MTA uses digital open house to present Bronx Bus Network Redesign Final Plan

The New York City Transit (NYCT) will host its first digital open house Dec. 12 to enhance the agency’s public outreach efforts, with the inaugural web presentation planned to target Bronx residents and bus customers seeking information on the final plan on the Bronx Bus Network Redesign.

The proposed final plan was unveiled in October to improve bus service, add frequency, balance bus stop spacing, improve crosstown connections and improve service reliability for 675,000 customers who rely on Bronx buses every day by establishing a new baseline for service adjustments as customer needs change.

“Our bus network redesigns are customer-driven, which makes customer feedback a critical part of the process,” said NYCT President Andy Byford. “We’re always looking for new ways to connect with our customers and to provide important information, and a digital open house in this age of an increasingly web-savvy population means more flexibility for our customers to participate.”

The digital open house will be a livestreamed, in-depth presentation of the redesign to provide information to Bronx residents who are unable to attend a community board meeting or site event in person. The presentation, which will be hosted by Byford and the Bronx Bus Network Redesign team, will be a detailed version of the presentations that are available on the Bronx Bus Network Redesign website. The team will answer some of the most frequently asked questions on the proposed final plan, and the public can submit questions via new.mta.info/bronxbusredesign or on Twitter using the hashtag #bronxbusredesign.

The proposed final plan updates the Bronx’s bus routes, which were largely unchanged since they were converted from trolley lines nearly a century ago or absorbed from private bus lines consolidated into the Metropolitan Transportation Association (MTA) decades ago. It took into consideration the routes’ performance, ridership and reliability on key corridors, and how individual routes contribute to the larger network. The proposal establishes a new baseline of bus service in the Bronx and a new foundation upon which the MTA can build service as the borough continues to evolve.

The recommendations were developed in collaboration with New York City Department of Transportation following public outreach with communities and coordination with transit advocates, including open houses, workshops, community board meetings, in-person surveys and community events. NYCT is continuing this level of public outreach with the final plan through follow-up meetings with community boards in the areas affected by the Bronx Bus Network Redesign and staffed information tables at key bus and subway transfer points throughout the Bronx. Additionally, the MTA will hold a public hearing in early 2020 as part of the implementation process, which requires a full MTA Board vote. Details of the public hearing will be released closer to the date.