On Tuesday, March 23, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz hosted a press conference at the Joralemon Street bus stops outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, joining disabilities and transportation advocate Christopher Greif, riders and local officials to denounce proposed cuts to the B51 and other bus routes, and highlight the impact the service reductions will have on riders, particularly those who are elderly or have disabilities. The B51 serves nearly 1,000 riders each weekday and more than 237,000 each year; the B39 carries 1,300 passengers daily and more than 459,000 annually. Cuts to these routes, along with other bus and subway service reductions, are expected to be voted on by the MTA board tomorrow.

“The B51 is the only bus that takes riders from Downtown Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan and the B39 is the only service for passengers from Williamsburg to the Lower East Side,” said BP Markowitz. “These routes may not be the most heavily used, but they are absolute lifelines for riders with disabilities or who are elderly. There is simply no reasonable way for people with mobility and accessibility issues who cannot take the subway—especially considering many stations along these routes are not ADA-compliant—to get over to Manhattan without these vital bus routes.”

BP Markowitz commended the MTA for modifying its “restructuring” of the B4 and the B13 bus routes, thereby lessening the impact of service cuts on about 1,000 riders every day. Additionally, the MTA’s decision to postpone a final vote on phasing out free student MetroCards pending further deliberation by elected officials is also a sign that the MTA can be reasonable when making decisions that affect the transit of millions of people. However, the MTA still has a commitment to cut a dozen other bus routes in Brooklyn, eliminate the M train to Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst, lay off hundreds of hard working station attendants and worsen the subway experience throughout the city by increasing wait times and shortening service.

In addition to the B51 and B37 cuts, BP Markowitz criticized plans to slash millions of dollars from Access-A-Ride and dramatically reconfigure Brownstone Brooklyn’s B69, B71, B75 and B77 routes, which will complicate commutes and lead to increased wait times. Also on the table are reductions for Borough Park’s B23, Marine Park’s B2, Greenpoint’s B24, the B7 on Kings Highway, the B31 in Gerritsen Beach and several other routes.

Additionally, the MTA plans to cut the X27, X28, X29, X37 and X38, negatively affecting commutes in Bay Ridge, Bath Beach and Gravesend, and leaving Coney Island with no express bus service to Manhattan.

“While to its credit, the MTA just restored $6 million in bus service to preserve options for transportation on routes that lack accessible subway stations, it has to do the same for the B51, which is critical for many people crossing the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan,” said Gene Russianoff, staff attorney for the NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign.

“As home to the largest number of senior citizens of any borough, Brooklynites are especially impacted by cuts to Access-A-Ride and bus routes utilized by older adults,” said Bobbie Sackman, director of public policy, Council of Senior Centers and Services. “Accessible and affordable transportation is the difference between independence and being homebound in many cases. The MTA cannot balance its budget on the backs of older adults.”

“The revised service cuts that the MTA is scheduled to vote on tomorrow disproportionately affects Brooklyn,” said Assemblywoman Joan Millman. “Cutting our much needed bus lines is unacceptable and cold-hearted. Contrary to the MTA’s assertion, bus service does not replicate subway service because so many of our city’s subway stations are truly inaccessible to the elderly and people with disabilities. Buses are not only easier to board, but deliver riders closer to their destinations. Yet again, the most populous borough has been short-changed by the MTA.”

“The B51 bus route is a vital lifeline for residents because it connects them to other crucial bus lines; cutting this service is unacceptable,” said Council Member Letitia James. “Also, taking the bus is simply a better option for the elderly and the handicapped because of the lack of elevators at most MTA subway stops. It is reprehensible that riders, specifically those with special needs who depend solely on bus lines for travel, may now be inconvenienced and without safe transportation.” 

BP Markowitz has repeatedly proposed alternative funding solutions to the MTA budget crisis, including: a modest increase in the gasoline tax levied in the entire 12-county MTA district and dedicated solely to public transit; raising the fees on vehicle registration based on weight and model type; equalizing the vehicle use tax in all 12 MTA counties—a tax for which New York City residents currently pay more; a “mega millions” lottery dedicated to mass transit; and the MTA cutting costs by consolidating its property assets, including the blighted building at 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn.