X28 Weekend Express Bus Is Here To Stay, Says MTA

X28 Weekend Express Bus Is Here To Stay, Says MTA
(Photo via Justin Brannan)

The X28 bus — connecting Sea Gate, Coney Island, Bensonhurst, and Dyker Heights to Midtown Manhattan — will now be permanent, said State Senator Martin Golden yesterday.

After a trial period that started in Septemeber 2016, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board voted this week to permanently reinstate weekend service on the X-28 express bus, according to Golden.

“The X-28 is a lifeline for our communities to Manhattan on the weekend,” Golden said. “I thank the MTA Board for making a decision in the best interest of our community.”

The service operates between West 37th Street/Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, and Madison Avenue/East 57th Street, Manhattan. Saturday service operates to Manhattan from 6am to 8:15pm, and Brooklyn-bound service from 7:30am to 10pm. On Sundays, the X-28 operates to Manhattan from 7am to 7:15pm, with Brooklyn-bound buses running between 8:30am and 9pm. On Saturdays, buses run every 30–40 minutes, and on Sundays, every 30–60 minutes. See a full timetable here.

For years, a broad coalition of southern Brooklyn elected officials, including Senator Golden, Councilman Vincent Gentile, Councilman Mark Treyger, Senator Diane J. Savino, Assemblyman William Colton, and Assemblywoman Pamela Harris, have called on the MTA to restore this service to southern Brooklyn, citing lengthy travel times to and from Manhattan, as well as overcrowding.

The restoration of X28 service is part of a promising trend for southern Brooklyn residents, Councilman Treyger said last year.

“We are seeing the fruits of our labor,” Treyger stated. “First, we recently saw the commitment for express service on the F train. Now, we are seeing really positive progress on getting weekend service on the X28 restored…We just want to get back the transit services that were taken from us.”