Mass Transit Update: A Petition for the B71, and More

Assemblymember Joan Millman has just started a petition to bring back the B71 bus along Union Street. The bus, which had been eliminated in 2010 as part of widespread budget cuts by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was a vital link for Park Slopers heading west (to Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill) and east (to Crown Heights).

Millman will be testifying at the MTA Board meeting this week, where she will speak in favor of restoring the B71. For this year’s budget the MTA is expected to allocate tens of millions of dollars for additional bus, subway, and commuter train service. “We need all the signatures we can get to prove how crucial this bus is for Brooklynites!” You can sign the petition on change.org; deadline for signatures is Tuesday, July 24.

In other transit news, the MTA recently announced several restorations of services cut in 2010 as well as some new bus lines. Of note to Park Slopers are

  • the permanent extension of the G train to Church Avenue, and
  • the return of weekend service for the B69, which connects the Slope with Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, and DUMBO.

More information about those changes, most of which will take place next year, on the MTA’s website.