Times Square Plazas Slow Many Bus Trips

[Harry]

The pedestrian plazas in Times and Herald Squares have been promoted by the Bloomberg administration as a marquee achievement in its quest to create a safer and more pleasing streetscape, friendlier to tourists and merchants alike.

 

For some bus riders, however, the results have not been as positive.

 

Riders trying to get downtown through the Times Square area have experienced longer travel times on four out of five affected bus routes, according to a report from New York City Transit, which operates the city’s bus system.

 

In the worst case, the M6 bus took more than 10 minutes longer to complete its route from Central Park to Union Square in the evening rush, meaning riders had to spend about 25 percent more time to finish the trip.

 

The report attributed the slower rides to increased congestion, longer routes and new turns required by the closing of several blocks of Broadway. It also said that the rerouting of buses and other traffic onto Seventh Avenue “appears to have caused congestion,” an assertion that the Bloomberg administration rejected.

 

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/nyregion/21broadway.html

[St Louis Car 09]

This is exactly predicted.Enjoy the plaza,because I have a feeling it wont be around much longer.

[N-Trizzy2609]

The plaza were the MOST DUMBEST idea I've ever witnessed in my life. They rather shut down part of a busy street for pedestians making a bombing situation 10x worse if it ever happened.

 

To Bloomberg, he's an idiot. He trys to keep New York safe but you build pedestian plaza in Time Sq knowing it's a terrorist hot spot.

 

Even before the car bomb in Time Sq. they had to know it's a hot spot. And with streets closed for these plazas and more people out in the street plaza, do the math. They need to get rid of theses plaza so things can run smooth.

[Princelex]

This is not a surprise. All you have to do is stand on the corner of 44th and 7th or Broadway and see the traffic crawl down Times Square. It was already rough driving down that part of the world but they made it twice as rough so that they could appease the tourist. These plazas are shit in my eyes and this report is just more proof of that.

[error46146]

those plazas were a fail from the start. and now they wana make more of those??

 

its ridiculous how were catering to the tourists..yes sure they bring in lots of $$$ but what about the millions and millions of people that live here and have to deal with it every day?

[rr4567]

This is not a surprise. All you have to do is stand on the corner of 44th and 7th or Broadway and see the traffic crawl down Times Square. It was already rough driving down that part of the world but they made it twice as rough so that they could appease the tourist. These plazas are shit in my eyes and this report is just more proof of that.

All I'm gonna say is:

Bloomberg, I hope you rot in hell.

 

What that jackass is doing is turning this city into a f*cking tourist haven. Don't these bloody tourists have enough to mess around with in NYC? I mean, look at the city in the summer, when it is completely overloaded with those human cockroaches. What makes that shitbrained idiot think that live here, the residents, want to deal with his tourist-oriented bullshit? I know I don't. He is going to ruin NY, and I really don't want to see that happen. Why shut down one of the most major streets in Manhattan? Just so these people can come and litter the damn place? I really, really hope that someone tries to reverse this and turns New york into New York again, instead of some pansy town that's trying to get brownie points from the people that stay here ONCE PER YEAR!

 

This is exactly predicted.Enjoy the plaza,because I have a feeling it wont be around much longer.

 

I hope not.

[Grand Concourse]

But Broadway cuts into that area, wouldn't there already be a 'merging' issue?

What they should do is make all the pedestrian crossings on 7th Av and fully close off the 'remnants' of Broadway and make them complete rectangles than triangles.

[MTARegional Bus]

man I miss the old days lol

 

[FamousNYLover]

I also agree.

Especially will Puerto Rican Day Parade coming up, bus that will be use 7th Av are BxM2, M4, M5, M6, M7, M10 and all three sightseeing buses. I think that will take more than 10 minutes and maybe up to 15-30 minutes.

They should have put bus lane on plaza.

[Kingsbridge Bus]

If you guys think this is bad, wait untill the make 34st a pedestrian plaza.

