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B60 (New York City bus)

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b60
Wilson Avenue Line
A 2015 XD40 (7274) on the B60 at Williamsburg Bridge Plaza in August 2019.
Overview
SystemMTA Regional Bus Operations
OperatorNew York City Transit Authority
GarageGrand Avenue Depot
VehicleNew Flyer Xcelsior XD40
New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40
New Flyer Xcelsior XE40
PredecessorsWilson Avenue Line
Route
LocaleBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
Communities servedWilliamsburg, East Williamsburg, Bushwick, Ocean Hill, Brownsville, Canarsie
StartWilliamsburg – Williamsburg Bridge Plaza Bus Terminal
ViaWilson Avenue, Rockaway Avenue
EndCanarsie – Williams Avenue and Flatlands Avenue
Length8.4 mi (13.5 km)
Service
Operates24 hours [1]
Annual patronage1,082,834 (2023)[2]
TransfersYes
TimetableB60
← B57  {{{system_nav}}}  B61 →

The Wilson Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along Wilson Avenue and Rockaway Avenue between Williamsburg and Canarsie. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B60 bus route, operated by MTA New York City Bus.

Route description

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The B60 bus route starts at Williamsburg Bridge Plaza near the Marcy Avenue station. After the subway station, buses head north and use a number of streets through the neighborhood, eventually reaching the Morgan Avenue station on the BMT Canarsie Line. Buses then reach Wilson Avenue and run along the street, parallel to the Canarsie Line until it reaches Decatur and Cooper Streets, near the Wilson Avenue station. Then the route heads south down Decatur and Cooper parallel to the B20 bus, until it reaches Broadway, where the route now heads down Rockaway Avenue. South of Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, the B60 enters Canarsie and turns onto Rockaway Parkway. At Rockaway Parkway and Glenwood Road is the Rockaway Parkway terminus of the Canarsie Line and a transfer point to several routes, including the B6, B17, B42 and B82. However, like the B17, the B60 does not have its own dedicated loop and northbound buses stop in front of the station entrance, while southbound service stops on Glenwood Rd at the B6 bus stand. At this point, the B60 continues east along the B6 and B82 routes until East 108th Street, where southbound buses loop around the Breukelen Houses, and ends at Williams Avenue and Flatlands Avenue near the Breukelen Park. Northbound service follows the B82 route to Rockaway Parkway and resumes the regular route.[3] Some southbound buses may terminate at the Rockaway Parkway terminus.

History

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As a trolley route

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The line was built in 1895[4] by the Nassau Electric Railroad to gain access to Williamsburg and the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan, and was known as the Hamburg Avenue Line until Hamburg Avenue was renamed Wilson Avenue during World War 1.[5] The line began at Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway on the Canarsie Line and ran north and west along Rockaway Parkway, Rockaway Avenue, Cooper Street, Wilson Avenue, Morgan Avenue, Johnson Avenue, and Broadway to the bridge. Later, eastbound traffic from the bridge was rerouted to use the Bushwick Avenue Line (South 4th Street, Meserole Street, and Bushwick Avenue) to the crossing of Bushwick and Johnson Avenues, and westbound Bushwick Avenue cars were moved to the Wilson Avenue Line. [citation needed]

As a bus route

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Buses were substituted for streetcars on May 27, 1951 and the route was designated the B60. The only route change was that northbound buses were rerouted to run via Decatur Street instead of Cooper Street between Broadway and Wilson Avenue.[6] On January 6, 2019, the B60 was moved to the Fresh Pond Depot but was moved back to the Grand Avenue Depot on January 19, 2020.

On December 1, 2022, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Brooklyn bus network.[7][8] As part of the redesign, the B60 would be split in half at Fulton Street. The southern half would keep the B60 designation, and the northern half would take the new B66 designation. At Fulton Street, both routes would run east along Fulton Street to terminate at Broadway Junction.[9][10] The B60 would use Flatlands Avenue in both directions in Canarsie,[9] and the B66 would use Cooper Street in both directions in Bushwick.[10] Closely spaced stops would also be eliminated.[7][8] A new B76 bus route would also run along Rockaway Avenue during rush hours, following the B60 route between Broadway Junction and Flatlands Avenue, continuing down to Avenue L, before heading west along it and taking over the B17 Paerdegat branch.[11]

A 2018 XD40 (7523) on the B60 approaching Williamsburg Bridge Plaza, during the route’s fare-free program

As part of a pilot program by the MTA to make five bus routes free (one in each borough), the B60 was selected alongside the Bx18, M116, Q4 and S46/96 to become fare-free in July 2023.[12][13] The pilot program would last six to twelve months and buses would display a "Fare Free" sign, similar to the one used on the Q70.[14] The pilot was only supposed to run from September 24, 2023 until March 30, 2024, but it was extended in March 2024 to run until further notice.[15][16][17] Though ten U.S. Congress members requested in April 2024 that the state government provide additional funding for the fare-free pilot program,[18][19] state lawmakers declined to reauthorize funding for the program.[20] The fare-free program ended on August 31, 2024.[21][22]

References

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  1. ^ MTA Regional Bus Operations. "B60 bus schedule".
  2. ^ "Subway and bus ridership for 2023". mta.info. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  3. ^ "Brooklyn Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Cudahy, Brian. How We Got to Coney Island. p. 132.
  5. ^ "Hamburg Avenue, Bushwick". Forgotten New York. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  6. ^ "Public Notice Wilson Avenue Line". Flickr.com. New York City Board of Transportation. 1951. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Brachfeld, Ben (December 1, 2022). "Draft plan for new Brooklyn bus network aims to finally end decades of slow, unreliable service". amNewYork. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Spivack, Caroline (December 1, 2022). "Brooklyn bus riders could finally get faster service under MTA redesign". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Draft Plan: B60 Local". MTA. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Draft Plan: B66 Local". MTA. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  11. ^ "Draft Plan: B76 Local". MTA. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Brachfeld, Ben (July 17, 2023). "MTA announces five bus routes for fare-free pilot". amNewYork. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  13. ^ "Free bus routes will be part of MTA pilot program heading to NYC this fall". NBC New York. July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "Governor Hochul Announces Fare Free Bus Routes Included in MTA Pilot". www.governor.ny.gov. New York State Government. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "Fare-free pilot on five MTA bus routes". new. Metropolitan Transit Authority. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  16. ^ "NYC officials assures New Yorkers new MTA fare-free bus program is 'not a pipe dream'". abc7ny.com. ABC 7 New York. September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  17. ^ "Free NYC bus routes in each borough start Sunday as part of MTA program: What to know". nbcnewyork.com. NBC New York. September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  18. ^ Shkurhan, Iryna (April 6, 2024). "Members of Congress ask Hochul to fund more fare-free buses amid state budget negotiations – QNS". QNS. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  19. ^ Brachfeld, Ben (March 12, 2024). "State lawmakers propose $90 million for more frequent buses, fare-free pilot in budget response". amNewYork. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  20. ^ Brachfeld, Ben (April 21, 2024). "MTA's free bus experiment will end after not being reauthorized in state budget". amNewYork. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Matteo, Mike (August 29, 2024). "NYC fare-free bus pilot to end this weekend: What riders on Staten Island need to know". silive. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  22. ^ Dawson, Athena (August 29, 2024). "MTA's fare-free bus program slated to end in Queens this week". QNS. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
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