BusTalk

[N4 Jamaica]

Saturday afternoon, August 11, 2012, was oppressively hot and humid. About a year ago, the M6 was abolished and M5 (an original Fifth Avenue Coach Co. line) was extended all the way to South Ferry. At the 42nd Street library, we boarded an Orion hybrid and learned what a southbound bus driver must contend with on a Saturday afternoon: Cars, trucks, sightseeing buses in the curb lane, backups from turning vehicles, and throngs of pedestrians.
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Too often, when a traffic signal turned green, the driver could not enter the next block because it was chuck-full, with vehicles awaiting the rolling green. Vehicles turning west onto 37th, 35th, or 34th had difficulty penetrating the crowds of walkers. This line of cars backed up into bus stops, sometimes causing our driver to board/load adjacent to a stalled auto. I noticed he would not allow anyone to leave by the center door when the curb lane was occupied, a good practice.
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Traffic eased once we passed the Empire State Building, continuing down Fifth Avenue to 8th Street, making a left where the Hotel Brevoort once stood.
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Immediately, we were faced with Broadway traffic jams. From Eighth Street to Canal Street the distance is 0.9 mile, but again we were in consumer heaven. I can recall this stretch of Broadway a deserted speed zone, but the number of small clothing stores now draws tremendous throngs of shoppers, as it may have done in the 1890's. A big part of the problem was westbound traffic, presumably heading for the Holland Tunnel via Broome Street or Canal Street, and maybe Houston. Not one traffic agent was available to keep the intersection clear of back-ups, and at least twice our driver had to carefully swing east around stalled westbound traffic that left only 102 inches of room. And both curbs of Broadway were jammed with parked cars and more than a dozen food-vending trucks. Certainly, there is business in New York!
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We finally broke through that mess. Near the Woolworth Building we found a sidewalk crowd waiting for a double-deck sightseeing bus that was probably also delayed in the SoHo mayhem. The ticket agent was looking north and could not spot him.
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M5 makes its final drop-off on Water Street near Whitehall. Then, it loops empty and makes its first pick-up on Water Street just east of Whitehall, as it prepares to head up State Street. The map seems to show a different pick-up point.

[Mr. Linsky]

N4 Jamaica,

Very nice and detailed report although it makes one think twice about ever visiting New York again! (in my case, my children force me to do so at least twice a year!).

Glad to see that the city is flourishing though and can only hope that they eventually solve their traffic nightmares!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[JimmiB]

Picked up my people at Radio City on a charter run and headed for the Lincoln tunnel. Pushed my way in front of a Mercedes in a blocked intersection. He promptly forced his way in front of me, stopped and stepped out of his car and gave me both fingers. Now that's NYC!