Plan for additional bus lanes in Soundview community faces pushback from some residents

The DOT proposed that adding the bus lanes would improve service and reliability of the BX 5 line during peak hours.

News 12 Staff

Aug 6, 2021, 9:41 PM

Updated 1,158 days ago

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New York City's plan to install bus lanes in Soundview has the community divided.
"My mom was completely against it. She came home and was like, 'Sirina, we have to do something about it now,'" said resident Sirina Nagi.
When Nagi heard about the Department of Transporation's plan to add bus lanes along Story Avenue, she and her mother decided to do something to stop it.
She says that the bus lanes will take away the neighborhood's already limited parking spaces.
"We think that it will cause a lot of trouble for the residents because it's already very difficult for residents to find parking around here," Nagi says.
The DOT proposed that adding the bus lanes would improve service and reliability of the BX 5 line during peak hours. The effort is a part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Better Buses Plan.
While a lot of people in the community rely on public transportation, many people who spoke with News 12 said that adding a bus lane won't necessarily benefit their daily commute.
To push back against the proposal, Nagi and her mother took to the streets to gather signatures for a petition. So far, they've collected more than 400 signatures.
"I do think that bus riders do deserve an experience that they don't have to wait that long," Nagi says. "So I'm appreciative that they want to do something, I just don't think that it's the best solution."
Meanwhile, advocates from Transportation Alternatives say it's unfortunate that the proposal has attracted negative attention, since less than 30% of Bronx residents use cars.
News 12 reached out to the DOT, which said it will continue community outreach to survey nearby streets to create additional parking spaces for residents.