B67 and B69 buses

For the current bus service, see List of bus routes in Brooklyn § B67.

b67, b69
Seventh Avenue Line Vanderbilt Avenue Line
A 2017 XN40 (773) on the Kensington-bound B67 at Atlantic Terminal (Flatbush/4th Avenues) in October 2018
Overview
System	MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator	New York City Transit Authority
Garage	Jackie Gleason Depot
Ended service	February 11, 1951 (Trolley)
Route
Locale	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Start	Kensington – Cortelyou Road and McDonald Avenue
Via	All trips: McDonald Avenue, 7th Avenue B67 trips: Flatbush Avenue, Jay Street South Williamsburg B67 trips: via Brooklyn Navy Yard B69 trips: Vanderbilt Avenue
End	Downtown Brooklyn – Jay Street and Sands Street / York Street station (B67 late evenings & weekends & B69) South Williamsburg – Division Avenue and Wythe Avenue (weekdays)
Length	5.1 miles (8.2 km) (B67 short turn) 7 miles (11 km) (B67 full route) 6.4 miles (10.3 km) (B69)
Service
Operates	All times except late nights
Annual patronage	901,183 (B67, 2023) 810,204 (B69, 2023)
Transfers	Yes
Timetable	B67/B69
Route map ← B65  {{{system_nav}}}  B68 →

The B67 and B69 bus routes comprise a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City. Both bus routes originated as streetcar lines: The B67 originated as the Seventh Avenue Line, while the B69 originated as the Vanderbilt Avenue Line. The current bus routes are operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations. The B67 runs primarily along Seventh Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, and Atlantic Avenue, while the B69 runs along Seventh Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue. Although both routes' southern termini are in Kensington, Brooklyn, the northern terminus of the B67 is in Williamsburg while the northern terminus of the B69 is in Dumbo.

Route description and service

A 2011 C40LF (483) on the Kensington-bound B69 at Sand/Gold Streets

B67 route

The B67 route starts at McDonald Avenue and Cortelyou Road in Kensington, near the Ditmas Avenue station (F and <F>​ trains) on the New York City Subway's IND Culver Line. This terminus is shared with the B69. The two routes then continue up McDonald Avenue passing the Church Avenue station (F and ​G trains), and connecting with the B35. North of Albemarle Road, the Culver Line turns away from McDonald Avenue and runs to 20th Street, where it runs northwest on 20th Street to 7th Avenue. Here, buses run up the corridor, serving a commercial street in Park Slope. At Ninth Street there is a transfer to the Culver Line's Seventh Avenue station (F and ​G trains). Both routes continue up Seventh Avenue until Seventh Avenue meets Flatbush Avenue, at the Seventh Avenue station on the BMT Brighton Line. At this location, the B69 turns south towards Grand Army Plaza, while the B67 continues up Flatbush Avenue with the B41. The line then heads into Downtown Brooklyn, interchanging with the B45 at the Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center station (2, ​3, ​4, ​5​, B, ​D, N, ​Q​, R and ​W​ trains) by the Atlantic Terminal mall and adjacent LIRR station.

All routes then head past the Barclays Center, making no stops, until it reaches Livingston Street where buses turn onto Livingston to head into Downtown Brooklyn. The B67 diverges from the B41 and B45 at Jay Street and serves the Jay Street–MetroTech station (A, ​C​, F, <F>​​, N, R, and ​W trains). This stop is shared by the B57 and B62 buses, which split off from Jay Street at Tillary Street. The B67 then continues along Jay Street, paralleling the IND Sixth Avenue Line (F and <F>​ trains) to the York Street station, where it enters Dumbo. Once in Dumbo, B67 buses meander through several streets until it turns south onto Gold Street and then east onto Sands Street. The line then continues via Sands Street until it reaches the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where buses enter through its Sands Street gate. Once in the yard, buses also travel via several streets, making two stops until it exits the yard at Clymer Street and Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, where it runs north to its terminus at Division Street and Wythe Avenue.

On weekdays, buses travel the full route from Kensington to Williamsburg, via the Brooklyn Navy Yard to serve Dumbo and Vinegar Hill. On weekends, the northern terminal of the line is at Jay Street and Sands Street, and does not continue into Williamsburg. There is no overnight service.

A B67/B69 Kensington bus stop at 7th Avenue/Garfield Place in Park Slope, viewed from 1st Street

B69 route

The B69 bus route starts at McDonald Avenue and Cortelyou Road in Kensington. This terminus is shared with the B67. Then the two routes proceed up McDonald Avenue to 20th Street. Here, buses use 19th Street going north and 20th Street going south until 7th Avenue, where the two routes turn along 7th Avenue. From there, the lines run along that corridor, serving businesses and connecting to multiple bus and subway lines until Flatbush Avenue, where the B67 heads north on Flatbush Avenue. The B69, meanwhile, heads south on Flatbush, and goes around Grand Army Plaza to head back north on Vanderbilt Avenue. Once there, buses run up the length of the street until it meets Flushing Avenue, and it runs west on Flushing Avenue. This segment is shared with the B57. At Navy Street, the B69 turns onto Sands Street and runs along the street until its terminus at Pearl Street, just south of the York Street station.

