The MTA\u2019s six-month review showed that BX40 and BX42 riders saved an average of three minutes of travel time<\/a> in each direction following the changes. But residents at the rally said the savings haven\u2019t been worth it.\u00a0<\/p>\n The press conference at Devanney Triangle took place on the site of one of the missing bus stops. Council Member Pierina Sanchez and Assembly Members Yudelka Tapia and Landon Dais joined Community Board 5 members and residents in demanding that the bus stops be reinstated. <\/p>\n They also accused the MTA of failing to meaningfully engage and listen to residents\u2019 needs.\n<\/p>\n Sallie A. Wilkins, 88, a longtime resident leading the charge to bring back the stops, said at the rally that forcing residents to cross ten lanes of traffic at the Grand Concourse was \u201cunacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re asking you to give us what you took away from us,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Wilkins told the Bronx Times that she has asthma and arthritis, and she walks with a cane. Getting to the BX40 and BX42 in either direction requires her to not only cross traffic but also to navigate a steep uphill or downhill. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a challenge,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Instead of taking away the bus stops, Wilkins said there should be stricter enforcement of double-parking rules, which would allow buses to run faster. At one point during the brief press conference, large trucks were double-parked on both sides of Devanney Triangle, including one where the BX40 and BX42 used to stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement to the Bronx Times, the MTA said that restoring the bus stops would compromise speed improvements on the route and would require removing a different stop. It would also require removing trees planted at the site of the former stops.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSince the Bronx Bus Network Redesign was implemented, eastbound bus speeds at this location have improved by 19% and westbound by 17%, with faster buses saving time for thousands of riders every day on those routes,\u201d said MTA Spokesperson Aaron Donovan in a statement to the Bronx Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Sanchez said the changes in 2022 \u201cimmediately resulted in a community outcry\u201d that has persisted for years, and the MTA has been \u201cunresponsive.\u201d The Bronx has the city\u2019s highest population of disabled residents, and within a few blocks of the former bus stops are several assisted living facilities, senior centers and schools, Sanchez said. \u201cReplacing these stops could bring accessibility back to our community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Sanchez said she was pleased to see Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s newly announced plan<\/a> to improve bus speed and efficiency across the city. However, she said the MTA and city leaders must listen to community needs before making changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n She encouraged residents to speak up now, \u201cOtherwise, changes are made that impact our safety.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Tapia said she\u2019s heard dozens of complaints about the missing bus stops and that the\u00a0Grand Concourse is \u201calready a dangerous area for pedestrians.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The entire Grand Concourse has been identified as a Vision Zero<\/a> roadway and is in \u201cthe top 10% of pedestrian deaths and serious injuries in the Borough,\u201d according to the Department of Transportation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe need real engagement from the MTA to sit down with our community to chart a path forward,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we start a fight, we never step back until we win.\u201d<\/p>\n Community Board 5 chairperson Osiris Guzman also spoke at the press conference, saying Wilkins and other residents have appeared at every general board meeting for three years to advocate for the return of the bus stops.<\/p>\n His board issued a resolution<\/a> in May calling on the MTA to heed residents\u2019 concerns before someone gets injured or killed.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBringing these bus stops back is essential to protecting bus riders \u2014 especially our senior citizens, children, and people with disabilities \u2014 before and after riding the bus by allowing them to get on and off on their desired side of the Concourse. We call on all agencies to use their authority now to protect our residents rather than waiting for someone to be killed or grievously injured,\u201d the resolution said.\u00a0<\/p>\n After the press conference, residents and elected officials walked across Grand Concourse and down the hill to the Throggs Neck-bound bus stop to demonstrate the challenges they face.<\/p>\n The group included multiple seniors with canes and walkers, one of whom said she had two artificial knees. Midway across the Grand Concourse, the walk sign turned red, and Dais briefly held up traffic to allow them to cross to the next island.<\/p>\n Going down the hill to the bus stop, though a short distance, is especially hard in the winter when the ground is slippery, residents said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The bus stop placement issue is not unique to the BX40 and BX42 riders. Dais said residents in his nearby district experienced the same frustration with stops removed from the BX18.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhy does the Bronx always have to fight more than anyone else? Why do we always have to raise hell more than anybody else?\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Dais called on MTA officials to ride the affected bus routes in his and Tapia\u2019s districts to get a firsthand look at the challenges residents face in getting around. He told the Bronx Times that he\u2019s been contacting the MTA since early June.<\/p>\n \u201cCome here and do a ride along with us, and bring your grandmother or your aunt, or a young mother or father with three kids in a stroller, so you can experience what our district experiences every day,\u201d Dais said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n
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Residents, including disabled seniors, said they now have to cross ten lanes of traffic and navigate hills, whereas the former bus stops eliminated the need to cross Grand Concourse. Photo by Emily Swanson\n<\/p>\n