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Transportation & Environment
Application by inter-city bus operator Taxi Tours, Inc. dba Big Bus Tours New York LX for a bus stop with pick-ups and drop-offs on 7th Avenue at West 57th Street, in front of 900 7th Avenue
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, the following resolution passed with a vote of 29 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, Taxi Tours, Inc, dba Big Bus Tours New York (“Applicant”) seeks approval from the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) of an application to operate an inter-city bus stop on of 7th Avenue at West 57th Street, in front of 900 7th Avenue; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant proposes one pick-up and drop-off, every 20 to 30 minutes, Monday through Sunday from 8:15 am to 5:15 pm; and
WHEREAS, Without regulation, a high concentration of intercity 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 2014 to address these concerns, empowering DOT to create a permitting system; and
WHEREAS, This law authorizes the City to:
- prohibit inter-city buses from loading or unloading passengers on city streets, except at designated on-street bus stop locations;
- require inter-city bus owners and/or operators to submit an application for each proposed on-street bus stop location;
- establish criteria for assigning on-street bus stop locations, including traffic considerations and the applicant's preferences;
- provide for consultation with the local Community Board and, where appropriate, the MTA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey;
- authorize DOT to issue inter-city bus permits and to charge a fee; 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;
- 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 proposed location shares the bus stop with Topview Sightseeing; and
WHEREAS, According to DOT, the current bus stop length can accommodate another bus company; and
WHEREAS, The proposed schedule times do not overlap with the existing bus company; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant is a known operator and the proposed stop will serve as an extension of existing tour bus operations; and
WHEREAS, DOT inspected this location and considers it appropriate; and
WHEREAS, the Transportation and Environment Committee assessed this application; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant has agreed to have staff on site to monitor traffic and crowd control during operating hours, to avoid any crowding or additional burden on businesses operating on the block; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the application by inter-city bus operator Taxi Tours, Inc. dba Big Bus Tours New York for pick-ups and drop-offs on 7th Avenue at West 57th Street, in front of 900 7th Avenue.