Report: B61 is Often Late and Way Too Crowded
Councilman Brad Lander is holding a press conference this morning to release the findings of a report that are likely to surprise no one who has to rely on the B61—namely, that the bus rarely comes when it’s supposed to and is frequently packed to the gills. The report on the bus, which serves Park…
Councilman Brad Lander is holding a press conference this morning to release the findings of a report that are likely to surprise no one who has to rely on the B61—namely, that the bus rarely comes when it’s supposed to and is frequently packed to the gills. The report on the bus, which serves Park Slope, Red Hook and Downtown Brooklyn, is based on data collected on 700 individual bus runs earlier this year. Among the findings: Only 43 percent of buses come within 1 to 3 minutes of when they’re scheduled to arrive during peak hours, and a whopping 42 percent of northbound buses skip the stop at Columbia and Union streets between 8 and 9 a.m. because they’re too full. The report points to a variety of reasons for the line’s sub-par performance, including the temporary closure of the Smith-9th subway stop. Suggested fixes include running more buses during peak hours; running a limited bus during peak hours; installing countdown clocks at some stops; and extending the B57 into Red Hook.
Next Bus Please: Improving the B61 Bus [Report]
The 61 is a bad joke. Why must the route meander through tiny back streets in Red Hook ,completely unpopulated , before hitting Smith and 9 th? Why not install a pay before boarding system at the beginning of the route by Fulton St? There are often 25-30 people waiting to board in the evening. At even1 minute per person that’s a lot of hanging in the cold waiting to go home.
I think I meant the old B75, not the B57. Is this all fading from memory already?
Did I mention that I hate the MTA with a passion?
I agree with g_man. When they split the old B61 into the B61 and B62 I thought the MTA finally did something smart. NOT POSSIBLE! They couldn’t actually go for a logical improvement and leave it alone. Instead they decided that it was smart to fuse the 61 with part of the old B57 route to Park Slope, thereby creating yet another roundabout, nonsensical, overly long and creepy crawling journey. Not to mention crowded.
Plus I really really want my Union Street bus back. It made it so easy to cut across Gowanus to the Slope and to the library, park, museum, etc. No other bus or subway duplicates it and it is sorely missed. I still have never seen those ghostly shuttle vans that were supposed to replace it.
you would think there would be a more gracious way to get to and from your two-million dollar brownstone.
Red Hook needs more transportation options desperately, so this is great to see. Bring back the B77 on Union St. too!!
Red Hook needs more transportation options desperately, so this is great to see. Bring back the B77 on Union St. too!!