After two litigation-related delays, the 14th Street Busway finally makes its debut today.
Last Friday, a panel of judges from New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division overturned an Aug. 9 (
Lawsuit No. 2) ruling to block the busway, as Streetsblog first
reported.
Here's a quickie overview via the DOT:
6 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Buses and trucks only between Ninth Avenue and Third Avenue. All other vehicles may make local trips, but must turn at the next available right.
10 p.m. to 6 a.m.: All vehicles may make through trips along the corridor.
This DOT
link has more information about the busway, which is expected to be an 18-month pilot program.
The city will install onboard bus-lane-enforcement cameras along the M14 routes this fall. However, DOT officials said that they won’t start issuing tickets for another 60 days.
Streetsblog had more on the enforcement yesterday:
Stationary enforcement cameras on every block to catch drivers blocking bus lanes and for failing to exit 14th Street at the first available right turn after their pickup or drop-off. Those $50 tickets — rising by $50 to a maximum of $250 for every infraction in the same 12-month period — also won’t be issued for 60 days.
As for more backstory:
In late June, right before the new busway was to launch on July 1, a coalition of block associations filed a last-minute lawsuit to block the project, arguing that the city failed to complete the proper environmental review for the work. (
Lawsuit No. 1!)
The busway was originally to coincide with the arrival of the
new M14 Select Bus Service, which debuted on July 1 featuring off-board fare payments and all-door boarding... all in an effort to speed up the notoriously sluggish M14 line during
the L-train slowdown.
DOT officials said they hope to improve M14 travel time by up to 30 percent on a corridor that’s one of the slowest in the city.