Vanished Harlem Bus Stop Forces Seniors To Trudge Up Hill: Lawmaker

HARLEM, NY — The MTA's removal of a bus stop in Hamilton Heights is posing a hardship for elderly passengers, who must now navigate a steep hill to reach the next-closest stops, according to a local lawmaker.

The Bx19 stop at West 145th Street and Convent Avenue was removed as part of the MTA's Bronx Local Bus Network Redesign, a borough-wide initiative that aims to speed up bus service and improve connections to nearby subways.

While the Bx19's route did not change, 10 out of its 87 stops were removed to make the line run more efficiently, including the eastbound stop on the south side of West 145th Street and the westbound stop on the north corner.

Hamilton Heights residents had long "relied on this bus stop to facilitate their movement around our neighborhood and around the city," City Councilmember Shaun Abreu wrote in a letter to the Department of Transportation late last month.

Older residents in particular made use of the stop, which sat steps from Hamilton Grange Senior Center, the Convent Avenue Baptist Church, and the Greater Tabernacle Baptist Church, Abreu noted.

Other Bx19 stations are not far away: the bus still stops one block away in both directions, at Amsterdam and St. Nicholas avenues. But those stops sit at the top and bottom, respectively, of a steep hill — presenting "a burden to all residents ... especially those with mobility restrictions," Abreu argues.

Abreu asked DOT to restore the bus stop, and called for a discussion about how to make public transportation "more inclusive, equitable, and accessible."

The DOT referred comment to the MTA. In a statement, an MTA spokesperson said, "Since the implementation of the Bronx Local Bus Network Redesign, the MTA has received a great amount of positive feedback from everyday riders.

"The MTA welcomes all comments and encourages the public to share their thoughts or concerns, which are reviewed by the project team," spokesperson Joana Flores said.