Big Changes Could Be Coming To Park Slope Bus Routes

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — The proposed overhaul to Brooklyn's bus routes could mean big changes to how you get around Park Slope, according to the draft plan released by the MTA.

In the draft released last Thursday, officials highlighted changes that could help Brooklyn move faster, including spreading out stops and changes to routes altogether, with some sections of routes being eliminated altogether.

"We're going to pay special attention to working class communities," MTA chair Janno Lieber said at last Thursday's press conference, "and other areas where people are especially dependent on bus service."

Nearly all of the routes in Park Slope will undergo some changes — some major and some minor. Here is an overview of what is currently in the draft plan, with links to each proposed route plan for more information.

B103

• The western end would be eliminated from Park Slope, with the new draft route serving riders from Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues to the New Lots 3 train station, reducing its length by almost five miles.
• The old Park Slope section of the B103 route would be serviced by new proposed routes of the B81 or the B37.

B61

• The length of the route would be reduced by just under a mile, with service ending at Bartel-Pritchard Square instead of Greenwood Cemetery.
• Stops spread further apart to increase speeds, but most bus stops in Park Slope will remain where they currently are.

B63

• Stops spread further apart to increase speeds.
• This includes the elimination of six stops in Park Slope along Fifth Avenue.
• The average space between stops will increase from 703 feet to 1,029 feet. The new distance would mean each stop is a six-minute walk apart, according to Google Maps.

B67

• The route would be reduced by a bit over one mile.
• Route would no longer travel through the Navy Yard to South Williamsburg.
• Stop spacing would increase by an average of 40 feet.
• Four stops in Park Slope along Seventh Avenue would be removed.

B69

• The route would be extended by just under a mile and a half.
• Stop spacing would increase from an average of 748 feet to 1,002 feet.
• The route would shift from starting in downtown Brooklyn to the current B48 route in Greenpoint.
• At the southern end, the route would be shortened to end at Prospect Park West and 20th Street instead of further down McDonald Avenue.

These are all draft proposals, so if you don't like the plan, the MTA wants to hear from you.

To give the MTA comments on the proposed changes, the agency is holding several community meetings for feedback. If you are unable to attend, you can still submit a comment online here.