In July, a tour bus turning onto Sixth Ave. at W. Fourth St. struck a man, pinning him underneath it and dragging him for a distance.
BY AMY RUSSO | The state Department of Transportation reports that the number of double-decker tour buses in New York City more than tripled, from 57 to 194, from 2003 to 2013.
Today, there are at least eight sightseeing bus companies that operate a total of 229 buses — with nine license plates pending. The number of buses was, even higher, 299 in September 2014.
Endangerment of pedestrians, pollution, crowded streets and excessive noise are just some of the complaints being raised by Manhattan politicians and locals against sightseeing tour buses throughout the city.
Repeated cases of tour buses injuring and even killing pedestrians have moved politicians to action. These included one accident last July when a bus struck a man at the intersection of West Fourth St. and Sixth Ave., pinning him under the vehicle and dragging him down the street for some distance.
In October, legislation was announced by Councilmember Margaret Chin and Borough President Gale Brewer to cap the number of tour bus licenses issued at 225. There are currently no laws regulating the number of tour bus licenses in Manhattan.
“Multiple tour buses piled up at curbs and near-empty tour buses cruising the streets have made it clear — we need to set ground rules for this industry,” Brewer said.
If it becomes law, the bill would prevent the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs from issuing new license plates to sightseeing buses unless the number of active plates is under 225. The bill would not prohibit existing licenses from being renewed or replaced. Any vehicle capable of seating at least eight passengers that hires and sells trips to tourist destinations is required to have a sightseeing bus license.
The proposal comes a few months after a bill was introduced last May, under the prime sponsorship of Councilmember Corey Johnson, mandating that tour bus operators submit their operating plans to D.C.A. when applying for a bus license, facilitating D.C.A.’s monitoring of tour bus traffic at any given time.
Johnson also supports the cap on tour buses.
“This bill will improve the quality of life for so many New Yorkers who are affected every day by the constant flow of tour buses through our streets,” Johnson said. “When we have too many of these buses in operation, residents are faced with excessive noise, air pollution, traffic congestion and serious pedestrian safety issues.”
Paul Leonard, a spokesperson for Chin, said, “We feel that there is a momentum behind this effort to propose a very reasonable cap. We are very confident this will become law.”
The bill is currently in the Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs.
Meanwhile, local residents and politicians claim that the buses are often partially or completely empty, functioning more as mobile advertisements than tourist transportation.
“Often nearly empty of tourists, these tour buses serve as rolling billboards for a captive audience of New Yorkers who are negatively affected by the noise, negative air quality and congestion the buses create,” said Chin. “Our legislation seeks to institute a better balance between accommodating tourism and ensuring the safety and well-being of residents in neighborhoods throughout our city.”
Opponents also claim the vehicles’ noise levels are not being effectively regulated.
“These buses not only cause traffic problems, but many of them fail to comply with the law requiring them to have sound-limiting devices,” said Leigh Behnke of the Broadway Residents Coalition.
Leonard echoed the same concerns, stating, “Despite legislation that was actually signed into law limiting use of loudspeakers…we are still getting complaints about noise coming from sightseeing tour buses.”
Regarding the instances of pedestrians being injured or worse by the lumbering buses, Leonard said, “Unfortunately, these tragedies occur and it just makes us more resolute in our efforts.”