It's going to be hell on the road

[Forest Glen]

Bloomberg is an idiot

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[FamousNYLover]

34th St bet. 5th & 6th Av will be Bus Transitway.

One way westbound for traffic west of 6th Av and one way eastbound for traffic east of 5th Av.

Eastbound traffic lanes west of 6th and westbound traffic lanes east of 5th Av will be buses lane in both directions.

 

I wonder if this going to work?

[SoSpectacular]

We shouldn't even be catering to tourists especially at a time like this (who the hell wants to even visit NYC?!)... We aren't the only vacation hotspot in the country... Jeez...

[aemoreira81]

34th St bet. 5th & 6th Av will be Bus Transitway.

One way westbound for traffic west of 6th Av and one way eastbound for traffic east of 5th Av.

Eastbound traffic lanes west of 6th and westbound traffic lanes east of 5th Av will be buses lane in both directions.

 

I wonder if this going to work?

 

This should be good, especially since 34 Street is the primary route used to get across Manhattan between the Queens-Midtown and Lincoln Tunnels. It would be interesting to see what effects it ends up having on approaches to the George Washington Bridge or via Staten Island crossings.

[BZGuy]

The plaza were the MOST DUMBEST idea I've ever witnessed in my life.

 

Agree with you 100%!

 

It affects us line runs guys coming from the north to as we use 9th ave to get down to the PABT, and regardless of what they say 9th has gotten steadily worse since they put those plazas in Times Sq.

 

I lose an average of 15mins most days from 57th st to 42st just with traffic.I can imagine what those guys on M7 and M11 are going though. And those guys on the M57,42,and 34 are getting the hurt put on them too. There was NO planning on this,King Bloomberg just wanted it done.

[FamousNYLover]

Also, don't get about Vision(4). The want to make entire 42nd St into pedestrain plaza with Lightrail running.

[metsfan]

So re-organize the routes? Broadway needs to remain closed.

 

- A

[St Louis Car 09]

Also, don't get about Vision(4). The want to make entire 42nd St into pedestrain plaza with Lightrail running.

A lightrail would be an epic fail.

[xloakedx]

Wow, an overwhelming negative response about the pedestrian plazas and Bloomberg's vision for that. How is it entirely negative, I mean yes it is catering towards tourists and slower bus rides but its just the beginning. These type of plazas are geared in getting less autos off the road, its not a transition that is going to be made overnight because a lot of people love their cars. Once people realize it doesn't make sense to drive in these areas then the roads would be more free (idealistically) allowing the buses to run the way they did previously. If you don't like the bus times and is an inconvenience then take a train. What you rather, more pedestrian friendly Manhattan or cars conquering the road as it has the latter half of the 20th century?

[BZGuy]

Wow, an overwhelming negative response about the pedestrian plazas and Bloomberg's vision for that. How is it entirely negative, I mean yes it is catering towards tourists and slower bus rides but its just the beginning. These type of plazas are geared in getting less autos off the road, its not a transition that is going to be made overnight because a lot of people love their cars. Once people realize it doesn't make sense to drive in these areas then the roads would be more free (idealistically) allowing the buses to run the way they did previously. If you don't like the bus times and is an inconvenience then take a train. What you rather, more pedestrian friendly Manhattan or cars conquering the road as it has the latter half of the 20th century?

 

You have to look at the whole picture.

 

Yes,Times Square is a very busy area and by itself warrants a pedestrian plaza,but screwing up a whole area of the city in the process...nah.

 

A couple blocks over you have the Lincoln Tunnel. Now in a perfect world everybody would ride NJT or the MTA to get to and from NYC. But we are a long way from a perfect world so there will always be heavy car traffic in the city. In fact, IMHO the cuts that the MTA and NJT are doing will increase car traffic by making it inconvenient to take public transportation.

 

To say "Take the Train" is not a good answer. Again that is not always a option,plus I'm a bus guy...I'd rather be above ground.

