The MTA is setting out to hear from customers firsthand about the proposed Brooklyn bus network redesign plan.
People in the community have made their way out to multiple MTA-run community outreach events to learn more and voice their thoughts about the proposed rework to the borough’s buses, including on Monday at the Red Hook Initiative.
Commuters came to hear more about bus stops that are either being removed entirely or changed in the neighborhood and across the borough. According to the MTA, the proposal would be the first time Brooklyn bus services are being revamped in decades.
MTA officials say the goal of this plan is to improve the speed and efficiency of Brooklyn’s buses. The proposed plan will add nine new routes, while improving existing routes. In Red Hook, those changes will impact B61, B57, and B27 buses.
One Brooklyn resident at Monday’s outreach event says he is optimistic about the redesign, but is worried the MTA may not keep the elderly in mind.
“Faster is very meaningful for a lot of people, but some of the users with the biggest needs for this, particularly in Red Hook, are seniors who really need the stops a block or not more than two away,” said the commuter.
MTA officials say they will take into consideration all feedback from these outreach events when drafting the final redesign plan.