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Transportation & Environment
Application by Morning Sun Bus Company, Inc. for an intercity bus stop in front of 201 West 37th Street, on the north side of the street between 7th and 8th Avenues.
WHEREAS, Morning Sun Bus Company, Inc. seeks approval from the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) of an Application to operate an intercity bus service on the northside of 37th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant proposes 2 daily pickups at 7:30 am and 5:30 pm and 2 daily drop offs at 2:00 pm and 10:00 pm; and
WHEREAS, The Port Authority Bus Terminal currently operates at or above capacity; and
WHEREAS, In response, several companies began offering low cost inter-city bus services from on-street pickup and drop off locations without formal authorization from DOT; and
WHEREAS, Without regulation, a high concentration of inter-city bus services developed in certain areas of midtown Manhattan, quickly resulting in increased sidewalk congestion, traffic gridlock, and increased on-street bus parking and double parking, all of which combined to create safety concerns for drivers, pedestrians, local business owners, and residents; and
WHEREAS, The State Legislature adopted Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1642-a in 2013 to address these concerns, empowering DOT to create a permitting system; and
WHEREAS, This law authorizes the City to:
1. prohibit inter-city buses from loading or unloading passengers on City streets, except at designated on-street bus stop locations;
2. require inter-city bus owners and/or operators to submit an application for each proposed on-street bus stop location;
3. establish criteria for assigning on-street bus stop locations, including traffic considerations and
the applicant's preferences;
4. provide for consultation with the local Community Board and, where appropriate, the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey;
5. authorize DOT to issue inter-city bus permits and to charge a fee;
6. provide for the relocation of an existing permitted on-street bus stop, upon 90-day notice to the
permit holder and the local Community Board;
7. grandfather existing inter-city bus services that currently have designated on-street bus stop
locations, by granting a permit to continue to use those locations for up to three years; and
WHEREAS, The number of curbside bus companies operating within community district 5 has increased
dramatically over the past 5 years; and
WHEREAS, Another intercity bus service, Vision Tours, already uses the proposed location; and
WHEREAS, The Bryant Park Corporation has expressed deep concerns regarding the potential impact on
air quality that this additional bus activity could have, as well as reservations regarding the potential for
increased traffic and sidewalk congestion; and
WHEREAS, The proposed pickup times of 7:30 am and 5:30 pm are during the peak of the morning and
evening rush hours; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five does not believe the proposed location can support additional long
queues of passengers lining up on the sidewalk during the proposed pickup times; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends denial of Morning Sun Bus Company, Inc.’s
Application for an intercity bus stop in front of 201 West 37th Street, on the north side of the street
between 7th and 8th Avenues.