronx bus system will see changes to their commutes next week when the MTA launches a review of the county’s routes.
The new bus map adds two new local bus routes, changes 13 existing ones and removes about 400 stops, about 20% of the total number.
Transit officials said the new plan will speed up bus service and help connect large swaths of the Bronx that are not served by subways. The changes will take effect on Sunday, in time for next Monday’s morning commute.
“These passengers need and deserve a robust system, a system that gets them from one place to another faster than walking,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Janno Lieber said during a news conference Tuesday.
“We believe that the redesign of the Bronx bus network will be a tremendous step forward,” he added.
MTA officials said the new bus routes create easier east-west connections in the Bronx, such as the new Bx25 route that will run from Co-Op City to Bedford Park via Allerton Ave.
Another new route, the M125, will run along 125th Street in Harlem and The Hub at 149th Street in the South Bronx. The route will replace the southern portion of the Bx15 route, which will run from The Hub to Fordham Plaza.
Crews from the City Department of Transportation have installed poles and signs along some of the new routes, and officials said they will finish installing them after the redesign begins. And MTA crews have plastered signs on poles at bus stops that will no longer be active next week, telling riders where their new stop is.
The MTA also overhauled the Staten Island bus network in 2018 and plans future bus route redesigns for Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, in that order.
THE REDESIGN FOCUSES ON:
- GREATER SPEED. Increasing the space between stops is an effective method that allows buses to travel faster. Bronx bus speeds are among the slowest in the country, with distances between bus stops averaging 800 feet, compared to 1,000 to 1,680 feet, which is the international average.
- MORE DIRECT ROUTES. Simplifying winding routes and adjusting routes in known areas of street congestion improves travel time due to reduced turns and traffic avoidance.
- BETTER CONNECTIONS. The route changes strengthen inter-county travel to Manhattan and improve accessibility to other areas of the MTA’s transportation network, including ADA-accessible subway stations. Better east-west bus connections strengthen travel within the county.
- MORE SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. The new local bus network includes additional trips during off-peak hours, on weekends, and increases the frequency of service on eleven routes and nine key corridors.
Open here to check out the changes in your neighborhood.
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