Why Buses Aren't Allowed On The FDR

As if traffic coming back into the city wasn't bad enough on this Sunday after Thanksgiving: A bus caused hours of delays on the FDR when it was too tall for an overpass and its roof was sheared off, injuring all of the passengers aboard. You know how when you're in school, there's that riddle about what to do if the truck can't get through some tunnel because it exceeds the maximum height by a few inches, and the truck driver should let some air out of the tires? Well, letting air out of the tires wouldn't have worked, since the maximum height on the FDR is 9 feet and 6 inches (as this overpass at East 62nd Street was 9'6"), and the bus was over 13 feet. Yikes. Which makes it even more shocking that there weren't more serious injuries (one person suffered a heart attack from the trauma, and a boy was pinned between a seat and the roof). The chartered bus was carrying The Polish Highlanders, a Polish youth dance group from Toronto, and their families. They were headed into the city to take in some sights, like the Empire State Building.

The FDNY told ABC 7 that they thought the driver didn't see the sign that prohibited the bus from entering the FDR from the Triboro. Newsday, however, seems skeptical, emphasizing, "A sign there boldly states height restrictions. There was a second sign post for motorists just off the Triboro." The bus driver said that NYC's DoT needs to do a better job of communicating where certain vehicles can go, while a gas attendant says he told the driver to exit at 139th Street, to avoid getting on the FDR. Either way, the police still issued five summons to driver, laying blame squarely on Canada.