CHINATOWN — Greyhound is proposing a new neighborhood location on Pike Street after aggressive community outcry shot down a planned bus stop outside a local playground last month.
Greyhound is requesting use of a median strip along Pike Street at East Broadway for its new carrier YO! Bus, heralding the nationwide company's entry into the already-crowded low-cost curbside bus market in Chinatown. Along with carrier Peter Pan, Greyhound is scheduled to go before the transportation committee of Community Board 3 at a public hearing on Nov. 14 on the new location.
Greyhound had originally been approved to use the sidewalk on Essex Street in front of Seward Park, the oldest playground in the city, but uproar from nearby residents caused the Department of Transportation to retract its permit for the stop.
“We feel that this will go a lot more smoothly," said Carolyn Daly, a spokeswoman for YO! Bus, acknowledging the community’s frustration with the Seward Park proposal. "It supports everyone's goals."
She said YO! Bus is hoping to run up to 14 round drips each day between New York City and Philadelphia from the Pike Street location.
"We want to get it going before the holidays because that is our busiest time," Daly said.
Since DOT retracted its permit for the Seward Park stop, Daly said a limited YO! Bus service has been running out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
"Most people making this are doing a day trip," said Daly, of those already using the $10 one-way tickets. "They are mostly workers or students."
YO! will keep the originally proposed ticket office at 98 East Broadway, Daly said.
Greyhound's YO! Bus was stripped of its six month permit to operate outside of Seward Park following calls from State Sen. Daniel Squadron, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and City Councilwoman Margaret Chin asking the DOT to retract it.
Community Board 3 unanimously denied supporting the Essex Street bus stop at a packed meeting in the beginning of September, where residents presented their concern over increased traffic in the area, added exhaust fumes from the buses and their impact on children who use the nearby playground.
