Local residents in the area below East Broadway and east of Allen Street have been mobilizing in the past couple of months against more intercity bus stops. It looks like they’ll be doing some more organizing in the weeks ahead. According to Community Board 3’s web site, two more companies will go before the transportation committee June 12.
Rockledge Bus Tour Inc. wants a stop at 160 East Broadway, just to the west of Essex St. In October of last year, CB3 urged the city’s Department of Transportation to reject another application for this location. But the DOT approved the permit anyway for AA Bus Inc. In a separate application, Classic Coach Tours is asking for a permit at 45 Allen St., on the west side of the block.
This week, the community board affirmed the transportation committee’s recommendation to oppose permits at 50 and 59 Canal. It remains to be seen whether CB3’s opinion will make a difference when the Department of Transportation makes its final determination regarding those applications. As previously reported, the community board next month will consider a resolution asking the city to adhere to a temporary moratorium for new permits on Canal Street. We’ll have more on the issue in the next few days.
The transportation committee will be addressing some other interesting issues next month. Here’s the full agenda:
Thursday, June 12 at 6:30pm — Seward Park Community Room – 266 East Broadway
1. FY’16 District Needs Statement & Budget Consult Agenda
2. Rivington Street Bike Lane-consideration of changing lane from south side to north side of street
3. NYCDOT Presentation on Tompkins Square Park Neighborhood Slow Zone
4. Consideration of temporary moratorium on siting new intercity bus stops on Canal Street
5. DEP presentation: overview of the scope of work, schedule, impacts of Grand Street reconstruction and community outreach process
6. Revise Street Co-naming Guidelines
Bus Stop Permit Applications
7. Classic Coach & Tours Inc., 45 Allen Street (west side of street between Grand and Hester Streets)
8. Rockledge Bus Tour Inc., 160 East Broadway
Why would CB3 ask for ONLY a ‘temporary moratorium for new permits on Canal Street’?
What about new permits on the already bus-saturated streets of East Broadway and Allen? In fact, the entire neighborhood is inundated.
And why only’temporary’? Sounds like such a CB3 resolution would have no teeth and just be a paper exercise designed to ‘temporarily’ dampen-down community opposition.
C’MON! Who is the local leader for this area? Mr. Wellington Chin, is this what you envisioned as the future of “Chinatown”? A huge bus depot? Why aren’t you at meetings or taking a stand instead of taking pictures for Facebook at every meeting? If you welcome these bus stops then place them all along East Broadway near Chatham Square. Let’s see what happens then. Is there any local leader concerned about the residents who have to endure this confirmed mess!? There are like 10-15 bus stops within a 1 block radius. And this is right around the corner from the Canal St mess. CB3 needs to arrange an immediate meeting with DOT to discuss a better strategy for bus stop allocations. This is absolutely ridiculous. Why does the DOT (and the bus applicants for that matter) even go before CB3?
Well said!!
Also, why should the LES have to be plagued by these awful Chinatown bus companies, with their pollution, refugee-like hoards crowding the streets, and traffic menace? There are very few, if any, intercity bus stops in Chinatown.
Shouldn’t they all be relocated to Chinatown-proper? The leaders of Chinatown ( a few of whom sit on CB3) would love nothing more than for there to be even more Chinatown buses crammed on the LES to keep Chinatown’s failing economy alive. If these buses are the life-blood of Chinatown, as Wellington Chen has often said, why not move them to where the casino buses stop and to outside Confucius Plaza where all the little white vans line up constantly?
I say move them out of here and into Chinatown. Not fair to LESiders (both residential and commercial)!
I had hoped that with the Bloomberg administration gone, we would have city government that cared about the quality of life of the residents of NY. Unfortunately its business as usual.
Wellington Chin made his views on the subject very clear. He is for more buses. I spoke to him after a bitter fight with Yo Bus and he didn’t seem to worry about the residents. After all, he represents business development interests.
I’m not following your geographic distinction between the LES and Chinatown. I agree that the bus stops are out of control, but am not sure as to the reference of the bus stops being in the LES and not Chinatown. Yes, Chinatown has been shrinking in recent years, but all the addresses mentioned in the article are most definitely part of Chinatown. Please elaborate.
Chinatown-proper begins on the western side of the street on the Bowery at Canal, Bowery at Division, Bowery at East B’way, etc. Thus all streets east of the Bowery are on the Lower East Side. That would include Allen Street, East Broadway, and Canal St. going east from the Bowery. Although it might seem like it is in Chinatown, East Broadway is on the fringe on the eastern fringe of Chinatown.
No, all the addresses mentioned are on the Lower East Side. Chinatown is further west.
That is literally my door in the picture, and I can say it is a nightly NIGHTMARE. People cluttered in front of my door. Garbage strewn everywhere, people spitting. Each night trying to get into my door when I get home brings with it a new experience, most unpleasant.