Brooklyn Navy Yard to launch shuttle bus service

Brooklyn, NY  Getting to the Brooklyn Navy Yard – which is home to 7,000 jobs today and a projected 16,000 jobs by 2020 – will soon become much easier with the addition of a new shuttle service linking the Brooklyn Navy Yard to 13 subway lines and the LIRR. Set to launch this spring, the shuttle is part of an enhanced transportation network that also includes the BQX light-rail announced earlier this month by mayor Bill de Blasio. The transportation upgrades will accommodate the over 2-million-square-foot expansion now underway at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Yard is beginning phased implementation with an improved fleet of comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles that will provide efficient and frequent service.  Eventually the shuttles will be Wifi equipped and a shuttle service tracking app similar to the MTA’s bus tracking app will allow passengers to determine the proximity of the shuttle to their location. Shuttle service will be available to Yard tenants, staff, and guests free of charge. The shuttle system will operate on a 10-minute lead time and connect riders to the F, A/C, G, B/D, N/Q/R, 2/3, 4/5, and LIRR, serving 83 percent of Subway-accessible Yard employees. The plan addresses the size of the Yard with multiple internal drop-off points, bringing all Yard locations within a five minute walk of the shuttle. “This transportation plan will provide the Yard’s growing workforce with direct access to all corners of the city,” said Brooklyn Navy Yard president and CEO David Ehrenberg. “With our workforce set to double in the next five years, one of the Yard’s top priorities is connecting where our employees live with where they work. As the Yard grows, our transportation infrastructure will be strengthened to meet tenants’ needs.” "The Navy Yard is undergoing massive growth and more and more jobs every day.  We know that transit access is absolutely essential to building a successful economic hub and are thrilled the Navy Yard is making this investment to benefit not only its employees, but also the surrounding neighborhood,” said deputy mayor Alicia Glen. “This service, along with the planned BQX, will continue to enable major growth of our outer borough commercial hubs and by extension the continued growth of the new New York economy." “We salute the Brooklyn Navy Yard for creating this brand new shuttle program that will provide a crucial link for our tenants and the entire Navy Yard, enhancing connectivity and accessibility,” said Michael Rudin, vice president at Rudin Development, co-developer of Dock 72 along with Boston Properties. “With over 4,000 employees working at Dock 72 on a daily basis, the Navy Yard’s new transportation network will significantly improve the commuting experience,” said John Powers, executive vice president of Boston Properties’ New York Region. “The new shuttles when combined with the already exiting extensive transportation options, including significant bike network surrounding the Yard, will provide another unique amenity to our exciting new project.” The plan is the result of Philip Habib and Associates detailed assessment of existing Yard conditions including a comprehensive survey of Yard tenants, and their employees’ transportation needs. 450 Yard employees were surveyed to identify user groups, stakeholders, and commuting patterns, all while taking into account the unique and dynamic 24/7 nature of the Yard and its workforce. The initial expansion phase will include two shuttle loops, the DUMBO Loop and the Clinton-Washington Loop. The DUMBO loop will connect the Yard to the F and A/C trains, while the Clinton-Washington Loop will connect the Yard to the 2/3/4/5/, B/D, N/Q/R, the LIRR Station complex, the Fulton St. G, and the Lafayette St. C Station.  THE DUMBO LOOP The DUMBO loop will run every 10 minutes during peak hours and have a round trip time of 24 minutes including passenger pickup and drop-off times. The shuttle will exit the Yard from the Sands Street gate, travel west along York Street via Navy St. and pick up/drop off F train passengers at the corner of York and Jay Sts. (directly opposite the York St. F Station entrance). The shuttle will then continue west along York Street before turning left at Pearl St., and left again at Sands St., where A/C passengers will be picked up/dropped off at the existing B67/B69 bus stop (a two-minute walk from the High St. A/C Station). The shuttle will then return to the Yard via Sands St., entering the Yard from the Sands St. gate towards Building 292. The route will include four stops within the Yard, making all Yard buildings accessible from the shuttle via a five-minute walk. THE CLINTON / WASHINGTON AVENUE LOOP The Clinton-Washington Loop will run every 10 minutes during peak hours and have a round trip time of 27 minutes including in-Yard shuttle stops in close proximity to the planned Yard developments. The Clinton-Washington route will include three out-of-Yard stops, including stops serving the Clinton-Washington (G) Station, and one stop serving the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center 2/3/4/5, B/D, N/Q/R, and LIRR Station complex, the Fulton St. (G) Station, and the Lafayette (C) Station. The Clinton-Washington (G) stops are designed to minimize travel times to/from the Yard to this priority subway route. “The Brooklyn Navy Yard has become a thriving hub of industrial and economic activity,” said U.S. representative Nydia Velázquez. “As this site grows and creates more employment, this new shuttle will allow workers to get to and from their jobs, while minimizing traffic congestion and pollution.” “Brooklyn Navy Yard has become an engine for innovation in our community, where workers are building the Brooklyn brand for an audience the extends around the world,” said Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams. “This shuttle service will power that engine, providing a needed connection to public transportation, which will allow people to access businesses that support the continued development of our local economy.” “Throughout its illustrious history, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been an integral component of our borough’s economic growth and development,” said council member Laurie Cumbo. “As this industrial space continues to expand, attracting new businesses and creating thousands of jobs, the new shuttle service will make the Yard and local transportation more accessible to the local workforce, area residents and students. These enhancements will generate new opportunities to increase community participation in existing and future programs.” “Fast, efficient transportation options are essential for attracting and retaining the high quality jobs and employees that have made the Brooklyn Navy Yard such a success,” said city councilmember Stephen Levin. “By linking the yard to the rich public transportation networks in surrounding neighborhoods, the new shuttle system will make it easier for workers from communities across Brooklyn to connect with the great opportunities unfolding there. I commend Brooklyn Navy Yard for making this important investment in Brooklyn workers, employers, and neighborhoods.” "Every week there is better and better news coming from the Navy Yard! This enhanced transportation plan will allow for the anticipated growth within the Yard and widen even more the employment catchment area serving this powerhouse,” said state senator Velmanette Montgomery. “The future gets steadily brighter as the Navy Yard plans come to fruition! My thanks to David Ehrenberg and all involved!" "More ways to get around means even more jobs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard," said state senator Daniel Squadron. "The Navy Yard has been a fantastic economic development and local job hub for our community, and it's great news that we're on track for more transit options there. I thank the City and BNYDC for continued improvements at the Navy Yard." “The Brooklyn Navy Yard is the epitome of Brooklyn’s innovation scene,” said assembly member Joseph Lentol. “From building ships to building multi-million dollar companies, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has always been on the cutting-edge. By expanding transportation access through pioneering approaches we are showing the world that the Brooklyn Navy Yard is leading the way. I congratulate David Ehrenberg and the rest of his staff for realizing the importance that transportation has on expanding job creation.” “I applaud this vital transportation initiative that will link the thriving industrial Brooklyn Navy Yard with existing mass transit services to ease commutes for working class residents,” said assemblyman Walter Mosley. “This plan coupled with the proposed BQX light rail announced earlier this month will provide access to public transportation for thousands of Brooklyn residents who have been deprived of mass transportation for years.  Along with the continued support for our manufacturing sector we will help to maintain Brooklyn as a place for families to live and work in the 21st century.”