Residents Outraged By Cumbo's Objection To Fort Greene Bus Lane

FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN — City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo infuriated Fort Greene residents last week when she took to social media to oppose plans to revamp bus lanes on Fulton Street.

Cumbo objected to two lanes that would be designated buses-only weekday afternoons, arguing they would hurt small businesses by restricting parking on Fulton Street between Lafayette and Grand avenues.

“The vitality of our #community is dependent upon thriving small businesses who provide #jobs and access to critical resources,” Cumbo wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday, next to a photo of signs that read, “Buses Only = Bad Business.”

A post shared by Laurie Cumbo (@cmlauriecumbo) on Nov 16, 2017 at 2:41pm PST

“You are so wrong on this issue,” responded Instagram user bagatellenumber12. “Why would you prioritize private car storage over proven solutions to speed up buses for thousands of commuters?”

“I voted against you last week precisely because of this kind of thing,” said human_furnace. “Please do better for my community.”

Cumbo was responding to the DOT proposal that calls for restricting access to B25 and B26 bus lanes between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Both bus lines, which each accommodate about 10,000 riders per day, are often delayed in the heavy flow of rush hour traffic when about 1,400 bus riders are trying to get to and from work, according to the DOT.

When Cumbo critiqued the plan and asked the DOT to reduce the afternoon bus-only time-slot to three hours — beginning at 4 p.m. — she angered a slew of her followers who took to Instagram to voice their complaints.

“I’m a voter in your district and I’m really disappointed to see you siding with the tiny minority of drivers over the vast majority of people who rely on public transit to get around Brooklyn,” wrote ohhi_caroline.

“This is the wrong approach, Ms. Cumbo.” added dorywithserifs “More busses, bike lanes, and citibike stations would increase mobility and access. No need for parking (and double-parking!) or car travel on this stretch.”

Cumbo's office responded to Patch's request for comment with a statement which was later added to Cumbo's original post.

"I do not oppose improvements to the flow of traffic for our scholars, seniors, and city's workforce," Cumbo said. “We are a city of shared streets and therefore must take into consideration how policy will impact every stakeholder.”

Photo courtesy of the Department of Transportation