By Joseph Morales

The Bx6-SBS/LCL is one of the most critical bus routes in The Bronx. This route traverses 163rd/161st Sts in The Bronx before connecting to 155th St in Harlem via the Macombs Dam Br. Commercial areas served by the route include Concourse Village and the area surrounding the Hunts Point Av(6) station. In addition, the Bx6-SBS serves major destinations such as Yankee Stadium, the Hunts Point Terminal Market and Bronx County Courthouses. This route also provides connections to nine subway routes, two Metro-North lines and a plethora of bus routes. Overall, the route served over 6,300 riders on an average day in 2024.

Bus service is vital for the mobility of community residents considering the fact that only 26% of households surrounding the bus route have access to a vehicle. That figure is based on data from the NYC Department of City Planning. It is also worth noting that the other closest crosstown routes to the Bx6-SBS/LCL are located about a 15 min walk north/south from most points on the route. This means that those wishing to cross the Bronx or enter Upper Manhattan have little to no alternatives.

Without a doubt, the Bx6-SBS/LCL is productive, connecting thousands of riders with their destinations via direct routing and convenient transfers to other transit routes. However, the Soundview neighborhood does not have an equal level of service. Soundview is located east of the Bx6-SBS’ eastern terminus in Hunts Point and is an even more densely populated area. The main crosstown bus route in the neighborhood is the Bx5. However, it is a local route that travels to the East Bronx which has a lower activity density than areas served by the Bx6. There are also limited opportunities to connect to areas off the route as most transfers are to westbound buses from the easternmost points in The Bronx. Soundview is also served by the Bx27 and 36; however, the Bx27 only goes out to Simpson St and only a small portion of residents are served by the Bx36. 

 It is also worth noting that bus service is almost as critical here as it is in the other South Bronx neighborhoods currently served by the Bx6. NYCDCP data shows that only about 45% of households in Soundview’s community district have access to a personal vehicle. In addition, much of the community lacks access to subway service and residents rely on buses in order to get to trains. For some residents, the Bx5 bus is the only form of public transportation they have within close proximity to them.

This is why the MTA is planning to extend the Bx6-SBS to Soundview in order to provide stronger crosstown service to the community. The change was originally finalized as part of the Bronx Bus Network Redesign that was implemented in June 2022. However, the MTA delayed Bx6 changes until after the retirement of the MetroCard. This was to avoid the costs that would have been associated with installing off-board fare machines for a short period of time.  With the MetroCard’s retirement set to take place in 2026, we are bound to hear about bus service changes at some point in the near future.

The new routing will have Bx6-SBS buses run along Bruckner Boulevard, Bronx River Ave and Story Ave to the Bruckner Commons Shopping Center. Stops will be located at Elder Av, Rosedale Av, White Plains Rd and the shopping center. SBS Service in Hunts Point south of the Bruckner Expwy will be replaced by more frequent local bus service. While Hunts Point will no longer have SBS service, the new alignments will allow faster and more reliable services to be enjoyed by more riders overall. 

There is no doubt that the Bx6-SBS extension will be a boon for the riders who will have the route run into their neighborhood.  Extended Bx6-SBS service will enable them to access more of the city in a faster and more convenient way than they ever have before. Currently, many trips to the West Bronx and Upper Manhattan require two transfers as the Bx5 and Bx27 terminate at Westchester Ave. This makes bus travel extremely inconvenient and likely leads to less people taking buses or even forgoing their trips altogether. Public transit consultant Jarett Walker said in an article that most transit ridership models will add a “‘transfer penalty’’’ to how long a trip is supposed to take. The penalty would be to reflect the fact that most people would actually prefer a slower trip versus one that requires a transfer. These factors would likely lead to even less ridership now considering that Walker’s article was published in 2009, long before Uber and Lyft became mainstream. Thankfully, the Bx6-SBS extension will not just make countless trips possible with just one transfer, but also provide service with solid speeds compared to other Bronx bus routes. 

In addition to better regional connectivity, the bus will allow for broader access to the Bruckner Commons Shopping Center. The shopping center is growing and will soon have a new Target, BJ’s and Cold Stone Creamery. An increasing number of jobs available at the center along with higher customer counts will result in a need for more transit to the area. Also, the route can help to reduce congestion if shoppers choose to take the bus instead of drive or use rideshare. This would be extremely beneficial for the community as White Plains Rd near the center along with Exit 53 off the Bruckner Expwy are already known for having heavy traffic during peak shopping times. 

Another positive aspect of this extension is that the corridor the Bx6-SBS will run on has most of the infrastructure components associated with select bus service. Specifically, Story Ave already has bus lanes in both directions and most stops have shelters. The only stops without a shelter are the eastbound ones at White Plains Rd/Story Ave and at the shopping center that are basically at or within blocks of the route’s terminus. These infrastructure components will allow for the typical benefits of SBS to be realized for Soundview riders and prevent Soundview service from delaying the route as a whole by keeping service reliable. 

