Senator Klein, City Island Civic Association applaud MTA’s planned Bx29 Service Extension

The bus service is slated to operate one hour later beginning July 2017

Following years of pushing the MTA to modify the Bx29 bus route, the city agency announced Monday it’s plan to extend by one hour the popular City Island/Bay Plaza Shopping Center line. The announcement is a major triumph for Bx29 ridership, Senator Jeff Klein and the City Island Civic Association, who have been requesting this service expansion for years. The tragic death of cyclist Gabriela Aguilar-Vallinos in September 2015 shed a light on the need for such a service extension to increase commuter safety to and from the City Island.

“This is an incredibly important step in the ongoing effort to boost commuter safety in City Island. This extra hour of service will enable a sound alternative mode of transportation for the late-night crowds of City Island, including workers, residents and tourists. I’ve written several letters to the MTA over the years requesting such a service extension to the Bx29 line, and I’m thrilled the agency ultimately heeded the concerns of myself and the community,” said Senator Klein.

“Let this serve as an example of the synergy between the people of City Island and Senator Klein working with agencies to create a safe and secure atmosphere for City Island and the public in general,” said Bill Stanton, President of the City Island Civic Association.

The modification to the Bx29 route was one of 27 bus service adjustments presented on Monday to the board of the MTA’s NYC Transit and Bus Committee. The Bx29 revisions would expand service by one hour. Currently the weekday routes off City Island conclude at 12:12 a.m., and 1:11 a.m. on the weekends. The planned changes would go into effect in July 2017, nearly two years after the tragic death of 27-year-old cyclist Gabriela Aguilar-Vallinos.

Aguilar-Vallinos was heading home from work at a restaurant on City Island when she was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on the City Island Bridge on Sept. 11 2015. Since the horrific crash, Senator Klein and the City Island Civic Association have continuously advocated for later Bx29 bus service to properly accommodate the City Island community.