Speak Up: Should discount buses obstruct 400 ft of curbside parking and 300ft of sidewalk for free?

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Christine Berthet

 

Tomorrow the DOT will seek Community Board 4′s support to make permanent the Megabus interim permit for a curbside pick up at 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.

NOTE CHANGE OF LOCATION
Community Board 4 Transportation Committee,
Wednesday, May 16th, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Fulton Houses , 119 Ninth Avenue

What started as a quality of life and equity issues,  is rapidly evolving into a much serious question: Are these buses safe? Should they be on our streets?In addition to using buses with illegal weight, Megabus NorthEast has a poor driver safety record : on a scale where 1 is the best and 99 is the worst , Megabus ranks 74.5 in driver safety on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Measurement System. The main reason for this poor ranking is the numerous citations for speeding at more that 15 miles per hour above the speed limit. In fact  Megabus is flagged for possible intervention by the Federal Administration.

In october 2011 the NTSB published a report on Curbside MotorCoach Safety   showing that these types of buses, which typically pick up passengers curbside rather than at a bus station, are seven times more likely to be involved in deadly crashes than traditional terminal bus lines. One of the major contributing factors in these crashes, the NTSB ruled, was speed. “(Buses) pose a high risk of death and injury to occupants of passenger vehicles involved in collisions with them due to the disparity in size and weight; speeding makes that risk even greater,” the report states.

The Port Authority – the neighbor the most affected by this stop –  has come out loudly against renewing the permit. The bus terminal was created specifically to remove buses off the street. It is clear that if this permit is extended, all carriers presently at the terminal will leave it and will ask DOT for similar curb stops. thus going backward 50 years in term of chaos and health issues. It will be a disaster for our community and the for the Port Authority.

Long Distance discount bus operator Megabus continues to use 400 feet of curbside parking and loading space and 300 ft of sidewalks in an already saturated area. With the nice weather the crowds swell on sidewalks with no space left for pedestrians.  Join us to speak up at the Community Board Transportation Committee.

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Bike Share Map

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Christine Berthet

The bike Share program was finally announced last week and the maps published. Keep in mind it is still in draft but pretty close to final.

Click Here for the maps.

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Bike Month: Join 45th Street Block Association and CHEKPEDS for Free Movie

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Christine Berthet

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Two-Way Bike Lane to cross Central Park

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Christine Berthet

A new two-way bike lane is rolling into Central Park along the park’s Terrace Drive, a popular route for crossing the park at 72nd Street.

The current one-way path from east to west will be supplemented by a new adjacent lane to serve cycling from west to east. The new lane will be installed this summer, as early as June. Adding the extra lane for cyclists will remove one lane of car traffic on the route, which is only open to motorists on week days from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

A crosstown two-way bike path opened near 96th Street last summer, but cyclists have to hop off their bikes to reach it.

(courtesy of DNAinfo)

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Join HKNA and CHDC to Welcome Spring

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Christine Berthet

 

It is Spring again and time to green the Hood. From new tree guards to protect young trees , to 100s of native plants from the Parks Department Nursery, planning by HKNA and CHDC is in full swing. There will be a New Orleans marching band to encourage the occasional gardeners and a barbecue to sustain them.

Join Us on Saturday May 12th , 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 35th St. btw 9th and 10th Av. 


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Jane Jacob’s Walk – An inspiring experience

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Christine Berthet

Saturday morning 40 pedestrians set out to visit Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea to experience first hand the improvements of our streets. The walk was sponsored by Transportation Alternatives, the original creators of the Safe Route To Schools program,  and by CHEKPEDS.

The walk started at Times Square, and meandered  between 9th and 10th Avenues down to the High Line and Gansevort Street. Click Here to see the Slideshow

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Funding Transit is a Priority: Tolling Bridges should be part of the mix

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Christine Berthet

Much of the 2021 Regional Plan Association symposium revolved around transportation and how various cities in the world address the challenge. We learned with stupefaction that Singapore Transit  is profitable with a combination of congestion pricing with real time price adjustments based on actual speed on the road, and a car Certificate of Entitlement, with fewer and fewer of those are granted and of which the price is established by auction: currently $ 80,000 for a 10 year permit. How smart of this nation to adjust to constrain the demand to the road capacity! Would we ever be so gutsy in New York city to apply market based solutions to car usage?

