Proof that the Proposed Flatbush Avenue Bus Lanes Will Hurt More Than They Will Help

By Allan Rosen

In its December report on Flatbush Avenue's proposed bus lane redesign project, CBS gave Transportation Alternatives, Riders Alliance, and the DOT too much time to express support for the idea, with too little time for the opposition, namely me and a community member.

The community representative stated that with the bus lanes, the bus frequency should be improved. However, the MTA is planning to cut bus service between 33 and 50 percent under the Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign. One-third of the B41 buses would terminate at Empire Boulevard and be renumbered the B40. If the route is converted to articulated buses, another 20 percent of the buses would be removed.

Bus lanes will be in effect for 24 hours a day, including times when buses hardly operate and traffic is heavy. This will cause unnecessary congestion, many violators, and much revenue for the MTA (the real reason the lanes are being implemented).

The spokesperson from DOT, who stated 132,000 daily bus riders would benefit by having faster and more reliable commutes, is totally wrong. The number of daily bus passengers benefiting is closer to just 4,000. Far more users of Flatbush Avenue will have slower trips, perhaps tens of thousands per day.

The 2023 ridership figures, which are the most recent available as of the writing of this article, stated that 14,600 daily bus riders use the B41. The only other routes that use Flatbush Avenue are the B67 for a short distance, as well as the B45, B63, and B69, each for one block. Total ridership on these four routes is about 19,000. Even if we assume that everyone who rides uses all these buses, including those who do not use the affected portion of Flatbush Avenue, the total daily ridership is under 34,000, a far cry from the claimed 132,000. It is certainly a stretch, for example, to claim that although everyone using the B45 and B63 will now have a faster and more reliable commute due to a bus lane operating for one block of those routes. But even if we assume that is a true statement, the 34,000 daily estimate counts each passenger twice, since most passengers make at least two trips per day.

If we assume that, realistically, only B41 and B67 passengers are affected, the maximum number of daily passengers benefiting is only 9,000. That assumes that everyone using those routes benefits, including those who get on and off two or five miles away from the bus lanes. If we assume that only those who ride along the stretch with bus lanes benefit, logic says the number of riders benefiting is cut by more than half, or is really around 4,000 daily.

Now "benefiting" only means faster and more reliable buses. That does not mean faster trip times. Since half the bus stops are being removed along these bus lanes, walking times will increase. Therefore, to really benefit and save time, the buses will have to save more minutes than will be spent on additional walking time.

There is zero evidence that this will happen, so all we can safely state is that 4,000 daily bus passengers may have faster commutes. Now we know why DOT will not release the name of its spokesman who claims that 132,000 daily riders will have faster and more reliable commutes. It is because that number was pulled out of thin air.

How many tens of thousands of those who drive will have their commutes extended by ten or 20 minutes per trip? Far more will be hurt than will benefit from this plan.

Please also see Allan's other article he wrote on the subject.