'A turtle's pace.’ Brooklyn residents frustrated with construction traffic in Downtown Brooklyn
The goal of the project is to make buses faster, more reliable and safer. But until it's finished, commuters like Linda Hartley say it's doing the opposite.
Construction is underway along Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn to build bus loading islands and center-running bus lanes. Residents say it is causing frustration in their community.
Resident Willie Torbet says it has also caused traffic in the area.
“It’s horrible. You see the traffic moving at a turtle’s pace," said Torbet.
The goal of the project is to make buses faster, more reliable and safer. But until it's finished, commuters like Linda Hartley say it's doing the opposite.
"It took me an hour and a half to get to Flatbush Avenue in Court Street, and it should have taken less than maybe an hour," said Hartley.
“Our Flatbush Avenue redesign will bring transformative improvements for more than 130,000 daily bus riders and major safety upgrades for everyone along the corridor. Flatbush is an active construction site, and we appreciate New Yorkers’ patience during this momentary inconvenience for generational improvements to the corridor,” a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Transportation wrote in a statement.
News 12 crews observed construction progress, including bus loading islands. Torbet says he's curious to see if the project makes commutes more efficient.
“Time will tell. You know, it sounds like it's an interesting idea, but again, you know, we'll see what happens in the future," said Torbet.
News 12 has previously reported that the project is expected to finish sometime in the fall. Drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes during the construction.
