Don’t just say ‘no’ to bus improvements
ous reconstruction, and the streets of
Manhattan fi lled with more cars and
people than ever, more must be done
to protect the street. In our view, during
weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
14th Street should be limited to bus
traffi c, emergency vehicles, bicycles
and pedestrians.
Business deliveries ought to be
encouraged during late night and
early morning hours when the street
is least active.
The transportation situation in the
city, especially with regard to buses,
is untenable. To their credit, the de
Blasio Administration is working with
the MTA to fi gure out ways to speed
the buses up to serve more people,
and reverse the troubling downward
trend in ridership as frustrated commuters
turn to ride-sharing as a
faster alternative.
Whether it’s the creation of restricted
bus lanes, rerouting entire bus lines
or expanding limited and Select Bus
services, change needs to happen.
We’re choking on our own traffi
c, and if we can’t get to where
we need to go, we will harm way
more businesses and families than
those living on a single street in any
given neighborhood.
The city and MTA should always
work with communities when implementing
bus changes to make the transition
process smooth. However, the
time to just say “no” to every proposal
needs to come to an end.
The city is at a transit breaking
point. We need to work together to
keep moving.
Editorial
For all the attention given to the
myriad problems in the city’s
subway system, not enough attention
is paid to the equally woeful bus
network citywide.
Notoriously slow and off schedule,
the buses nonetheless serve as a vital
transit link for hundreds of thousands
of New Yorkers each day. The MTA
and city Transportation Department
realize the problems facing the bus
network and are doing things to try
and speed them up.
Unfortunately, in certain instances,
these efforts are facing backlash from
community merchants and residents
who say the prescribed cures for slow
buses and street congestion are worse
than the ailments.
With the MTA attempting to close
14th Street in Manhattan to all vehicular
traffi c except buses, and creating
a bus lane along Fresh Pond Road in
Ridgewood, local groups have even
taken the extreme measure of going to
court to try and stop such plans.
A judge dismissed the case against
the Ridgewood bus lane on Sept. 23,
which was based by the litigants on the
perception that removing parking and
traffi c lanes from Fresh Pond Road
to better accommodate buses would
harm business. It’s the same argument
made for opponents of the 14th Street
busway in Manhattan, whose case is
currently pending.
Arthur Schwartz, who represents
the 14th Street busway opponents,
similarly represented the bus lane opponents
in Queens. Knowing he and
other opponents won’t back down,
they might want to heed the words of
Judge Joseph Esposito’s decision in the
Queens case, in which he said that the
detractors’ motive was primarily a fear
of change.
With the L train undergoing seri-
The front-page illustration of the Sept. 15, 1955, issue of The Villager depicted
Patchin Place, a gated cul-de-sac off of West 10th St., between Sixth
and Greenwich Aves. The caption read: “Charming Patchin Place: Looking
toward the entrance gates on 10th St. Former residents were poets and
writers. Once inside the gates one gets away from the noise and turmoil of
the street.” Among the famed scribes who have dwelled on the court are
E.E. Cummings, Louise Bryant, Theodore Dreiser, Djuana Barnes and John
Reed.
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER
CEO & CO-PUBLISHER
EDITOR IN CHIEF
REPORTERS
CONTRIBUTORS
ART DIRECTORS
ADVERTISING
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR
The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes
or typographical errors that do not lessen the value
of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for
others errors or omissions in connection with an
advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the
advertisement in any subsequent issue.
Published by Schneps Media
One Metrotech North, 3rd floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 260-2500
Fax: (212) 229-2790
On-line: www.thevillager.com
E-mail: news@thevillager.com
© 2019 Schneps Media
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
LINCOLN ROBERT POZARYCKI
ANDERSON
GABE HERMAN
ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL
MICHELE HERMAN
BOB KRASNER
TEQUILA MINSKY
MARY REINHOLZ
PAUL SCHINDLER
JOHN NAPOLI
MARCOS RAMOS
CLIFFORD LUSTER
(718) 260-2504
CLUSTER@CNGLOCAL.COM
GAYLE GREENBURG
JIM STEELE
JULIO TUMBACO
ELIZABETH POLLY
New York Press Association
Member of the National
Newspaper Association
Member of the
Member of the
Minority Women Business Enterprise
12 September 26, 2019 TVG Schneps Media
/www.thevillager.com
link
link
/www.thevillager.com
link
link