Neighbors push back after bus stops removed on Kings Highway
For 81-year-old Barbara Bernstein, losing her stop just minutes from her home has made daily life much harder.
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A major reconstruction project along Kings Highway has some neighbors furious — not just because of the construction, but because several bus stops have been removed.
For 81-year-old Barbara Bernstein, losing her stop just minutes from her home has made daily life much harder.
“It’s essential to me. This area really is a transportation desert, a food desert, meaning there are no grocery stores within easy walking distance,” Bernstein said.
She said getting around her Flatlands neighborhood has become increasingly difficult.
“It’s made it very difficult, very anxious. I have to walk further at night just to buy groceries,” Bernstein said.
As part of the Kings Highway reconstruction project, several stops between Flatbush Avenue and Ocean Avenue were eliminated, including East 37th Street, just steps from Bernstein’s front door.
“This area has one of the largest proportions of seniors in New York City. A lot of them use walkers, canes, or just walk really slowly, the way I do. This is like the worst neighborhood that the MTA could strike,” Bernstein said.
She estimates the changes have added several minutes to her trips.
“The previous stop was right over there. That would be maybe two or three minutes. Now it takes me six to 10 minutes,” she said.
News 12 reached out to Councilmember Farah Louis’s office. A spokesperson said they’ve heard concerns and are working with the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to bring back the stops.
Bernstein also started a petition on Change.org, saying the lack of communication made the changes even harder for residents.
“I think it’s unconscionable. There was no transparency, no advance notice, no warning,” she said. “A lot of people in the neighborhood are new Americans, and they don’t feel comfortable calling the MTA or writing petitions.”
In a statement, a DOT spokesperson said the bus stops were removed to improve service.
“Brooklyn residents deserve fast, reliable, and accessible bus service. We expanded the available space at key bus stops along Kings Highway, making them ADA-accessible and more comfortable for riders. We also coordinated with the MTA to streamline and better space bus stops along the B7 and B82 routes, which helps all New Yorkers reach their destinations faster and spend less time in transit,” the spokesperson said.
DOT said the stops were removed in spring 2025 as part of the capital reconstruction of Kings Highway to create more even spacing along the corridor. According to the agency, the average distance between stops had been just 909 feet, far shorter than the 1,000 to 1,680 feet common in other major transit systems worldwide.
DOT and DDC said they presented detailed plans to the community in December 2022.
