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State Licenses and Permits
Moving Tour Bus Loading/Unloading Zone from 52nd-53rd block on 7th Avenue
WHEREAS, The owner of 810 7th Avenue, a large office building located on the west side of 7th Avenue between West 52nd and 53rd Streets, has asked the Board to assist in addressing severe overcrowding of buses in front the building; and
WHEREAS, Current parking regulations for the west side of 7th Avenue between West 52nd-53rd Streets provides (from south to north) approximately 40' for commercial use, 40' for two tour bus companies (Gray Line and City Sights), 55' for NYCTA buses (M6 & M7) and 75' for MTA Buses (X1, X6 and X9); and
WHEREAS, a study commissioned by the building owner found:
- the tour bus stop is deficient in size for a single bus, much less for two, for the two companies using the space; and
- the tour buses most often use space assigned to the municipal buses, requiring the latter often to stop in an active travel lane; and
- the tour buses frequently (illegally) idle; and
- municipal buses are often forced to stop in the driving lane and that passengers have to access the buses in the middle of the street; and
- municipal bus riders are often obscured by the parked buses and municipal buses do not stop for them; and
WHEREAS, the study recommended that tour bus operations be separated from the municipal buses and proposed alternate space two blocks south, between 50th and 51st Streets; and
WHEREAS, inspection confirmed the recommended block has ample sidewalk space, with a tourist gift shop at the West 50th Street end, most of the block being the rear exit of the Winter Garden theatre and a tourist related computer and electronics store at the 51st Street end; and
WHEREAS, the Winter Garden theater management is not supportive of new bus loading zones on the same block as the theater because of potential fumes from idling buses during Sunday and Wednesday matinees; and
WHEREAS, the building owners of 810 Seventh Avenue have also proposed using the west side of 7th Avenue between West 53rd and 54th Streets; and
WHEREAS, moving the tour buses from 52nd-53rd Street will improve service to riders of the M6, M7, X1, X6 and X9 lines; and
WHEREAS, the Board finds that the current conditions are dangerous for pedestrians and bus riders; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five requests that the NYC Department of Transportation eliminate the tour bus loading zones on 7th Avenue between West 52nd and 53rd street and move those zones to a nearby site, such as the proposed blocks between 50th and 51st Streets or 53rd and 54th Streets or other appropriate nearby sites and convert the existing tour bus space between 52nd and 53rd Streets to commercial parking.
The above resolution passedwith a vote of 33 in favor, 1 opposed, 1 abstaining.