As the huddled masses brave the cold to line up for access to the temporary Smith/9th Street F/G platform, other Brooklyn residents have been far more inconvenienced by the rehabilitation of the nearby Culver Viaduct, which has completely shut down Manhattan-bound service from the 15th Street/ Prospect Park West station in Park Slope and the adjacent Fort Hamilton station in Windsor Terrace until May. Councilman Brad Lander has come up with a fix, though: just extend the B68 bus route!
Lander, who's recent credits include trying to get something done about those idling ships polluting the air in Red Hook, has collected 500 signatures on his petition and has also written a letter to MTA Chairman Jay Walder begging that something be done to stop the insanity, which adds about 20 minutes onto local residents' commute. "What we are asking the MTA is very reasonable," Lander told WNYC. "We aren't seeking new shuttle buses, or changes in routing, or even changes in their construction schedule. Just a short, simple extension of the existing B68 Bus route, that now terminates at a closed station, up just a few minutes more to the next open station. It would not cost much, or disrupt service. But it would make a big difference to a lot of people."
MTA officials are, of course, against the idea, suggesting that riders just take the B67/B69, which links Park Slope to Windsor Terrace, or the B61, which runs along Ninth Street up to Prospect Park West. Another option? Backtracking, or riding a couple stops in the opposite direction before transferring over to the other side of the platform.
Lander also accuses the MTA of not listening to the needs of the community, many of whom are quite pissed. "'I have a little child at home, so now we have to get him to day care faster," local Don Lynaugh told WNYC. "It sets everything back, obviously." Tom Chin was slightly more candid. "I'm just filled with expletives," he told The Daily News. "I'm not happy. It's just a huge inconvenience."
