First week of 14th St. Busway sees progress
BY MARK HALLUM
Buses reigned through the raindrops
on the fi rst morning of the
14th Street Busway on Oct. 3, as
cops cleared the way for M14 buses —
with few exceptions — to operate along
six blocks of the bustling Manhattan
thoroughfare.
Police were directing traffi c at each
corner, diverting cars mistakenly turning
left or right onto 14th Street to give
priority to buses which one rider said
cut 15 minutes off of his commute.
Edward Jackson commutes from the
Lower East Side to his studio in the
Bronx, and said the longest part of his
trek is now much less painstaking.
“It’s been better since they rejiggered
the M14 into a Select Bus Service, my
wife actually timed it and it cut about
15 minutes off my commute… We’re
down on Grand Street and FDR Drive
so for bus riders it’s a lot easier to get
up to Union Square,” Jackson said.
Prioritizing bus traffi c between 6
a.m. and 9 p.m. daily on 14th Street
came with opposition from the surrounding
community concerned that
traffi c would only be displaced onto
side streets.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, as with many of
his traffi c improvement projects, was
not keen on backing down from the
It was a no-go for cars headed west after 3rd Avenue on Oct. 3.
proposal even in the face of a lawsuit
that was struck down in court last week
by an Appellate Court Judge who ruled
against a coalition of local businesses
led by advocate Arthur Schwartz.
“The new 14th Street busway is now
in effect – and bus riders will fi nally get
moving,” de Blasio said on Thursday
morning. “This smart project will speed
up buses while allowing for the car
drop-offs and deliveries the neighborhood
PHOTO : MARK HALLUM/THE VILLAGER
requires. Under our Better Buses
plan, we are making changes citywide
to fi ght congestion and to give people
faster and more reliable transit.”
The busway sits on the border between
Chelsea and the East Village
represented by Councilman Keith Powers
and Councilwoman Carlina Rivera.
Both were optimistic the Busway would
serve as a profound improvement on
14th Street.
“After months of delays, the implementation
of the Department of
Transportation’s busway is warmly
welcomed,” Powers said. “This is a
signifi cant step forward for innovative
ideas in transportation. Under
this plan, the M14 bus will experience
much-needed improvements in traffi c
fl ow and residents will have more effi
cient travel options. Many thanks to
advocates and my neighbors who have
worked in support of this busway pilot
program, as well as DOT for their commitment
to this initiative.”
Although the traffi c enforcement
cameras placed to issue tickets to drivers
violating the restrictions are already
in place, the de Blasio administration
said they will only issue warnings for
the fi rst 60 days of the pilot program.
After that, the fi rst violation will be
$50. The fi nes will increase by $50 for
each violation in a 12-month period, up
to $250, according to the administration.
Later this year, the buses themselves
will play a role in enforcing the Busway,
as cameras mounted to M14 SBS will
photograph violators who will receive
summonses through the mail. The
same fi ne structure will be in place.
Here’s what you need to know about 14th St. Busway
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
The city sees the 14th Street
Busway as the solution toward
speeding things up on the M14
Select Bus Service (SBS) route. Opponents
of the busway, however, believe
the busway will cause greater congestion
and a loss of parking spots on
other neighborhood streets.
For now, the busway plan is classified
as a Department of Transportation
Transit and Truck Priority
(TTP) pilot project. It will be in
effect a minimum of 18 months; the
future of the busway beyond that
period largely depends on how it
performs.
Here’s what you need to know
about the 14th Street Busway, according
to the mayor’s office:
What vehicles are permitted on
14th Street?
Only buses and trucks making
through trips are now permitted
to make trips along 14th Street between
3rd and 9th Avenues during
the appointed hours.
Passenger cars and other vehicles
can only make local trips along
14th Street, such as to reach garages
or make drop-offs or pick-ups at
Police officers enforcing the 14th Street Busway on its first day in effect,
Oct. 3.
the curb. These vehicles, however,
must turn off 14th Street at the
next available right (no left turns
are permitted).
Commercial vehicles are still
permitted to access 14th Street,
PHOTO BY MARK HALLUM
but they can only load or unload in
short-term metered zones.
Enforcement of the busway
The NYPD’s Traffic Bureau,
along with automated cameras set
up along 14th Street, will enforce
the 14th Street Busway plan to ensure
all regulations are followed.
However, starting today (Oct.
3), the DOT has launched a 60-day
warning period in which drivers
who are caught on automated cameras
violating the busway rules will
receive a written warning, rather
than a violation and fine.
Once the 60-day grace period
expires, however, any driver caught
on camera violating the busway
rules will be subject to fines starting
at $50 for the first violation.
Fines increase by $50 for each violation
over a 12-month period, up
to $250.
In the near future, the MTA will
also help enforce the busway rules
by adding Automated Bus Lane Enforcement
(ABLE) cameras on buses
running along the M14 SBS route.
These cameras are similar to
those that the MTA added to buses
on the M15 route along First and
Second Avenues.
Violations issued from the ABLE
cameras are governed under the
same bus lane law, but will have
a separate 60-day warning period
once camera-equipped buses run
along the M14 route.
4 October 10, 2019 Schneps Media