B31 | GerritsenBeach.net

Buses Running then Not

By GerritsenBeach.net, on December 29th, 2010%

Local kids are throwing ice and snow at cars, bm4 and b31 buses from everrett and devon. Taking one bm4 temporarily out of service.

MTA Makes it Official

By GerritsenBeach.net, on May 13th, 2010%

Esssh….The MTA has been posting notices on all of the bus signs all over the city to let you know of the impending doom.

Bus Drivers: “Kick and Scream” to Stop Cuts

By GerritsenBeach.net, on May 5th, 2010%

The flyer which as you can see came from the transit workers union was posted on the bus map behind the driver. The flyer wants you to call the MTA CEO, which you should do!

The driver explained that the cutbacks to the MTA service planned in July, they are laying off somewhere between 300-600 drivers.

Every different driver that I have spoken is pleading for everyone to “kick and scream” to stop these cuts, “because once it’s cut, it’s cut for good.”

Golden to Try and Save Overnight B31

By GerritsenBeach.net, on April 29th, 2010%

Seems like instead of complaining Senator Golden is offering a decent solution to restore overnight bus service to Gerritsen Beach.

Senator Golden is proposing re-routing one B3 bus per hour down Gerritsen Avenue and then have it continue back along its regular route.

The east bound B3 currently travels past Gerritsen Avenue and Avenue U, and it is being proposed that at this point, it could turn south bound and go the 1.4 miles to the end of Gerritsen Avenue, stopping in the B31 bus stops. Upon reaching the end of Gerritsen Avenue, the bus could then turn around and return to its regular route.

Continue reading Golden to Try and Save Overnight B31

B31 & B2 Cuts to Happen July 5th

By GerritsenBeach.net, on April 21st, 2010%

We just received word that the MTA is celebrating independence day weekend by implementing their planned service cuts. The B31 overnight (1-5am) cuts and the weekend cuts to the B2 will take effect Monday, July 5th at 12:01 am

“The extent of our deficit requires that most of the cuts move ahead, but we listened to our customers and made changes where we could,” MTA Chairman and CEO Jay H. Walder said. “We were able to take a number of cuts off the table but unfortunately, many of the cuts moving ahead will be painful.”

B31 Overnight Service Kaput

By GerritsenBeach.net, on March 24th, 2010%

The MTA Board just voted to approve a package of service cuts that will save the MTA hundreds of millions of dollars while reducing bus and subway service throughout New York City. Basically, the authority’s board feels it has no choice but to cut services because the state will no longer support transit in the most transit-dependent city in the nation. Therefor on June 27, the B31 with a ton of other buses and subway lines are to be cut back.

Who’s to blame?! Our State Senators: Marty Golden for one, and these guys “Pedro Espada, Ruben Diaz, Sr. , Carl Kruger” oh and don’t forget the guy who was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend Hiram Monserrate.

Can these pols stop – with these stupid power struggles and deal with real life situations and talk straight with us?! We don’t elect you to hand out awards every few weeks! Why does everything have to be one vs the other or strictly right or left. Treat us the public like adults and tell us whats going on. Last year for instance, if bridge tolls could of saved these drastic cuts, then tell us don’t stick to party lines. Cuts will happen – understood – in times of need but I blame the state senate.

Service Changes

New York City Transit
- Memo of service change revisions
- Final Report of all service changes
Long Island Rail Road
- Memo of service change revisions
- Final Report of all service changes
Long Island Bus
- Memo of service change revisions
- Final Report of all service changes
Metro-North Railroad
- Memo of service change revisions
- Final Report of all service changes
Bus Company
- Memo of service change revisions
- Final Report of all service changes
Final Access-A-Ride Report
Final Able-Ride Report

Final Crossing Charges

MTA Bridges & Tunnels

Although these cuts will come down the pike this summer, the MTA did not vote on a proposal to eliminate the Student MetroCard plan yet, and politicians and advocates are still squaring off on the issue. The Mayor slammed the state for its failure to fund student travel. “It’s the state that has cutback subsidies to the MTA and the state that has cutback the MetroCards for kids so call Albany,” Michael Bloomberg said. “If they cut back our subsidies to the MTA, they cut back the subsidies for MetroCards for the students, I think it is an outrage but it’s not the MTA’s fault, it’s the state’s fault.”

