On 14th St., the Bus Is Now Faster Than Walking

Just please don't park in the bus lane! [View this email in your browser]( It's Only Day One of the Busway, But Taking the M14 on 14th Street Now Seems Faster Than Walking Plus: New city data shows that the NYC Ferry system primarily serves white, middle-income people. The NYPD is now monitoring homeless New Yorkers via 100 cameras placed in subway stations. And we were promised the return of pedal-assist Citi Bikes, so where are they?! By [James Ramsay](mailto:james@wnyc.org?subject=We%20the%20Commuters) Stephen Nessen Earlier today, a truck driver pulled over on 14th Street in Manhattan, parked in a bus lane, and went into a Dunkin' Donuts on 3rd Avenue. When he came out, the police gave him a $115 ticket. Parking in a bus lane while you're getting coffee did not just become illegal. But what is new is the increased police presence in the area, because today's the first day of the 14th Street busway pilot. That's right: After a summer of lawsuits and delays, the busy corridor is now virtually closed to all passenger vehicles between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. (Trucks can still use it; you just can't park in bus lanes.) The stated goal is to speed up M14 buses — which previously averaged [about 4.5 miles per hour]( — and cut down on pollution from cars. The stated opposition, from local homeowners and the lawyer representing them, was that closing 14th Street to cars would just push them all onto nearby side streets, creating traffic jams and spewing pollution into people's brownstones. But so far, that hasn't happened: What has happened: Bus speeds have gone up, with a rider (and 14th Street resident) named Shannon Sweeney telling We The Commuters, "It's faster than walking, and that's not usually the case." And while the aforementioned truck driver got a ticket, the NYPD is actually granting a 60-day grace period before it starts enforcing the new busway rules. [Cameras are being installed]( along the street — and on buses themselves — for the purpose of automated ticketing. On NY1 earlier this week, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he'd be closely watching the results of the 18-month pilot to determine whether this busway — and potentially others — should be made permanent. "We’ll see what this tell us," he said. "I am hopeful it’s going to show us some things that we can do better." — [Reporting by Stephen Nessen and Jake Offenhartz]( Where Are All the Pedal-Assist Citi Bikes? [Citi Bikes] Citi Bike Almost six months have passed since Citi Bike pulled its entire fleet of new pedal-assist e-bikes, citing a "stronger than expected" braking force that sent some riders careening over the handlebars. The company's promise: Safe bikes would be back on the streets this fall. Well, it's now October. We have 50 degree weather. Pumpkins are everywhere. And the Citi Bikes with that little ⚡ sign...are not everywhere. What gives? [A spokesperson for Citi Bike told us nothing has changed]( and that the bikes are still scheduled to return this fall. So, we'll wait patiently. To a point. Best of the Week From Gothamist and WNYC Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock Newly released data from the city shows that NYC Ferry riders are significantly richer and whiter than their mass transit counterparts. The long-sought figures reveal that 64 percent of ferry riders are white, [with median annual incomes between $75,000 and $100,000](. Meanwhile, two-thirds of subway riders are people of color, with median incomes around $40,000. The ferry, which Mayor de Blasio has touted as his signature transportation achievement, gets city subsidies that average out to around $10 per passenger. Should low-income New Yorkers just above the poverty line get half-priced MetroCards? The city is on pace to enroll all 750,000 New Yorkers who live at or below the federal poverty line in the Fair Fares program this coming January. But [advocates want the program expanded to other low-income riders]( especially with the MTA spending millions on more police enforcement for things like turnstile jumping. The MTA has agreed to install protective netting underneath all of the city's elevated subway tracks. After a series of incidents where [debris fell from the 7 train tracks in Queens]( — and a pilot program that tested the netting in select locations — the MTA has allocated $325 million to eventually get netting under elevated tracks across the system. Gov. Cuomo now says the L train slowdown will end 3 months ahead of schedule. Repair work on the Sandy-damaged tunnel was expected to take 15 to 18 months, but [the MTA now expects to be done in April]( exactly a year after construction began. The current alternative service plan, as well as the 20 minute headways on nights and weekends, will remain in place until then. What Else We're Reading The NYPD is now monitoring 100 live camera feeds from a dozen subway stations to look for homeless people and "quality of life" offenses. Police wouldn't say which stations have the cameras, which run 24/7 and are watching from a control center in downtown Brooklyn. Advocates for the homeless are pushing back, arguing that what's needed is more permanent housing — not more enforcement of sleeping in subway stations. ([The City]( Double-parked police cars, idling Ubers, half-finished roadwork, sex workers waving construction flags: They're all obstacles for MTA bus drivers. An anonymous bus operator, who let an AM New York columnist interview them during a recent shift, said even bike lanes and bus lanes are often useless, since many drivers see them as parking lanes. ([AM New York]( Speaking of obstacles, here's a truck unloading in the middle of the road. The NYPD appears to have responded yesterday after a driver parked his moving truck in the center lane of 3rd Avenue on the Upper East Side and began unpacking. ([NY Post]( There's a four-hour, Soul Train-inspired dance party on a chartered train upstate. Soul Train Utica, which saw over 200 people show up for its annual party last month, has been rolling for seven years straight. The organizers are even considering expanding the ride to New York City, California, and Florida. ([The New York Times]( Got Him! [Zack Fink]( For a deeply reported and useful portrait of former New York City mayor and current Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, I'd refer you to [the latest episode of Trump, Inc](. For a stupid portrait of Rudy Giuliani, I'd refer your to the A train. [This prank subway ad]( which has an actual accompanying website and phone message, was put up by a comedy duo called The Good Liars. Yes, it's corny and contains some [problematic]( language. But it'll never touch [Fiverr](. Weekend Service Changes: Night of October 4th – Early Morning on October 7th This is a partial list of major service disruptions scheduled for the weekend. For a complete list of the MTA's Weekender updates, [check here](. Downtown trains will skip 137, 125, 116, 110 and 103 Sts in Manhattan. On Saturday and Sunday, train service between 241 St and Gun Hill Rd in the Bronx will be replaced by free shuttle buses. Pelham Bay Park-bound trains will skip Brook Av, Cypress Av, E 143 St, E 149 St and Longwood Av in the Bronx. train service between Broadway Junction and Lorimer St in Brooklyn will be replaced by free shuttle buses. train service between Times Sq-42 St, Manhattan and Ditmars Blvd, Queens will by replaced by trains and free shuttle buses. Manhattan-bound trains will skip 25 St, Prospect Av, 4 Av-9 St and Union St in Brooklyn. [Check here]( for complete details about the Long Island Rail Road. For NJ Transit, [check here]( for the latest service advisories. Upcoming Meetings and Events Thursday, October 10th Transportation Alternatives' 5th Annual Vision Zero Cities Conference Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia University — 7:00 a.m. [RSVP, and more info]( Saturday, October 12th NYU Tandon School of Engineering's Annual Transportation Camp NYC 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn — 9:00 a.m. [Register, and more info]( (I'll be there!) Monday, October 21st Joint Metro-North & LIRR Committee Meeting — 8:30 a.m. NYC Transit / MTA Bus Committee Meeting — 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 23rd MTA Board Meeting — 10:00 a.m. Registration for two-minute public speaking slots opens 15 minutes before the start time for official MTA committee meetings. To speak before an MTA board meeting, you must register 30 minutes early. All meetings are held in the MTA's Board Room at 2 Broadway, on the 20th Floor. James Ramsay can attest: It's hard to find a mechanic these days to work on your motorcycle (Vespa). 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