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Shuttle revamp – Ikea shakes up free service

IKEA announced this week that it will amend the daily schedule for its water taxi and shuttle bus services that bring customers to and from its Red Hook superstore.

As of Oct. 1, 2008, the water taxi from Manhattan’s Pier 11 to Red Hook will run every 40 minutes from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. as opposed to the 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours currently.

Weekend times will not change, remaining 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with an additional water taxi being added from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ensuring service every 20 minutes.

Also beginning Oct.1, shuttle bus service – between the store and two local subway stops and Downtown Brooklyn’s Borough Hall – will run every half-hour from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Weekend service will remain unchanged, with buses operating every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

“With the store now open for three months, we have a strong sense of the shopping and transit pattern, and have adapted the water taxi and shuttle bus schedules accordingly,” said Mike Baker, IKEA’s store manager.

“We have been monitoring ridership on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour basis and have determined since summer has ended, this approach represents the most efficient fall schedule,” he said.

Initially, the free shuttle buses caused congestion on local roadways, particularly in Brooklyn Heights, prompting critics to demand action.

“We are in constant discussions with local elected officials and community leaders, and willingly consider and evaluate any suggestions we receive,” Baker said.

“This process resulted in schedule changes during non-peak hours and a slight alteration in the shuttle route between the store and Downtown Brooklyn,” he said.

The 346,000-square-foot IKEA Brooklyn opened June 18, 2008, on 22 acres along the Erie Basin waterfront in Red Hook.