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State Licenses and Permits
2 Columbus Circle, Museum of Arts and Design loading zone proposal for 58th Street.
WHEREAS, The Museum of Arts & Design ("MAD") located at 2 Columbus Circle between West 58th Street, Broadway and 8th Avenues, has requested changes to the parking regulations around the new museum including:
- changing the "No Standing Between 7 AM - 7 PM Except Sunday" to "No Standing Anytime Except Trucks Loading and Unloading" on the north side of West 58th Street so that the MAD can use its loading dock on that street; and
- Creating a new "drop-off only" area in front of the museum on Columbus Circle to be used for special events; and
- Creating a new taxi loading and unloading zone on Broadway; and
- Reserving parking for a "staging area" on the 8th Avenue side of the building; and
WHEREAS, The MAD hired a traffic consultant to recommend appropriate parking regulation changes to meet the Museum's needs; and
WHEREAS, MAD's traffic consultant has recommended changing the regulations on West 58th Street but has not completed a needed study of traffic on Columbus Circle; and
WHEREAS, West 58th Street in this area is extremely congested because of the bus lay-over on the south side of 58th Street and because the street narrows at this point. The congestion is particularly bad during the evening rush hour; and
WHEREAS, The Board is concerned that any loading and unloading on Columbus Circle would create a dangerous condition because of the high speed traffic in this area and because this area is used for turning onto Broadway; and
WHEREAS, Using the 8th Avenue block as a "staging area" is impractical because most travel to the area would not arrive on the 8th Avenue side of the building and is dangerous because the "staging area" is in a bicycle lane; and
WHEREAS, MAD is overseeing a traffic study of the Columbus Circle traffic which should be shared with both the Board and the Department of Transportation when it is completed so that the taxi loading question can be revisited; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board approves the proposed taxi-loading and unloading zone on Broadway; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Board approves changing the parking restrictions on the north side of 58th Street provided that the proposed loading and unloading zone is restricted to the hours of 7 AM to 4 PM and 7 PM to 11 PM and that there is No Standing on this block between 4 PM and 7 PM Monday through Friday and also requests that the Department of Transportation examine the traffic situation in this area and consider moving the bus lay-over zone to a less congested area nearby; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Board does not approve of creating a "staging area" on 8th Avenue or a loading and unloading zone on Columbus Circle but requests that the MAD share its traffic study when it is completed with the Board and the Department of Transportation and the Board so that these issues can be re-examined.
The above resolution passed with a vote of 29 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstaining.