By Joseph Morales

New York City has many bus routes that run beneath elevated subway lines in every borough except Staten Island. These bus routes often serve riders who do not use the trains due to disabilities, safety concerns or longer walks to train stations. They also sometimes serve places that the train doesn’t, often when the train diverges from the street the bus operates on. 

                Unfortunately, bus stops for these routes tend to be among the more dangerous stops for riders in the city. This is because the stops are often in the middle of the road since subway columns block buses from pulling to the curb. The danger here is self-explanatory and it is the most vulnerable transit users who have to brave these conditions the most. 

                This is why the New York City Department of Transportation often completes projects under its Bus Stops Under The El initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to improve accessibility and safety at bus stops under elevated rail lines by adding various street design features to the stop. Most of the time, these design features include curb extensions and pedestrian islands. 

                 Now, for the first time since 2022, the NYCDOT has announced another Bus Stops Under The El project. This project will add bus boarding islands and large painted curb extensions to stops on Jerome Ave at 192nd St and 205th St in The Bronx. The former serves the Bx32 and the latter serves the Bx10 along with the Bee-Line 4, 20 and 21 routes. These routes that connect to many destinations not served by the 4 Train above including places in Westchester County. In the communities the bus stops serve, about 12.4% of residents are disabled and 10.4% are over the age of 65 according to data from the NYU Furman Center. Also, data from the NYC Department of City Planning shows that only 30% of neighborhood households have access to a car. Hence, this project will help the many who face the most danger from the current bus stop design and have few other travel options. 

                 In addition to improving safety for bus riders, the project will improve safety for anyone crossing the street at either intersection. NYCDOT statistics show that curb extensions reduce injuries by 14.27% along with deaths and serious injuries(KSI) by 44.19%. Pedestrian islands yield lower reductions but regardless have a positive impact on street safety. They reduce injuries by 7.23% and KSI by 34.76%.

                 Outside of reducing pedestrian/vehicle conflicts, the agency also plans to improve safety for pedestrians on the sidewalks leading up to the bus stops. Currently, the slopes of ramps near both bus stops make it difficult for those with wheelchairs and others to access the bus stop safely. These conditions prevent people from getting around in a safe manner as none of the subway stations near the bus stops are accessible by elevator. As a result, this part of the project will be a game changer for the mobility of many community members.

                  Given the numerous safety benefits of the project, there is one incident that is likely coming to community members’ minds that will make their gratitude for the work more profound. In July 2021, a public bus traveling north on Jerome Ave crashed into a rail column after it was hit in a chain reaction collision with two SUVs. 14 people were injured including one critically. Had there been a bus stop with a waiting passenger(s), this incident could have become an even bigger disaster. This incident clearly demonstrates the need for safer bus stops under elevated rail lines. Hence, the public is more likely to feel good about the project coming to their neighborhood.

                  The Bus Stops Under the El project on Jerome Ave will help to make the bus stops and their surrounding intersections safer for pedestrians. As there are hundreds of stops like these citywide, this project can potentially set the stage for even more safety improvements across the five boroughs.

Works Cited

Greene, David. “UPDATE: More Details Emerge of Bee-line Bus Crash in Norwood Which Injured 14, One Critically.” Norwood News, 5 August 2021, https://www.norwoodnews.org/norwood-more-details-emerge-of-bee-line-bus-crash-which-injured-15-one-critically/. Accessed 22 July 2024.

“Kingsbridge Heights/Bedford Neighborhood Profile – NYU Furman Center.” NYU Furman Center, 21 May 2024, https://furmancenter.org/neighborhoods/view/kingsbridge-heights-bedford#. Accessed 22 July 2024.

New York City Department of City Planning. Tableau, 24 November 2022, https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/dcptransportation/viz/ACSProfiles/Dashboard1. Accessed 22 July 2024.

New York City Department of Transportation. “Jerome Avenue, West 192 Street & East 205 Street.” NYC.gov, May 2024, https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/jerome-ave-w192-st-e205-st-may2024.pdf. Accessed 22 July 2024.

New York City Department of Transportation. “Pedestrian Safety and Older New Yorkers.” nyc.gov, 2022, https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/pedestrian-safety-older-new-yorkers.pdf. Accessed 22 July 2024.

New York City Department of Transportation. “Safe Routes to Transit.” nyc.gov, https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/safertstransit.shtml. Accessed 22 July 2024.