Residents and businesses health at risk due to shortage in bus parking

The Mayor’s Midtown Citizen Committee (MMCC) just published a survey they conducted last year with Council Member Christine C. Quinn,  of Tour and Charter Bus parking demand in midtown. Over 100 bus companies participated in the survey. Here are the key findings :

• Currently, there is a deficit of up to 173 spaces for bus parking in midtown during seven months of the year.
• The demand previously noted does not take into account the parking demand for 1,703 additional commuter buses required to replace ARC, or the growth in bus travel related to increased tourism in New York City.
• The deficit is likely to increase with the loss of available curbside bus parking sites resulting from additional real estate development.
• Many buses cruise around for hours adding to traffic congestion and air pollution in a neighborhood that has the third highest asthma rate in Manhattan, after East and Central Harlem.

The report suggests short term solutions with more parking on the street and better communication of availability and enforcement through existing parking technology . It concludes that in the long term a bus garage is required, a solution residents and bus companies are clamoring for. MMCC is setting up meetings with the administration to follow up. Here is the report.