The silver bullet will soon be unceremoniously transformed into a sterling snail.
The B express train, which transports riders from Brighton Beach to Manhattan and the Bronx at breakneck speed, will run local in Brooklyn north of Kings Highway beginning in September, transit officials said this week.
According to Metropolitan Transportation Authority-New York City Transit, the change has long been anticipated, and is to accommodate work at five subway stations, between Kings Highway and Prospect Park.
The switch to local service will span two years.
During that time, the B will run along the express tracks, but will make local stops at six stations, including Avenue M, H, J, Cortelyou Road, Beverley Road and Parkside Avenue.
The change will add “approximately seven minutes” to commuters’ trips, according to NYC Transit spokesperson Charles Seaton. The change will cost $960,000, money that will be used to construct temporary platforms to enable passengers to cross-over efficiently, agency spokesperson Deirdre Parker said.
Seaton insisted the switch to local service is necessary. “By configuring it this way, we are able to maintain service to all of these stations,” he said.
B train commuters have barely had a chance to enjoy their train operating normally. For over a decade, straphangers endured disruptions as repair work on the Manhattan Bridge proceeded at a glacial pace. Crowded shuttle buses, and roundabout ways of getting home became a way of life; In total, it took 18 years for the B, Q N, and D to be in service simultaneously across the bridge.
The change in service came as a surprise to many regular longtime B train riders.
“I can usually get to work in about 40 minutes, door-to-door,” said Vanessa Paige, a Brighton Beach resident who commutes to Park Slope every morning. “But now I’ll have to leave a solid hour to be safe,” she said.
Paige said that the commute was sure to be stressful but felt lucky for her otherwise tolerable commute. “I’m lucky because Park Slope is closer than Manhattan where so many people work,” she said. “Other people will have it worse than me.”
Others expressed similar frustrations over an altered trip to work and school, like Sabrina Gordon, a Harlem resident who commutes to school on Kings Highway.
“I would love to see the train continue express,” said Gordon, who began commuting two months ago. “It’s just an inconvenience.”
Another student, Diana Vakhovsky, a Flatbush resident who attends New York Institute of Technology, anticipates a longer commute into Manhattan.“Usually, it takes 30 minutes and now it’s going to take at least 15 to 20 minutes longer,” she said.
“That’s terrible,” said Maria Malamud, of Brighton Beach. When I used to go to school here, it was much more helpful to take the express to get there on time.” She noted the commute won’t be that much longer, but that “even a couple of minutes makes a difference.”
But Brighton Beach resident Sam Roitman took the change in stride.
“Who caresi” Roitman said, conceding he rarely takes the train. Besides, he added, it’s just “an extra ten minutes” to Midtown.
“I guess I’ll have to adjust my schedule,” said Frank Taylor, a similarly unfazed Brighton Beach resident. “As long as they’re doing something to better our commute in the long run, I’m all for it.”
— Rohma Abbas contributed to this story
