The MTA confirmed it will begin the process of designing the Ridgewood Busway as soon as 2026. The Ridgewood Busway would run approximately half a mile from Palmetto Street, near Onderdonk Avenue, to Fresh Pond Road and provide transit for close to 9,000 riders everyday.
The Ridgewood Busway has laid dormant within the MTA’s long-term plans for more than a decade. It was discussed as far back as as 2013, and officially proposed in 2015 MTA capital plan before quickly falling by the wayside when then Gov. Andrew Cuomo cut the agency’s state funding, insisting the city contribute a larger portion to the then $9.8 billion budget gap. Then in 2020, the busway resurfaced in the Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign, but was not seriously considered or even included in the 2020 to 2024 capital plan. But a more robust proposal for the bus line was included in the MTA 20-Year Needs Assessment in 2023, with a more comprehensive analysis on its overall feasibility.
“This is a small project, but its positive impacts go beyond the immediate geographic region of the project and benefit riders on multiple bus routes that would become more reliable and operationally efficient,” the MTA wrote in its assessment.
The bus line would cost $30 million to build, but ranked as one of the highest in cost effectiveness among other proposed projects, as operation and maintenance costs would exceed its price tag over a 30-year period. The MTA owns the road beneath the tracks much of the space is used as a parking lot for the bus drivers that deploy from the Fresh Pond Bus Depot. Several blocks are currently fenced off for another MTA construction project to remove lead paint from the bottom of the raised track supports.
The MTA stated that creating the exclusive bus lane would eliminate difficult turns in the congested area, and overall improve service of the three bus lines (Q13, B20, and B13) that move through the area. According to the MTA, the lanes improved bus speeds by 30% across Queens and Manhattan where five were first implemented in 2021. NYC DOT began construction for more bus lanes on Hillside Avenue this past summer, with an 8-mile lane dedicated to one of the most heavily used bus routes in the city, and the Ridgewood Busway is the next project in line as a part of the goal to speed up New York’s notoriously slow bus service.
“That space has become a dumping ground and it needs to be put to better use. I’ve previously floated the idea of municipal parking, but I’m open to hearing other proposals,” said Council Member Robert Holden. “Any use that genuinely improves conditions for residents and small businesses would be a positive step compared to the status quo.”
Community Board 5 Chairman Gary Giordano agrees with Holden that the brief half-mile stretch is a frequented site for illegal dumpers, as large amounts of trash could once be seen through the gates, drawing complaints from residents’ whose backyards face the area. While the MTA has removed much of the trash, Giordano wants the agency to stay on top of cleaning duties, as community cleaners cannot enter the gates without trespassing.
Like Holden, Giordano wants to see the proposed designs before coming to conclusions, and emphasizes the unique factors that come with utilizing the space and potentially removing much needed parking from the community’s bus drivers.
“It’s the back of peoples’ homes, and the same people are already living with the train over their heads,” Giordano said. “Its not a cut-and-dry situation, but one has to keep and open mind. Put it out there and let’s see what peoples’ thoughts are.”
