Senator Andrew Gounardes Calls for Greater Public Input and Engagement in Brooklyn Bus Redesign

Brooklyn, NY — State Senator Andrew Gounardes, a member of the Better Buses Advisory Group, called for the MTA to deepen its community engagement for the Brooklyn Bus redesign. As part of its outreach plan, the MTA announced ten accessible, evening open houses and a number of “pop ups” at well-trafficked bus stops. However, this plan leaves large portions of the borough without an open house in the neighborhood or nearby. In a letter sent to NYCT on Monday, Senator Gounardes suggested that open houses be held in all 18 of Brookyn’s Community Districts.

According to news reports, the MTA has chosen the locations of the ten open houses because they represent the busiest bus stops. However, as Senator Gounardes pointed out in his letter, many areas without busy bus stops are in the greatest need of new transit options and the most reliant on buses.

“The Brooklyn Bus redesign is long overdue, and it’s so important that we get this right. To ensure that the redesign prioritizes riders’ needs, the MTA must hear from people in every community and every part of the borough. Here in southern Brooklyn, our neighborhoods lack transit options and sometimes rely heavily on buses. Yet many communities will not have an open house within a reasonable distance and therefore will not have the chance to engage with the redesign plan. 

“I urge the MTA to hold an open house in every single community district to guarantee that the redesign takes into account perspectives from every part of Brooklyn. I thank NYCT President Byford for his work thus far and efforts to engage the public, and I hope that NYCT will add more open houses,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes.