According to a law implemented in last year's state bailout for the MTA, the authority is required to publish a biennial report of every comment and request put forth by a member of the State Legislature. So in a time of budget cuts and murders, one would expect the government's questions to be hard and demanding, right? Ha. Ha ha ha ha. more ›

So the B62 has been up and running for a few days now (after splitting from the B61), but has it changed the lives of riders on that route? more ›

The B61 is getting split it in two starting this weekend! Starting Sunday the route will be split in to two shorter routes, the B61 and the B62, which NYC Transit says will increase service reliability. more ›

The B61 has a lot of unhappy customers — something the NYC Transit folks are very well aware of, as they plan to split the line next year. But before the B62 takes to the streets, there will surely be more trash talk and theories dispensed by the disgruntled masses. The latest comes to us from a reader, who think IKEA's stellar facilities are to blame for the buses backup problems. He writes:

I was surprised that when leaving IKEA yesterday, four B61 buses were either parked or weren't taking passengers until I finally got on the 5th bus. Of course the bus was so late we made every stop until the following B61 finally passed us. I'm all for bus drivers getting a break, but it appears they all run into IKEA to use the bathroom and take a bit too long of a break. For a bus line this horrendous, you would think multiple drivers would know they shouldn't all break at the same time. Are IKEA's accomodations to blame?

Better sit down for this shocking bit from the MTA complaint file: the B61 is too slow. Sure, it's not a new grievance, but one rider wrote us detailing just how painful her commute is. She says: "For the second time in a week, I have waited upwards of a half hour for the arrival of the 61. When it came, after 9 a.m. (I got to the stop at 8:30), I asked the driver why he was late and his reply was: 'I don't know.'" more ›

The divorce is happening, kids. The MTA has confirmed that the rumored B61 split will take place in January next year, with one half running from Red Hook to Downtown and another from Downtown to Queens. In a statement we received, NYC Transit President Howard H. Roberts, Jr. also noted: “We recognize that there are rapidly growing new residential areas along the Williamsburg waterfront. The B62 will also provide convenient bus and subway connections for these customers to the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza transit hub which is served by six bus routes and the Marcy Avenue JMZ subway station.” The 9.7 mile long route split into two shorter ones will, allegedly, make for less delays; last year there was a 74% increase in ridership on the line, with only a 7% boost in frequency. And the MTA confirmed for us that the transfer will be free, so the trip will still "only" cost $2.25. more ›

Attention B61 riders and IKEA shoppers, Curbed reports that the bus line may be splitting up in the future. They say the line "will be split into two routes in an effort to improve service. One line run from Red Hook to Downtown Brooklyn, and the other from Downtown Brooklyn to LIC (dubbed the B62). The change would reportedly go into effect in January 2010 if it gets approved by the MTA." We spoke to Paul Fleuranges at NYC Transit and he confirmed the news, saying, "We have in fact had discussions with the community on rationalizing this route in the hopes of providing more consistent and efficient service for our customers while maintaining a high degree of operational reliability." Just like what parents say before you suddenly get two Christmases. more ›