Blizzard Falls…

By GerritsenBeach.net, on February 10th, 2010%

The blizzard dumped a good amount of snow on Gerritsen Beach today, it obviously fell short of the large predictions. There is a massive amount of snow outside.

Be Careful. I already hear quads .

I rode the B31 early this morning and no one was on it.

B31: Overnight Service to Be Axed

By GerritsenBeach.net, on January 26th, 2010%

(The new cuts will not go into effect until June at the earliest.)

The MTA’s Brooklyn service reduction plan is cutting the B31′s overnight hours. The B31 ranks the 14th lowest in the city when it comes to overnight ridership (1am – 5am) with 36 average riders.

The MTA plans to hold public hearings regarding the array of cuts proposed it intends to adopt as a measure to close a $400 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year. The hearing location closest to Brooklyn is going to be held at the Brooklyn Museum located at 200 Eastern Parkway, set for March 3, 2010

Service Change Proposals

Details:

Discontinue overnight bus service on the B7, B31, B45, B57, B64,B65, and B67

Start weekday service later on the B16 and B24; end weekday service earlier on the B2, B9, B11, B13, and B16; end Saturday service earlier on the B9; and end Sunday
service earlier on the B9 and B16.

Here are the changes (without Queens, Bronx, Manhattan and that other place)
Continue reading B31: Overnight Service to Be Axed

BM4 Bus Now at 5:30am

By GerritsenBeach.net, on January 13th, 2010%

There is now a 5:30 am BM4 bus. It is MTA’s way of making up for taking away the BM3 stop at Allen & Knapp that all the early bird Gerritsen Beach people were able to use.

Prior to January 4th, the 6am was the earliest.

B31 Back on the Chopping Block

By GerritsenBeach.net, on December 17th, 2009%

The elimination of weekend service on the B31, B7, B14, B45, B48, B57, B64, B65, B67 and B77.
The elimination of weekday service on the B23, B25, B37, B39, B51 and B75 buses.
The elimination of half-priced student fares.
Reduced frequency of service along the A, D, F, G, N, Q, J, and M trains.
Cuts in Access-A-Ride service for the disabled.

B31 and Local Buses, Saved for Now… via Payroll Tax

By GerritsenBeach.net, on May 7th, 2009%

The state Legislature Wednesday night passed an MTA bailout to rescue millions of daily straphangers and drivers from a toxic mix of fare hikes and service cuts.

The transit-funding package will generate some $2.3 billion annually for the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority with a payroll tax and other revenue-raising measures – including a 50-cent surcharge on all yellow-cab rides.

Legislative highlights:

* A single-ride MetroCard will be $2.25, not $2.50;
* The pay-per-ride discount will be 20% when you buy $7.50 or more;
* A 30-day MetroCard will be $89, not $103;
* Fare increases on LIRR and MetroNorth will be about 10%, as opposed to the 25%-70% hikes in the MTA “Doomsday” budget;
* The Doomsday service cuts will not happen, maintaining current levels of service;
* Two years worth of capital funding will ensure the MTA has the basic resources needed to continue to rebuild the system.

B31:Daily News Writer Walks from Lois to Avenue U for B31

By GerritsenBeach.net, on April 5th, 2009%

A Daily News writer set out to see how long it would take for our neighborhood to reach public transit if the overnight B31 is cut. It was a

Via NYDaily News

I set out on foot to see just how bad it will be if the MTA abandons Gerritsen Beach.

This neighborhood of tidy brick houses sitting on a peninsula in Southeast Brooklyn looks in parts like a small fishing village. It has no subway line and just one local bus route, the B31 – which will no longer run late at night unless Albany passes a bailout for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

It took him an hour and a half to walk from Lois and Hyman to Avenue U, which is a mile and a half. Your supposed to be able to walk a mile, even a slow walk,in 20-25 minutes.

