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Will The B61 Ever Be On Time?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 27, 2009
Modified Oct 27, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 27, 2009
Modified Oct 27, 2009
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Better sit down for this shocking bit from the MTA complaint file: the B61 is too slow. Sure, it's not a new grievance, but one rider wrote us detailing just how painful her commute is. She says: "For the second time in a week, I have waited upwards of a half hour for the arrival of the 61. When it came, after 9 a.m. (I got to the stop at 8:30), I asked the driver why he was late and his reply was: 'I don't know.'"
Sounds about right. For years there have been complaints that the bus, which is supposed to run every 10 minutes on weekdays, is constantly late, showing up around every 20-30 minutes... and usually in multiples like the bus depot dam just burst open. That is when you hope the empty bus stops for you, which it never does.
To make matters worse, our ticked off tipster says, "Residents of Greenpoint are almost stranded due to changes in the G to 7 transfer at Court Sq. combined with hardly arriving 61 bus service. Tonight when I arrived from the 7 to LIC, about 30 people were waiting for the bus to show up. I'm hoping you can post this photo so that we can get the issue out there that we are being horribly disserviced by the MTA."
Will the B61 line splitting in two make for a smoother ride? The change is set to take place early next year, and in the meantime, feel free to send us your complaints, photos and videos from the frontlines. If nothing else, the B61's sordid history will be archived so we can tell our children's children how when we were trying to get to IKEA, it took 20 extra minutes.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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