Nosy Neighbor: Are Buses Allowed to Idle on Laight?

With increased frequency over the past several months, Academy commuter buses have begun parking on the south side of Laight Street between Hudson and Greenwich leading up to the evening rush hour. Often the drivers have simply abandoned the bus with the engines running. This practice has further complicated an already highly congested area, especially given the water main construction project! Has the city expanded the “idling zone”  for commuter buses in Tribeca to include Laight Street? I recall the debate a few years that resulted in allowing buses to idle along West Street, however I don’t recall reading about any such regulation on any other streets in our neighborhood. Any insight? —C.

My guess is that they’re there illegally. I tried emailing Community Board 1, but I didn’t hear back (I only emailed the main address, so it’s not a huge surprise). But before I tried again, I figured that community members would have good memories about this issue, so I ran the question on a recent Seen & Heard roundup.

Lo and behold, Julie O’Donnell emailed: “I was getting quite aggravated with all of the tour buses and other buses parking in no standing zones in BPC. Sometimes the buses are on, sometimes they are idling, which is even worse. I got in touch with some agencies that all asked to be emailed (they were surprisingly receptive). They are working with the DOT to stop bus standing/idling in areas they shouldn’t be. I was told that a picture should be emailed showing the bus and location—and a picture of the license plate. Provide any relevant info: time and date of occurrence, location (with cross streets), license plate and bus company, phone number, or any other identifying information. I have been banging on bus doors and tell them they can’t be there or I will report them. Most leave once they see me taking photos—otherwise I report them.”

The folks Julie emails are:
Robin I. Forst, Director External Relations, Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center: rforst@lmccc.nyc.gov
Anthony Notaro, the First Precinct Community Council: anthonynotaro@gmail.com
Noah Pfefferblit, District Manager, Community Board 1: npfefferblit@cb.ny.gov

You already have the photos (and video), so you’re halfway there. My advice would also be to pass this info along to other buildings on the block. Businesses, too: The folks at Dylan Prime tweeted that they were curious about what I had heard about the issue. If I’ve learned one thing from community board meetings, it’s to make sure I have enough gin ready when I get home that the more people who complain, the more likely it is that the folks who can do something about it will in fact do something about it. Good luck!

UPDATE: I heard from CB1 (the contact was on vacation): “I sent an email to the DOT yesterday asking them to monitor the situation and perhaps issue fines,” he emailed. “The DOT regulates the drop off points for commuter buses.”

Got a question? Email it to tribecacitizen@gmail.com.

Previous Nosy Neighbor posts:
What’s happening with the Verizon building?
Will the construction at Hudson and Laight ever end?
What is Esoteric on Walker Street?
What’s up with the building under renovation on Franklin?
Is N. Moore getting cobblestoned?
What are those orange awnings for?
What’s happening at 73 Warren?
Can you recommend any Tribeca picture books?
Why are those shuttles on Greenwich?
What’s coming to 15 Canal Street?
Who enforces sidewalk-café regulations?
What’s going on at 27 Desbrosses?
What happened to the Lilac?
When will those trailers on West Street go away?
Do you know anything about 20-24 Varick?
What’s happening to my parking lot?
Is Pier 26 being worked on again?
What’s up with Jin Market?
What are those black pellets on Pier 25?
What do the characters on 47 Vestry mean?
When is T.J. Maxx opening?
Where is the Special Forces monument going?
Who’s moving into 151 Hudson?
What’s going on at 172 Duane?
Where is Compose’s pastry chef cooking now?
What’s up with those Verizon carts?
Where was the original Blues Bar?
Who are the guys in the geeky pants?
Why are the windows above Ponte’s boarded up?
Can we walk on the West Street medians?
What’s going on in 157 Hudson?
What’s the new painting at 153 Hudson?
What’s up with 55 Warren/55 Murray?
What is this P.C. Richard & Son Theater I keep hearing about?
What’s the story behind the lights at 289 Church?
What’s the Dream House at 275 Church?
How come every every film and TV shoot seems to have a trailer with doors marked “Lucy” and “Desi”?

 

6 Comments

  1. How about Dylan Prime dumping live trash (bones, blood, crab shells, rotting vegetables) onto the sidewalk there? Disgusting.

  2. Mr/Mrs: Chacharango
    Our trash policy is in line with the majority of other restaurants in the city and Tribeca. Our trash is picked up nightly 7 days a week and we clean our sidewalk every morning. Please feel free to reach out to me personally if you have had issues with our trash or any other with the restaurant, I am more than happy to discuss. 212-334-4783. I look forward to hearing from you.
    Rob Burns
    General Manager
    Dylan Prime

  3. Thanks for raising this – we live in the Dietz Building (over Dylan Prime) and the idling buses have gotten much worse lately.

  4. I don’t have a problem with trash bags on the sidewalk (this is NYC), but the trash on the sidewalk in the morning isn’t even bagged!

  5. @chacharango: Can we keep this thread about the buses? I’m not saying your issue with Dylan Prime isn’t valid—I have no idea—but this isn’t really the place to address it. Rob was nice enough to give you his info; maybe you should take him up on the offer to discuss it offline.

  6. This situation along Laight St. with the buses,trucks, and sanitation trucks has gotten worse. The reason I believe is the Hudson water main project and that no right turns are allowed onto Hudson St. once exiting the Holland Tunnel.
    I have children and I usually take them out around 5-6pm to the park. Laight St is congested with these buses and trucks. They pollute, idle, drivers throw their trash on the street, not to mention that these buses drive fast to beat the traffic light.
    Also, we have about 20-30 sanitation trucks from BROOKLYN, coming from NJ after they drop their trash in NJ and then come down Laight St and head back to Brooklyn. These trucks start coming from 8pm-2am, racing down the Laight st at night.
    The DOT has to stop buses and trucks from using Laight St., this area is now residential and can’t handle these large,heavy buses and trucks.