Dear Transit Sam,
I recently learned the hard way that the M22 bus would not be stopping at Chambers St. and North End Ave. in Battery Park City due to construction. The lack of warning signs and posted notices aside, why is the bus being rerouted now when Chambers St. is still two-way traffic? As you know there are many families on the north side of BPC so why would the MTA remove all M22 service from us? As of now, we have to walk our kids to Murray St. or cross West St. at Warren St. and catch the bus at West Broadway and Warren St. How do we get the MTA to bring back the M22 to the residents north of Murray St? Please help.
Robert, BPC
Dear Robert,
I raised this with the MTA and I am working to get some restoration. While Chambers St. remains two-way in Battery Park City, it was converted this past Sunday to one-way westbound between West St. and West Broadway, hence the relocation of the bus stops. The MTA began rerouting the bus a few weeks ago (they did apologize for the lack of warning notices when it first began), expecting the conversion to happen earlier, as I was. My advice is to use the Murray St. stop for the time being rather than crossing West St.
Transit Sam
Dear Transit Sam,
I’m just curious. Are vehicles with NYC handicap placards exempt from No Parking/No Standing zones and meter rules? I rarely see any tickets given to vehicles with handicap placards. Do they carry the same privileges as law enforcement placards?
Johnny, Staten Island
Dear Johnny,
Glad to see you’re picking up the Downtown Express around South Ferry when you come into Manhattan. With both the NYC placard (not to be confused with the New York State placard or other government handicap placards) and the law enforcement placard, you can park in any no parking zone, no standing trucks loading/unloading zones, no standing except authorized zones and at the meter without payment. But, neither is allowed to block hydrants or park in unconditional no standing or no stopping zones.
Transit Sam
Tell me how the MTA service cuts are affecting your day-to-day commutes! Or if you’ve got something else on your mind, let Transit Sam know. Feel free to e-mail me at TransitSam@downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, c/o SSE, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, NY, NY, 10012. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend everyone.