Nevertheless we do stand to lose a lot of service if/when these cuts go through and I’m glad this reporter brought some light to our situation.

Goodbye B31, Hello $2.50, Higher Tolls, and New Tolls

By GerritsenBeach.net, on March 25th, 2009%

Goodbye B31, B2 and B4! Hello $2.50

Our B31 will have daily overnight service cease between 1:30 and 4:30 a.m. The B4 and B2 will not have any weekend service. About 3,000 subway and bus positions are also being cut, which will mean about 1,000 layoffs

So much for the Ravitch plan, congestion pricing, and faith in our city and state elected officials. I remember our Lew Fidler almost promising that a new payroll tax would be adopted which would save the fare.

It also looks like we will be getting those East River Bridge Tolls and also an expansion of the rapid bus transit system down Nostrand Ave (more to come on that)

What a mess. What in the world happened?! Was it really the State Senate?!

Marty Golden’s people sent in a press release:

Senator Marty Golden stated, “Does the Governor, Speaker and Majority Leader understand what a 25% fare increase and what the service reductions proposed by the M.T.A. mean to the average New Yorker? In these troubling economic times, this is clearly an issue that required leadership but unfortunately went basically ignored by the Democrats in charge. Although there were actually no good choices, today’s vote by the M.T.A. was clearly the worst option.”

Golden continued, “The issue of an M.T.A. bailout has become a political football. It was punted from Shelly Silver to Malcolm Smith, to the Governor, then a website was created, and then it is was dropped. The inaction on the part of the Democratic leadership of this state in control of the Governor’s mansion, the Senate and the Assembly, closing the doors completely to Republicans, failed all New Yorkers. Now, when you pay another 50 cents to ride the train or when you have to walk even further to catch a bus, remember to thank the Democrats. Their inaction has caused your quality of life, a basic necessity to work and to live, to suffer.”

Senator Golden spoke at the Brooklyn hearing hosted by the Metropolitan Transit Authority where he opposed the fare hikes and service cuts on bus routes in his district. Senator Golden further organized a petition drive opposing service reductions to the entirety of the weekend express bus service on the X 27 and X 28, weekend service on the B2, B4 and B16, overnight service on the B31 and B64, the entire B37 bus route, and other reductions to the B16 and B70.

Seems like this statement is a political “punt” of sorts and more putting politics ahead of what’s best for the people!

How the M.T.A. Cuts Would Affect Us (11229)

By GerritsenBeach.net, on February 18th, 2009%

City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. unveiled a Web tool on Wednesday that allows residents to enter their Zip code and see a table, and download an accompanying map, showing how the MTAâ€™s proposed cuts would affect their particular neighborhood.

Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park, Sheepshead to B31, B2 and B4: “Drop Dead”

By GerritsenBeach.net, on February 6th, 2009%

On January 24th the MTA held its very public budget hearing and guess what, not one person from Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park or Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach went to save the B31, B2 or B4.

According to various news reports more than 500 people gave a loud and clear message to the MTA boardâ€™s by showing up to testify for their respective buses. The meeting went past midnight to allow testimony.

As a community, we stand to lose the MOST if these services are to be cut. The B31 would have daily overnight service cease between 1:30 and 4:30 a.m. The B4 and B2 would not have any weekend service. Since we had not a single person at the hearing we will now lose the most.

My petition which got about 300 signatures was handed over to Marty Goldens office which Martys office had collected a total of 500 signatures (not sure if thats 500 with mine or without mine). Although petitions are good and all, when the MTA sees heads and faces protesting service cuts for specific buses, it holds more weight than a stack of petitions.

Lew Fidler stated at the last property owners meeting that he does not believe that the services will be cut. He is “very optimistic” that these service cuts will “go away” after the state adopts a payroll tax of 1/3 of 1/2. He also wants his constitutients to know that the tolling of the east river bridges has nothing to do with the planned cuts. The toll money would be designed to increase service, not to stop the cuts.