Pratt Center

On November 18, Pratt Center, in partnership with the Nostrand Avenue Merchants Association (NAMA), took part in the City’s launch of the B44 Select Bus Service route, Brooklyn’s first bus rapid transit line along Nostrand, Rogers and Bedford Avenues. The launch is a milestone in our efforts working with community-based partners to eradicate racial and socioeconomic disparities in commuter times and transportation access through a stronger, more efficient and cost-effective transportation system. For over three years we have worked with NAMA, the NYC Department of Transportation, the MTA and other community stakeholders to ensure that the South Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts Garden communities played a substantive role in the design and implementation of Select Bus Service locally, and that the revamped B44 line met the needs of commuters and small businesses alike. 
 
The new route is projected to improve travel times by up to 20 percent for its 40,000 daily passengers – many of whom are low- and moderate-income residents of transit-starved communities of color. Select Bus Service lines include bus-only lanes, off-board fare collection, real-time bus arrival information, and traffic prioritization signals to make it easier and quicker for passengers to reach their destination.  During the planning process, NAMA and Pratt Center engaged over 300 local businesses to participate in order to strengthen the vibrant commercial corridor on Nostrand Avenue in Prospect Lefferts Garden through the forthcoming bus improvements. As a result, DOT and MTA developed new loading zones to accommodate business needs, included new streetscape elements such as CityBenches and trees along the route, and are working with NAMA to cross-promote the “Select Bus to Shop Nostrand” Campaign, a collaborative effort to connect local passengers to local businesses.
 
The revamped B44 line is the product of participatory community planning and we are proud to have taken part in this process. This route’s launch would not have been possible without the vision of local residents and small businesses, local elected officials including Council Member James and Council Member Eugene, and the commitment of city government. We have been privileged to work with all involved stakeholders toward a stronger public transportation system responsive to community needs. We believe this collaboration can serve as a model of best practices to support the effective implementation of future Select Bus Service routes.

At the same time, this route and other Select Bus Service routes are just the start. Our vision for a truly equitable transit system serving all NYC communities requires not simply new and improved routes but an integrated, multi-borough Bus Rapid Transit network. Click here for more information on our proposed multi-borough network and plan to address NYC’s systemic transportation inequities.