History

Sidewalk clock at Flatbush Avenue/Sterling Place, across from a B41 Downtown Brooklyn and B69 Kensington bus stop

The line along Vanderbilt Avenue from Myrtle Avenue south to Prospect Park was built in 1869 by the Brooklyn, Hunter's Point and Prospect Park Railroad as a branch of the Crosstown Line, connecting Williamsburg to the park. The branch was not profitable, and was bought (south of Park Avenue) by the Park Avenue Railroad, which then turned it into a line to the Fulton Ferry, which opened on May 3, 1871. The tracks of the Brooklyn City and Newtown Railroad (DeKalb Avenue Line) were used from the ferry south to Concord Street, heading eastbound on Water Street and Bridge Street and westbound on Front Street and Gold Street. From there, the line turned east along Concord Street to Navy Street, then traveled on the Crosstown Line tracks south along Navy Street for a block then heading east on Park Avenue. The line would then continue on its own trackage along Vanderbilt Avenue to Grand Army Plaza. Later on, the line was extended south on Prospect Park West to Greenwood Cemetery with the tracks between 9th Street and 15th Street belonging to the Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad. Andrew R. Culver, {whom the IND Culver Line south to Coney Island is named for}, was president of the company by 1872.

The Park Avenue Railroad merged with the Greenwood and Coney Island Railroad on October 9, 1874 to form the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad (PP&CI). In June 1883, soon after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, the PP&CI rerouted the line as an effort to make more profit. Tracks were built on Concord Street from Bridge Street west to Washington Street, and the PP&CI used the newer alignment of the DeKalb Avenue Line on Washington Street past the bridge to Front Street and Water Street and the older alignment via Gold Street and Bridge Street, which had been used primarily by the PP&CI, was abandoned.

Following an agreement made on December 10, 1885, the Atlantic Avenue Railroad leased the Vanderbilt Avenue Line on January 1, 1886. This lease included the entire horsecar property of the PP&CI, which kept its steam railroad from the Ninth Avenue Depot adjacent to the Greenwood Cemetery south to Coney Island. It also included franchises to build and operate the old route via Gold Street and Bridge Street, as well as the proposed 15th Street Line from Hamilton Ferry to the depot, the Hicks Street Line from South Ferry to the depot, and the Park Avenue Line from Downtown Brooklyn east to Bushwick. Additionally, the Atlantic Avenue Railroad obtained a lease on the Ninth Avenue Depot. Culver had long desired to rid himself of the horse line, preferring to operate only the steam extension.

Seventh Avenue horse cars were replaced with electric trolleys on July 17, 1893.

The Nassau Electric Railroad began operating the line under lease (of the Atlantic Avenue Railroad) on April 5, 1896, and the Brooklyn Heights Railroad leased the Nassau Electric in 1899. Vanderbilt Avenue cars were through-routed with the Gravesend Avenue Line until August 20, 1950, when the streetcar route became the B69 bus route and was cut back to 19th Street. The B67 route was a streetcar line until February 11, 1951, when the line was replaced with a bus route, designated "B-67".

Prior to 2010, the B69 line ran along Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West in Park Slope and terminated at 19th Street. This constitutes the southern portion of the line. In June 2010, late night service was discontinued, and the B69 bus was rerouted along Seventh Avenue south of the Brighton Line, all in part of the budget cuts. At this time, service was also extended to Kensington, with service reduced on both routes so the frequency on Seventh Avenue to the Seventh Avenue station would be the same as prior to the cutbacks (when the B67 was the only route on Seventh Avenue). At this time, weekend service was discontinued. In 2013, weekend service was restored. Service was also reduced on both routes so the service on Seventh Avenue was similar to before.

On September 9, 2013, the B67 route was extended into South Williamsburg via the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Vinegar Hill to serve new economic activity. Along with Downtown Brooklyn, both Dumbo and the Brooklyn Navy Yard are part of the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, a cluster of economic activity occurring in Brooklyn.

On December 1, 2022, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Brooklyn bus network. As part of the redesign, B67 service east of York Street would be discontinued, since the B62 bus would provide service to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Closely-spaced stops would also be eliminated. The B69 service south of Prospect Park West would be discontinued, though the B67 would continue to serve that segment. B69 service north of Flushing Avenue would take over B48's route to Greenpoint, while the B48 would take over the B69's route north of Flushing Avenue. Closely spaced stops would also be eliminated.