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Midtown merchants claim that bus companies that use curbside stops — like Megabus and Bolt Bus — are hurting business. With as many as eight coaches idling on West 33rd Street at one time, business owners say that the vehicles create a "wall of metal, glass and rubber" that makes it hard for pedestrians to see or visit the shops on the other side of the street, according to the Daily News.
"It's terrible and it's hurting our business," said Noelle Mooney, co-owner of the Stout pub and the restaurant Fat Annie's Truck Stop. The city's Department of Transportation admits it has little jurisdiction over the Bolt Bus and Megabus companies, which bring passengers to East Coast cities for fares as low as $1 and use sidewalks as their stations. "This is something we are more and more concerned with and are looking to address," said agency spokesman Seth Solomonow, who noted that the city cannot ban the buses from the bus stops and no-standing zones where they load and unload passengers. The Bolt Bus website describes one of its stops: "This is an outdoor stop at the northwest corner of the intersection. The primary landmark is the New Yorker hotel and the Tick Tock Diner."
The manager of the pub Irish Times on West 32nd Street — where Megabus coaches often idle — said his relationships with the buses and their passengers have been hit and miss. "We like it when they come over for a drink or a bite to eat, but we don't like it so much when they come over as if this is their private bathroom."
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Motorized vehicles making life difficult for New Yorkers? Quel surpise!
We do have a place for all this -- it's called the Port Authority Bus terminal.
I don't mind the stop at 34th and 8th in front of the Manhattan Center -- walk past it everyday, but the large sidewalk can handle. But the Bolt bus stop at 33rd and 7th has got to go -- way too crowded there, and all the idiots lined up for the bus have no concept of stepping out of the way!
How do you think they get such cheap fares? By using the street as the terminal. If they move to PABT, they'd have to charge us more.
Move 'em to a less crowded corner.
I used to work around there. Between those buses and the tourist buses that drop off there it's deadly. I especially feel bad for anyone who works outdoors there, the endless fumes are really gross.
Thank you. Move this garbage over to 10th Ave.
Those sidewalks are just too narrow to act as a bus terminal. And now there's yet another bus company on 33rd St called MVP Bus (which, bizarrely, on their website, uses a stolen illustration of the future skyline complete with Freedom Tower and other new WTC buildings). The city should move them over to 9th or 10th. If people really want to save a couple bucks over Greyhound, they'll walk to the extra block.
"The city should move them over to 9th or 10th."
Linked article: "But the DOT has limited control over the federally licensed interstate operations, he said. The department can't ban them from existing no-standing zones or bus stops, Solomonow said."
"We do have a place for all this -- it's called the Port Authority Bus terminal."
Linked article: "A Port Authority spokeswoman said there's no space available at the bus terminal on 42nd St."
MacMuttonchops was also right. These bus lines don't lease slots at any station in any city they serve. Ditto no ticket counters. That's part of how they keep prices much lower than Greyhound.
We use to have a bus terminal on the east side.
Bloomberg has managed to legislate everything from smoking bans to his theft of a 3rd term; why not mass them all on 10th avenue in the 30's where the avenue and sidewalks are superwide, and there's no commerce to interfere with?
The 'waiting' areas currently are a great impediment to sidewalk traffic, and the passengers are obnoxious.
Send them to Chinatown...
Maybe these businesses are hurting because there are 4 bars in a row along that strip. Factor in a recession-let's blame the people waiting for a bus!
It's just like the bike lane bitching! "Bike lanes are killing our businesses!"
ooh... megabus. i just found that out through this site. i needa bus outta here. anywhere but here. at least for a few months. mmm... canada anyone?
oh another whining business. boo hoo your prices are too high no one eats there. you thrive off tourists, who usually use these buses. so stfu.