The plan comes with two unique caveats that are outweighed by the plan’s benefits. The most significant will be the loss of SBS service in Hunts Point south of Bronx River Pkwy. While the neighborhood core won’t be directly served, most residents will still be within a 10 minute walk of the stop at Hunts Point Av/Southern Blvd.  This would leave only the lower ridership industrial areas of the neighborhood without SBS. However, the additional Bx6 local service should make it so that riders will actually wait less for buses than they do now. Riders will also continue to have faster speeds and likely less stops due to the lower activity density of the industrial Hunts Point area. 

Another flaw is that there will be no Bx6 service in Soundview past 9 or 10PM depending on the direction of travel. It is normal for SBS service on routes across the city to end at a similar time with local service being offered overnight. However, no SBS service after those hours will mean that there will be no Bx6 service whatsoever past that time, leading nighttime riders to rely on current options for crosstown service. The position the MTA is in with even considering 24/7 service is a complex one. Currently, Bx6-SBS service stops at the times mentioned and is replaced by hourly local service on the existing route. If the MTA were to split that service between Hunts Point and Soundview, that would lead to service being run at abysmal bihourly headways for both neighborhoods. Further complicating matters is the fact that overnight bus service in Hunts Point is essential given the fact that many food service and industrial workers work odd hours. Trips are also generated from Barretto Point Park given that it is a popular recreation destination for Bronxites during warmer weather months. While it may be hard to find a transit solution that fits everyone, the MTA can grant Bx5 riders an extra free transfer so they can make connections from the Bx6 at the same cost as earlier in the day. 

An issue not unique to the Bx6-SBS is that there will likely be no off-board fare machines in Soundview or anywhere else in NYC once the extension is made due to the retirement of the MetroCard. In fact, the only reason the extension was even delayed was because the cost of installing the fare machines for a short period of time was deemed impractical. While OMNY use and all-door boarding should make fare payment faster than with MetroCard on local buses, queuing will likely lead to longer dwell times than SBS riders are used to. The issue will likely arise on SBS routes across the city and will not be limited to the Bx6-SBS. As for this route, the dwell times can particularly be an issue at the stops nearest the shopping center. This is because there will likely be more riders plus some with shopping carts once Target and BJ’s open. 

 A long-term, citywide solution can include getting rid of OMNY readers on buses and replacing them with off-board OMNY readers. Instead of producing new tickets, they can simply collect the fares digitally and riders could present their fare media to fare agents if requested. The last part of that idea is already what MTA Chairman Janno Lieber proposed for fare enforcement across all bus routes once OMNY is the sole way to pay for a bus ride. Only time will tell how the MTA will address the issue once MetroCards are no longer in use. 

The extension of the Bx6-SBS to Soundview will likely be transformative for bus riders in the community. For the first time, riders will have a direct connection to the West Bronx and Upper Manhattan. This will provide access to not just these areas but a plethora of bus, subway and Metro-North lines that will connect riders to destinations across the New York region. In addition, the service will support the growth of the Bruckner Commons Shopping Center, which is one of the Bronx’s largest shopping destinations. Existing SBS-level infrastructure on Story Ave such as painted bus lanes and bus shelters are icing on the cake. While there are some kinks that could be worked out, solutions such off-board OMNY readers and additional free transfers from the Bx5 to the Bx6 at night could be implemented. Regardless, the plan will make a major positive difference in the lives of thousands of Soundview residents and visitors.

Works Cited

Botello, Camille. “Bull’s-eye: New Target store is coming to Bruckner Commons – Bronx Times.” Bronx Times, 17 July 2023, https://www.bxtimes.com/target-store-bruckner-bronx/. Accessed 14 December 2025.

“Bronx Bus Network Redesign Proposed Final Plan Route Profile-Bx6.” MTA, https://www.mta.info/document/63396. Accessed 14 December 2025.

“Bruckner Commons is expanding with new stores and opportunities.” News 12, 16 January 2025, https://longisland.news12.com/bruckner-commons-is-expanding-with-new-stores-and-opportunities. Accessed 14 December 2025.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “Bronx Bus Network Redesign Proposed Final Plan Route Profile Bx6-SBS.” MTA, https://www.mta.info/document/63401. Accessed 14 December 2025.

MTA New York City Transit. “Average Weekday New York City Transit Bus Ridership.” 2025. Accessed 14 December 2025.

New York City Department of City Planning. “Car Ownership in NYC.” Tableau, 23 February 2022, https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/dcptransportation/viz/ACSProfiles/Dashboard1. Accessed 14 December 2025.

Ratliff, Laura. “The MTA is hiring European-style fare inspectors aboard city buses.” Timeout, 4 December 2025, https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/the-mta-is-hiring-european-style-fare-inspectors-aboard-city-buses-120425. Accessed 14 December 2025.

““Transferring” Can Be Good for You, and Good for Your City.” Human Transit, 23 April 2009, https://humantransit.org/2009/04/why-transferring-is-good-for-you-and-good-for-your-city.html. Accessed 14 December 2025.