B7 (New York City bus)

b7
Saratoga Avenue Line
Kings Highway Line
A 2018 XD40 (7513) on the Bed-Stuy bound B7 at Kings Highway/Nostrand Avenue in October 2018
Overview
SystemMTA Regional Bus Operations
OperatorNew York City Transit Authority
GarageFresh Pond Depot
VehicleNew Flyer Xcelsior XD40
Orion VII NG HEV
Began serviceJune 29, 1930
Route
LocaleBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
Communities servedBushwick[1], Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East Flatbush, Flatlands, Marine Park[2], Midwood, Sheepshead Bay[3], Madison[4], Homecrest[5], Gravesend
StartBedford-Stuyvesant – Saratoga Avenue and Halsey Street at Halsey Street ("J" train train)
ViaSaratoga Avenue, Pitkin Avenue[6]/Thomas S. Boyland Street/Broadway (northbound only), Riverdale Avenue, East 98th Street, Lenox Road, Kings Highway, Quentin Road (full route, southbound only), Coney Island Avenue (full route, northbound only)
EndFlatlands[7]/Marine Park[8] - Kings Highway and Flatbush Avenue (early morning/late evening terminus)
Gravesend[9][10] - Quentin Road and Coney Island Avenue (daytime terminus)
Length6.8 miles (10.9 km)
Service
Operates4:30 AM - 1:32 AM
Annual patronage899,165 (2023)[11]
TransfersYes
TimetableB7
← B6  {{{system_nav}}}  B8 →

The B7 is a bus route in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, which serves the corridor of Saratoga Avenue as well as the majority of Kings Highway. Originally operated by the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation, it is now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit brand.

Route description

A 2015 XD40 (7300) on the Midwood-bound B7 at Kings Highway/Nostrand Avenue in August 2018

The B7 bus route begins at Saratoga Avenue/Halsey Street near the station on the J/Z lines. It continues on Saratoga until turning right on Riverdale Avenue, and heads to Kings Highway via East 98th Street and Lenox Road. It then continues on Kings Highway until Quentin Road, where it turns right and terminates at Coney Island Avenue. Northbound buses head back onto Kings Highway straight from Coney Island Avenue. Due to Saratoga Avenue being a one-way south street north of East New York Avenue, which is one-way west there,[12] it turns right onto Pitkin Avenue[13] and left onto Thomas S. Boyland Street. It then heads back to Saratoga and Halsey via Broadway.[14][15] After 8 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays and 9:15 p.m. Sundays, all B7 buses terminate at Flatbush Avenue while on Kings Highway. Service to Halsey Street from Coney Island Avenue begins after 6 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends.[16]

History

Two Orion VII HEVs: a 2005 OG (6515) and a 2009 NG (3967) on the Midwood-bound B7 at Kings Highway/Nostrand Avenue

The B7 began on June 29, 1930 under the operation of Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit, which was sold to the City on June 1, 1940. It initially ran 24/7 between the Halsey Street station at Broadway and the Kings Highway station on the B/Q lines, which was the weekday extension from Flatbush Avenue during the daytime.

On September 13, 1999, service was extended along Kings Highway from the B/Q station to Coney Island Avenue.[17] Partially as a result of the extension, ridership increased by 15.4 percent between September 1999 and May 2000 over the previous year, compared to 4.5 percent for buses in Brooklyn overall.[18] In February 2001, the MTA announced a plan to extend weekend service between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Ryder Street to Coney Island, citing lack of transfers to the B44, B49 and B68 bus routes and the Kings Highway station, which was served by just the D train at the time, as well as access to the Kings Highway shopping district. The extension would cost about $120,000, and was set to be implemented in June 2001.[18] On November 10, 2005, to improve traffic flow on Kings Highway, bus stops at Linden Boulevard and Remsen Avenue were moved to the service road from the main road.[19] On June 27, 2010, overnight service was discontinued due to a budget crisis. Under the MTA, the B7 was based out of the East New York Depot until January 6, 2013, when it moved to the Fresh Pond Depot.

On December 1, 2022, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Brooklyn bus network. As part of the redesign, the B7 would be extended to the Forest Avenue station, replacing the B13 on 61st/62nd Streets and the B20 north of Broadway Junction but using Cooper Street/Avenue instead of Decatur/Summerfield/Schaefer Streets. Closely spaced stops would be eliminated.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Bushwick, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "Marine Park, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "Madison, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "Homecrest, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  6. ^ "Saratoga/Pitkin Avenues" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "Flatlands, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "Marine Park, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  9. ^ "Gravesend, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  10. ^ "Midwood, Brooklyn" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  11. ^ "Subway and bus ridership for 2023". mta.info. April 29, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  12. ^ "Saratoga/East New York Avenues" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  13. ^ "Saratoga/Pitkin Avenues" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  14. ^ MTA Regional Bus Operations. "B7 bus schedule".
  15. ^ "Brooklyn Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  16. ^ "Brooklyn Bus Service: November 2019". Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "Bus Service Notices". October 28, 1999. Archived from the original on November 5, 1999. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  18. ^ a b February 2001 NYC Transit Committee Agenda. New York City Transit. February 15, 2001. pp. 86, 87, 88-89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94.
  19. ^ "Bus Service Notices Brooklyn". mta.nyc.ny.us. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2006. Archived from the original on January 29, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  20. ^ "Draft Plan: B7 Local". Retrieved December 23, 2024.