With the new law, private buses like this one would need permits. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

by Adel Manoukian

Governor Cuomo signed the Silver-Squadron bill into law this past Friday, signifying the first-ever permit system for intercity buses.

The law gives the city the power to designate bus stops, as well as require bus companies to provide information about the buses they are using, the number of passengers they expect to carry, and where they will be stored when not in use. Those who do not provide this information can face fines of up to $2,000 in addition to the loss of their permit.

This comes after State Senator Daniel Squadron and Speaker Sheldon Silver proposed the system this past June due to congestion, idling and overall safety concerns many residents in areas like Chinatown had.

Intercity buses are affordable but have been involved in a number of serious and sometimes fatal accidents. The agreement on the bill is part of an effort to bring stricter oversight to the industry and Silver, Squadron, along with Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Council Member Margaret Chin applaud Cuomo for signing the bill.

“By creating the first-ever permit system for intercity buses, we’re taking a big step toward protecting communities and passengers alike,” said Senator Squadron in a statement. “Our new system will bring oversight to the growing and important low-cost bus industry, helping to end the wild west atmosphere in Chinatown and around the city while allowing us to identify problems before they become tragedies.”

Commissioner Sadik-Khan agrees.

“Intercity buses are a lifeline for people and business. But intercity bus transportation shouldn’t turn our neighborhood streets into de facto bus depots. This law will help eliminate this legal blind spot and bring order to the free-for-all on our neighborhood streets and sidewalks.”

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

by Adel Manoukian

It’s long-awaited good news for Brooklynites and Manhattan residents. State Senator Daniel Squadron announced today that the MTA has made many service expansions and restorations in the two boroughs.

The MTA will create a brand new Brooklyn Tech Triangle bus route which the senator and stakeholders will lead the effort for. Other changes include a new bus route beginning in mid-2013 along the Williamsburg waterfront, which will be designed in consultation with stakeholders.

The Senator and the community have been advocating new routes since some services were cut in 2010 to close a gap in the MTA’s budget.

Now restorations include the B39 bus service over the Williamsburg Bridge to and from Manhattan. The M9 bus will add service to Battery Park City and will add more stops in between. The B57 bus has extended its services into Red Hook. The G train will permanently add five more stops after its last Church Avenue station. Some buses are also getting weekend service. These include the B24, B69, and M21.

“New Yorkers depend on the access bus and subway service provides every day of the week,” said Senator Squadron in a statement. “These restorations and new routes will connect more neighborhoods for more New Yorkers more often. From Williamsburg to Red Hook and from the Lower East Side to Battery Park City, we’ve been pushing with the community for these restorations because they are, simply, essential.”

The senator isn’t giving up his pushing just yet. He continues to advocate for M8 weekend service, a restoration of B51 service and more service from the Brooklyn waterfront’s Columbia Street into Park Slope and beyond to replace the B71.

On April 5, State Senator Daniel Squadron will join the NYC Department of Transportation at 10 AM to officially break ground and begin repair of road-curb ponding conditions in Chinatown. The repairs will include milling and resurfacing large stretches of Mulberry and Baxter Streets, and filling potholes throughout Chinatown in order to remove and prevent “ponding” which is “the unwanted pooling of water”.

Senator Squadron first brought this issue to light in a Sept. 2011 report. The report, which monitored the frequency and location of ponding, also surveyed hundreds of local residents, business owners, and visitors. The majority of respondents said ponding has a negative impact on their eating and shopping experience. Over 60 percent of respondents rated the quality of the streets as below average to poor. The report also found that these unwanted pools of water, which have been especially prevalent in Chinatown, especially problematic after a rainfall. Last summer, Squadron discovered that there were 93 unique ponds that hadn’t been drained within 48 hours.

Unfortunately three quarters of respondents who have observed ponding have not reported it, and 58 percent did not know who to contact or that reporting the problem was even an option.

For their part, the DOT has already begun work milling and resurfacing streets to repair a number of potholes that exacerbate the problem. The streets affected include Mulberry St.betw. Worth and Bleecker Sts., as well as Baxter St.betw. Worth and Grand Sts. This is in addition to the DOT filling in existing potholes and filling in individual ponds throughout the neighborhood.

“Six months ago we called on DOT to address ponding, and, today, they’ve listened to the community and turned my report into real action. This is an example of the power of community collaboration with government,” said Senator Squadron. “I will continue to work with the community, DOT, and the City to ensure that ponding is reported, addressed, and eliminated, so that it no longer drains Chinatown’s economy and quality of life.”