Brooklyn’s Disappearing Buses: How Budget Cuts Affect Your Ride

On Sunday, 26 bus lines in Brooklyn were eliminated as part of the MTA's effort to close a $800 million deficit. The changes are the most severe cuts to the city's transit system in the last 30 years, and more than half of the bus stops eliminated are in Brooklyn (298 out of 570). Not surprisingly, confusion and crowded buses took over yesterday as Brooklynites braved the new terrain to find their way to work with new bus stops and new maps, but not always updated information. The Brooklyn Paper spoke with several disgruntled riders about their experiences and how they will alter their commutes. Bay Ridge Blog captured the last trip of the B37 on video, and WNYC caught up with riders of the B51, who have been sitting in the same seats since 1985. The MTA lists all the changes, with updated maps and schedules, on its website, but the information can be rather cryptic. To ease your bus riding pain, we researched the cuts, compared new and old maps, and compiled a more detailed listing of the changes to Brooklyn's buses. Since most buses routes span several neighborhoods, we categorized the altered routes by the areas which will be most affected by changes to a respective line.

North — Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick

B13 no longer continues west into Williamsburg. Service ends at Wyckoff Hospital on Dekalb Avenue in Bushwick.

B24 is completely eliminated. It ran along Greenpoint Avenue from West Street into Queens, then back across the Kosciusko Bridge into Williamsburg.

B39, which ran from Havemeyer Street across the Williamsburg Bridge to Allen Street in the Lower East Side, is eliminated.

B57 no longer has overnight service. It runs along Flushing Avenue from Bushwick to Downtown.

Q24 service west of Broadway Junction is discontinued. It travels into Brooklyn via Atlantic Avenue, but no longer continues along Broadway into Bushwick.

Northwest — Downtown, Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook

B48 used to connect hipster-filled North Brooklyn with Prospect and Crown Heights, but now service south of Fulton Street is discontinued forcing residents to walk to Fulton, or hop onto the Franklin Avenue Shuttle.

B51 is eliminated. The bus traveled from Fulton and Smith Streets in Downtown Brooklyn, up Court Street, and over the Manhattan Bridge to City Hall.

B65, which begins in Downtown, then turns onto Dean Street and runs through Crown Heights, no longer has overnight service.

B67 also no longer has overnight service. It runs from Downtown on Flatbush Avenue, then turns onto 7th Avenue and continues through Park Slope.

B69 weekend service is eliminated. The bus begins at Courtelyou Road in Flatbush, then travels around Prospect Park via McDonalnd and 7th Avenue. It turns onto Vanderbilt Avenue, follows it through Prospect Heights, and then heads west, ending its journey in DUMBO.

B71 is eliminated. It ran along Union Street from Van Brunt Street in Red Hook to Rogers Avenue in Crown Heights.

B75 service is discontinued. The bus ran south on Court Street from Downtown, then went east on 9th Street into Park Slope. The B61 will pick up a portion of its route in the Slope.

B77, which ran through the south of Red Hook into Park Slope, is replaced by extended service of the B61. The B61 now continues to Prospect Park West and 20th Street, instead of stopping at IKEA.

Central — Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Midwood

B45, which ran all the way from Downtown to Brownsville, is eliminated. The bus traveled on main roads like Flatbush, Atlantic and Washington Avenues, and took St. John's Place through Crown Heights.

East — East New York, Canarsie, Cypress Hills

B12 service east of Alabama Avenue is discontinued. The bus begins in Prosepct Lefferts Gardens, then takes New York Avenue to Broadway Junction, where it now terminates. It no longer continues through East New York on Liberty Avenue.

Southwest — Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Borough Park, Bensonhurst

B1 service now continues along 86 Street to 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge, instead of turning north on 13th Avenue. The B64 will take part of its previous route. (See B64 below)

B8 has slight changes, in that it will only run late nights west of the VA hospital in Fort Hamilton.

B9 late night service now ends at 1am. The bus runs from Bay Ridge, then down 60th Street through Sunset Park and Borough Park, and continues through Midwood to Marine Park.

B11 stopped running between 1am and 5am. The bus travels from Sunset Park to Flatbush via 49th and 50th Streets.

B16 is affected identically to the B11. The B16 runs west from Prospect Lefferts Gardens through Borough Park and Dyker Heights to Bay Ridge.

B23 service is totally cut. The route served Kensington, Flatbush and Borough Park.

B37 is discontinued. The bus began in Downtown, then took 3rd Avenue all the way to Fort Hamilton.

B64 buses are rerouted to travel to Shore Rd via 13th Avenue and Bay Ridge Avenue.

B70 service are rerouted from 7th Avenue to 3rd Avenue south of Bay Ridge Avenue, replacing the southern portion of the B37.

Southeast — Mill Basin, Marine Park, Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Coney Island

B2 weekend service is eliminated. The line travels from Avenue V in Marine Park to Kings Plaza.

B3 service south of Avenue U and 71 Street in Bergen Beach is discontinued, dropping only a few blocks from the route.

B4 service east of Coney Island Avenue operates during rush hours only, via a new routing: Avenue Z to Shore Parkway to Emmons Avenue. During off-peak hours B4 service terminates at Coney Island Avenue. The line used to travel down the Bay Ridge Parkway, weave through Gravesend, and finish in Sheepshead Bay.

B7 overnight service is discontinued. The bus travels from Midwood to Brownsville via Kings Highway.

B31, which ran alongside Marine Park, is eliminated.

B64 no longer connects Coney Island with Bay Ridge. The line stopped traveling beyond 25th Avenue.

The Straphangers Campaign is monitoring the bus cuts by conducting surveys at the bus stops that were affected. You can see a sample survey, or sign up to help, on their website. They also put together a Google map indicating where buses will no longer go.