Bus Stop Blocked By Community Board on Lower East Side

NEW YORK—Greyhound’s plan for a bus stop next to a park on the Lower East Side will go back to the drawing board, after Community Board 3′s transportation committee voted against it, according to reports.

The proposed bus stop, at Seward Park and Canal Street, evoked anger from community members because of its location next to a playground. Local residents attended the Tuesday night in large numbers, reported Lower East Side media The Lo-Down. 

The plan was for eight arrivals and eight departures from the stop by Greyhound and its partner Peter Pan. The two companies want to launch a new bus service between New York and Philadelphia, called YO! Bus, charging $12 one way, according to DNAinfo.com. The permit request was for six months between April and November next year.

Both media reported that the meeting at times became a shouting match between committee members and residents. One resident gathered 1,200 signatures in an online petition. Other local residents asked the company to consider nearby locations. 

The city’s Department of Transportation and Greyhound will now have to submit options for new locations that include bathrooms and shelter to the committee. 

The federal Department of Transportation shut down 26 bus carriers operating under three larger entities, including two in Chinatown, in May, citing lax safety standards and operating procedures, such as commercial drivers not having licenses.

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