X28 Express weekend bus service restored starting Sunday

Get ready for life in the express lane this weekend, if you’re a southwest Brooklyn bus rider.

According to State Senator Marty Golden’s office, weekend express bus service on the X28 route has been officially restored and will go into effect starting Sunday, September 4.

Budget cuts that led to the elimination of weekend service along the route, serving Dyker Heights, Bath Beach and Bensonhurst, have been a flashpoint for years, with residents and local officials fighting for its restoration – a factor of considerable importance to Dyker Heights, as the area is devoid of subways.

After the cancellation of both the X28 and X27 express routes in 2010, Brooklynites seemed hopeful when, after two years of petitioning, X27 service was restored in September of 2012. The X28, however, remained on hiatus. That is, until now.

“For those who have been without express bus service on the weekends in sections of southwest Brooklyn, this Sunday will not be like any given Sunday,” said Golden. “I am excited to announce the wait is over and weekend express bus service is back on the X 28. The return of this bus service will be great for those who work on Saturdays and Sundays, or who wish to travel to Manhattan on weekends to shop, dine or see a show. This service will also remove the barrier that has prevented seniors and the disabled from going to Manhattan on the weekends.”

The restoration is “Long overdue, but as the only elected official to testify at the MTA hearing back in June, I am extremely pleased that the X28 weekend express bus service is back on the road,” said Councilmember Vincent Gentile. “Seniors, working families and all of us in South Brooklyn, especially in Bensonhurst and Bath Beach, will greatly benefit from an additional travel option to and back from Manhattan on the weekends. Not to mention, those wanting to enjoy our small towns in the big city will also enjoy this alternative and convenient option, helping our local commerce.”

The service will travel on Saturday and Sundays from West 37th Street/Surf Avenue in Brooklyn to East 57th Street/Madison Avenue in Manhattan, from 6 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. towards Manhattan, and from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. to Brooklyn. Sunday service will operate from 7 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. toward Manhattan, and from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. to Brooklyn.

The frequency will return to what it was in 2010, according to Golden’s office, operating every 30 to 40 minutes Saturday, and every 30 to 60 minutes Sunday.

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