MTA New York City Transit announced plans today to hold a series of community workshops regarding the upcoming redesign of the entire local and express bus network for the Bronx.  NYC Transit representatives first unveiled the plans in a meeting yesterday with Bronx community board district managers and chairs. The six workshops are set to take place throughout the borough over the next several weeks and will provide Bronx residents with the opportunity to offer their input and expertise to help identify ways the network can be improved. This is the second major bus redesign implemented by NYC Transit and the first one covering both express and local bus routes. A similar redesign of Staten Island’s express bus network went into effect last month. As part of NYC Transit President Andy Byford’s Fast Forward plan to modernize the city’s subways and buses, the bus networks in all five boroughs will be reimagined with complete redesigns.

Despite considerable population growth and changes in travel patterns, the Bronx bus network has not substantially changed in decades and ridership has decreased. The borough is also home to the slowest bus speeds in the city outside of Manhattan.

“Bronx residents deserve first rate transit and right now they simply aren’t getting it,” said President Byford. “These upcoming meetings offer Bronxites an incredibly unique opportunity to reimagine the way buses navigate their communities. Just as we did in Staten Island and just as we will do in the city’s other boroughs, customers are being provided with a blank slate and we are eager to hear what they bring to the table. After all, the people who live in these communities are the ones who know them best.”

“The Bronx is changing and that means the needs of our customers are changing too,” said Darryl Irick, President of MTA Bus Company and Senior Vice President of NYC Transit’s Department of Buses. “In thinking about how to build a Bronx bus network for the 21^st century and beyond, it’s absolutely imperative that we work in close partnership with those who live and work in the borough’s neighborhoods each and every day. I am excited to work in tandem with residents, community leaders and our operators to make sure we are bringing world class service to the communities of the Bronx.”

In addition to soliciting public input, NYC Transit will ultimately craft the bus redesign plan by marshaling data from sources like the BusTime app and MetroCard as well as from survey research and outside agencies such as the Department of Transportation. NYC Transit planners are expected to work closely with their counterparts at the city’s Department of Transportation in overarching efforts aimed at expanding bus priority, developing high frequency, high capacity corridors, improving the spacing of bus stop locations and altering routes that are currently circuitous or redundant.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

(all events are from 6 to 8 p.m.)

Community Board 12

Thursday September 20

4101 White Plains Road

Bronx, NY 10466

Metropolitan College of New York

Thursday September 27

483 East 149^th Street

2^nd Floor

Bronx, NY 10455

Monroe College—Kings Hall

Wednesday, October 3

2501 Jerome Avenue, Mintz Room

Bronx, NY 10468

RiverBay Corporation Co-Op City

Tuesday, October 9

2049 Bartow Avenue, Room 31

Bronx, NY 10475

NYC Health+ Hospitals/Jacobi

Monday, October 15

1400 Pelham Parkway South, Building 4

Conference Center 2N1

Bronx, NY 10461

Christ Church Riverdale

Thursday, October 18

5030 Henry Hudson Parkway (at 252^nd Street)

Bronx, NY 10471