14th St. Busway working, but residents still oppose it
BY SOFÍA CERDA CAMPERO
Data on the 14th Street busway
was presented at a Community
Board 2 meeting on Jan. 9, indicating
increased bus travel times and
ridership, along with increased bike ridership,
as some community members expressed
disapproval of the new system.
Members of CB2’s Traffi c and
Transportation Committee gathered
with neighborhood residents to hear the
preliminary report (Fall 2019) of the bus
and truck priority pilot presented by Sam
Schwartz Engineering and the NYC Department
Of Transportation.
The 14th Street initiative is designed
to improve operations of the M14A/D
Select Bus Service. From 6 a.m. to 10
p.m., only buses and trucks are permitted
on 14th street between 3rd and 9th
Avenues, forcing other vehicles to make
a turn at the next available right.
Although it was set to come into effect
in July, a coalition of neighbors
feared negative impacts it could bring to
their neighborhoods and fi led a lawsuit
against the city’s Department of Transportation.
The suit was overturned and
the project was able to come into effect
on October 3rd.
According to data collected in the report
A m14 bus makes its way on the new 14th Street busway
by Sam Schwarz Engineering, the
M14 A/D has had a 36% improvement
in travel times, 5.3 minutes faster during
weekdays, and a 24% increase in ridership
from November 2018 to November
2019. Additionally, bicycle volumes on
weekdays have gone up 26% on 12th
street, and 50% on 13th street during
peak hours.
This, however, didn’t seem to be
enough, as most neighbors expressed
their concern and how their livelihood
had been affected by traffi c, noise, and
lack of access. They found this specifi -
PHOTO BY MARK HALLUM
cally troublesome for the disabled and
elderly.
“I have my mother and in-laws living
in my building, what if a car has to pick
them up?” said one man who has been
living in the neighborhood for over 20
years. “Cars must be able to make stops
without getting tickets. Otherwise there
is no access to many people who need
it.”
Additionally, four people argued that
they had personally seen ambulances
stuck between cars.
“I was on Broadway and University
and saw how an ambulance ended up
with all the traffi c without being able to
get out,” said a very concerned woman.
“What if ambulances can’t get through?
There are no divisions for emergencies,
it is dangerous and not thoughtful.”
The list of complaints also included
business dying, taxis being unable to
get in, and a dramatic increase in noise
level.
“You are using the neighborhood as a
roadway without considering the people
who live here,” said a 14th street resident.
Despite an overall sense of discomfort,
a few people said they were happy
with the project.
“I have been able to walk everywhere
without any trouble, it’s so much nicer,”
said another resident. “I used to run away
from this spot but now I love it. Your
plan has improved my life immensely.”
Another man said that, as a bike user,
he now enjoys being able to bike places
without the fear of getting hit by a car.
They were both confronted by the
rest of the neighbors, who said they are
determined to continue their opposition
towards this project.
Sam Schwartz and DOT have agreed
to look into their complaints but have
not made any promises of change.
Probe continues in deadly shooting
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
Police are still investigating a
shooting near Tompkins Square
Park last week in which an armed
man shot a hookah lounge patron dead
— only to be gunned down by cops
when he refused to drop his weapon on
their orders.
According to the NYPD, the trouble
began at about 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 9,
when two uniformed offi cers assigned
to the 9th Precinct heard gunshots
while patrolling inside the East Village
park, near the corner of Avenue A and
East 7th Street.
Upon hearing the gunshots, Chief
of Department Terence Monahan said,
the offi cers exited the park and “tactically
approached the location.” They
then observed the suspect fi ring shots
at another man — who was apparently
shot and mortally wounded.
“The two offi cers engaged the armed
suspect and gave numerous commands
for him to get on the ground,” Monahan
said. “It was then that the offi cers
fi red three times at the man, striking
him.”
EMS rushed the injured suspect to
Bellevue Medical Center, where he was
pronounced dead.
During the preliminary investigation,
police determined that the suspect
got into a dispute with the other man
moments earlier at the Hayaty hookah
Police shot and killed an armed suspect who had traded shots with a patron
at this hookah lounge near Tompkins Square Park early on Jan. 9.
lounge, located at 103 Avenue A. They
apparently exchanged gunfi re shortly
after exiting the lounge, which prompted
the police response.
The other man also suffered gunshot
wounds and was pronounced deceased;
Monahan stated that he was not shot by
police.
Police offi cials did not disclose the
dead men’s identities, nor the nature of
their injuries, pending the results of the
ongoing investigation.
The man whom police shot did have
a prior record; Monahan said he was
out on parole after serving 8 years in
PHOTO VIA GOOGLE MAPS
prison for an unrelated shooting.
At the scene, Monahan reported, offi
cers recovered two .22-caliber handguns
— one located under the man
whom police had shot, and the other
recovered near the second man.
The two offi cers involved in the
shooting were not injured, but taken
to a hospital for evaluation, Monahan
said. Their bodycams were active, and
the footage is being reviewed.
The case is in the hands of the NYPD
Force Investigation Division, which examines
police-involved shootings.
Bigot plants
hate symbol
on subway
elevator
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Cops are looking for a man
who affi xed a hate symbol
on the elevator at a Manhattan
subway station.
Police say that at 6:20 a.m. on
Dec. 31, 2019, an unknown man
was seen using MTA service announcement
fl yers to mount a
swastika on the outside of the elevator
of the 96th Street subway station,
serving the 1, 2 and 3 lines, in
the Upper West Side.
Once the suspect was done, he
fl ed the scene to parts unknown.
On Jan. 14, 2020, the NYPD released
video of the suspect committing
the crime:
Anyone with information in regard
to this incident is asked to
call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers
Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or
for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
All calls are kept confi dential.
Schneps Media January 16, 2020 3