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said last month that funding transit adequately is “one of the biggest challenges we face.” … “and offer a roadmap for placing the MTA on more stable financial footing and safeguarding our region’s economic future”. In his speech, Stringer suggests the creation of a New York City transit trust funded by revenue streams from the Mortgage Recording Tax (existing) and a revived Commuter Tax ( it was eliminated in 1999) . He envisions  more bus rapid transit lines, like the ones that run along First and Second Avenues, light rail on 42nd street, and connecting Red Hook Brooklyn to the Navy Yard, an AirTrain to LaGuardia and an “X” subway line connecting Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, plus the pay down of the crushing debt load that burdens the MTA today.

Another suggestion making the rounds is an Equitable Transportation Formula Plan  or ”congestion pricing”  by Sam Schwartz Engineering of “Gridlock Sam ” fame. I sometime wonder would we have so much gridlock today if he had not invented the word? He would reduce tolls on non Manhattan bridges, add tolls to Manhattan bridges , make alternate routes revenue neutral, and  charge all users including bicycles.

It is good to see influent brains working on these issues. In 1990, at the eve of the Internet revolution, the founder of Sun micro systems said “the network is the computer”. In New York City, Transit is the engine of the economy ( much more that Real Estate). Our politicians need all to get on with the program.

 

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Join Us: Press conference on Illegal Honking

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Christine Berthet


Join David Yassky, Taxi Limousine Commissioner and Citizens Committee for New York in a flash action to remind Taxi Drivers in our neighborhood that honking is illegal.In October 2011, David Yasski reminded Cab Drivers that honking is illegal . This will serve as a timely reminder.

No Honking Press Conference with David Yassky
Thursday May 3rd , 11- 11:30 a.m.
SW Corner of 44th Street and 10th Avenue ,NY NY

Citizens Committee For New York wrote … “in 2010 we commissioned a study by The New School for Management and Urban Policy to study how community groups

could initiate creative ways to combat vehicular noise in their neighborhoods.  Vehicular noise, especially from horn honking, is a very relevant issue to New York City residents, who consistently rank this noise as a greater quality of life issue than other types of neighborhood noise.  Our  study found that community-based vehicular noise-reduction efforts could play a significant role in reducing or eliminating annoying car noise.

We will serve coffee , give stickers and hopefully make some headway.

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Discount Long Distance Buses: Much More than a Curbside Issue

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Christine Berthet

 

In May , the DOT will seek Community Board 4′s support to make permanent Megabusinterim permit at 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.  But what started as a quality of life issue, is rapidly evolving into a much serious question: Are these buses safe?

Community Board 4 Transportation Committee, Megabus – 41st Stret Curbside Permit 
Wednesday, May 16th, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Holland House, 351 W 42nd Street, Piano Room

In addition to using buses with illegal weight, Megabus NorthEast has a poor driver safety record : on a scale where 1 is the best and 99 is the worst , Megabus ranks 74.5 in driver safety on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Measurement System. The main reason for this poor ranking is the numerous citations for speeding at more that 15 miles per hour above the speed limit. In fact  Megabus is flagged for possible intervention by the Federal Administration.

CHEKPEDS requested that a hearing be held at the Transportation Committee of the City Council . Megabus has taken a dim view of the request and sent an accusatory letter. You can see our response here which gives our sources.

In october 2011 The NTSB published a report on Curbside MotorCoach Safety   showing that these types of buses, which typically pick up passengers curbside rather than at a bus station, are seven times more likely to be involved in deadly crashes than traditional terminal bus lines. One of the major contributing factors in these crashes, the NTSB ruled, was speed. “(Buses) pose a high risk of death and injury to occupants of passenger vehicles involved in collisions with them due to the disparity in size and weight; speeding makes that risk even greater,” the report states. Sign the Petition .

These buses are inexpensive and afford travel opportunities to people that would not otherwise be able to travel, but does this justify ignoring the risks? Can you imagine the uproar if the low cost cars were seven times more likely to be involved in deadly crashes? Sign the Petition .

Long Distance discount bus operator Megabus continues to obstruct our sidewalks. With the nice weather the crowds swell on sidewalks with no space left for pedestrians.  Their three month interim permit is up for renewal this month and DOT will consult with the Community Board before doing so. Mark your calendar to speak up at the Community Board Transportation Committee.

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Take the Poll: Should discount buses be allowed to load for free on prime public real estate (just outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal)?

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Christine Berthet
The city has been testing a pilot program that allows discount bus lines to pick up and drop off passengers right outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal on West 41st Street. A contingency of bus companies that pay big money to operate inside the terminal object to the fact that  low-price rivals are taking away free public space to deliver an equivalent service and make more profit.

Take the Poll

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