Read our new report on improving buses on Flatbush Avenue

There aren’t many people who would disagree that Flatbush Avenue is in crucial need of change to make it a safe, efficient corridor for the communities it serves throughout Brooklyn. Flatbush Avenue bus riders face slow and unreliable service, and advocates have long identified the corridor as a priority for service improvements. The City has made a series of policy commitments to improve bus service through better route planning and street designs, including the 2019 Better Buses Action Plan, 2019 NYC Streets Plan Law, and 2021 NYC Streets Plan – and the current mayoral administration identified Flatbush Avenue as a priority for improvements in 2022. But despite some progress, these plans have largely stalled.

That’s why we partnered with Pratt Center for Community Development to conduct a Participatory Action Research project in order to better understand the economic, social, health, and other community impacts of current bus service on Flatbush Avenue, potential improvements, and the costs of delaying those improvements. We spent the summer on Flatbush Avenue surveying thousands of bus riders, engaging with key community stakeholders, and conducting focus groups with local business owners.

Today we launch our new report, Better Buses for Flatbush Avenue, detailing the current conditions Flatbush Avenue bus riders face and why improving bus service would benefit workers, businesses, and the community at large.