 

Now traffic that would have flowed down Broadway and 7th Av,is forced over to 9th and to a lesser extent 5th. Some days traffic is even forced over to 11th. Blocking off one major intersection has made trying to get though Midtown hellish.

 

IMO, while the plaza's may be a win for the tourists,its a epic FAIL for the majority of the city. I would rather see traffic flowing though Times Sq again.

[NX Express]

We shouldn't even be catering to tourists especially at a time like this (who the hell wants to even visit NYC?!)... We aren't the only vacation hotspot in the country... Jeez...

Who wants to visit NYC? The 46 million people that do!!!

Wow, an overwhelming negative response about the pedestrian plazas and Bloomberg's vision for that. How is it entirely negative, I mean yes it is catering towards tourists and slower bus rides but its just the beginning. These type of plazas are geared in getting less autos off the road, its not a transition that is going to be made overnight because a lot of people love their cars. Once people realize it doesn't make sense to drive in these areas then the roads would be more free (idealistically) allowing the buses to run the way they did previously. If you don't like the bus times and is an inconvenience then take a train. What you rather, more pedestrian friendly Manhattan or cars conquering the road as it has the latter half of the 20th century?

IAWTP!

[YankeesPwnMets]

The Plazas are GREAT! You guys also forget about the kids. Its much safer without cars moving all over the place. Now I dont have to wait forever to cross the street

[B35 via Church]

We shouldn't even be catering to tourists especially at a time like this (who the hell wants to even visit NYC?!)...

Sorry, I gotta disagree with that viewpoint.

 

Tourists are responsible for bringing in a formidable amount of revenue to any city... Tourists are a big reason population density here in NYC is growing by the minute.... They initially visit here for a week or two (or 3, or 4), and are so allured by it that some actually want to leave their city/country (even), and come LIVE here.... Not many big cities can make that claim...

Why do you think certain neighborhoods in the boroughs are overtaken by people of certain countries... Little somethin somethin called word of mouth; that's how networks are built b/w ppl from like (same) countries....

 

Take a city like Miami.... millions of people opt to travel out there to chill on the beaches & experience the nightlife out there that's comparable to very few cities in the world.... That city literally survives on tourism...

But, tourists aren't really looking to call Miami, home like that (it's more like a haven for escapees of people of other countries)... speaking of which, very few other ethnicities other than hispanic (and west indian in some parts) reside in Miami.... just giving you an example of how tourism can affect (the economy of) an entire city....

 

Places that don't cater to tourists at all, will never grow...

 

iono dude, you gotta step out of that bubble you're living in, if you think there aren't a plethora; a grandiose amount of people living in small(er) towns across the united states (alone) that could one day step foot out of their "boring suburban or rural lifestyle, and experience what city life is really like..... same goes for inquisitive people residing in other countries throughout the world...

 

I'll end this post with this:

The "bright lights, big city" mentality people DREAM about ever seeing firsthand & actually visiting, is very real....

[Nova RTS 9147]

The plaza were the MOST DUMBEST idea I've ever witnessed in my life. They rather shut down part of a busy street for pedestians making a bombing situation 10x worse if it ever happened.

 

To Bloomberg, he's an idiot. He trys to keep New York safe but you build pedestian plaza in Time Sq knowing it's a terrorist hot spot.

 

Even before the car bomb in Time Sq. they had to know it's a hot spot. And with streets closed for these plazas and more people out in the street plaza, do the math. They need to get rid of theses plaza so things can run smooth.

 

While you're mostly right (especially about Bloomberg being an idiot), I have to disagree with the Times Square plaza being a dumb idea. Yea, it's obviously not needed at Herald Square, or Madison Square park, so on and so forth. But the Times Square pedestrian situation was horrendous. The extra sidewalk was truly needed. That area is too people heavy to have kept it's original layout. Could the city have done a better job? Emphatically yes.

 

They could and should have done a better job reconciling vehicular traffic needs with the pedestrian traffic concerns. At the same time, something had to be done (again, not excusing how bad of a job they did).