Brooklyn residents urge MTA to bring back decade-old bus service
The B71 bus ran mostly on Union Street, connecting communities like Gowanus, Caroll Gardens and Park Slope to central Brooklyn.
More Stories
As the MTA works on finalizing the Brooklyn bus redesign, some Park Slope residents and local elected officials are calling on the agency to bring back a bus route that has been offline for more than a decade.
The B71 bus ran mostly on Union Street, connecting communities like Gowanus, Caroll Gardens and Park Slope to central Brooklyn.
In 2010, the MTA discontinued the route because of low ridership. Since then, countless new construction sites have popped up in the area, bringing an influx of people and a renewed demand for the route.
"Neighborhoods like Gowanus, neighborhoods like Red Hook are going to see even more new constructions and the need to connect those areas to cultural institutions is greater than it ever has been," said Timothy Gillis, president of the Park Slope Civic Council.
The MTA says it's looking into whether restoring the route is doable, considering factors like cost and demand.
They expect to release the final draft plan of the Brooklyn bus redesign later this year.
