On Friday, Governor Cuomo signed a key piece of legislation (A4578A/S4313-B) that allows New York City to better oversee private, intercity bus operations. The law enables the city to set up a permit system to regulate inter-city buses’ loading spaces. To secure a permit, applicants will be required to supply information about their company, proposed bus stop location, vehicles, scheduling information, and more. The legislation also calls for community board consultation before a permit is issued (though not community board approval).

In addition to improving inter-city bus trips by making service more orderly and predictable, this law will help to improve quality of life for residents and businesses that have been negatively impacted by this largely unregulated industry. A letter from Chekpeds (one of the lead neighborhood advocates for the bill) to Governor Cuomo illustrates the problem that this legislation addresses:

Our neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea on the west side of Manhattan, is host to over 495 daily departures and arrivals of discount long distance buses that use the public space as their curbside terminal. These companies’ drivers stop in front of residences or businesses ruining their quality of life and income. At all hours of day and night bus ushers yell destinations using bull horns right under residents’ windows, sidewalks become unusable for pedestrians because of queues of hundreds of travellers waiting for hours with their luggage, travellers urinate in back yards or take shelter from the rain in lobbies. Buses double park and idle for hours in the street.

Clearly these buses play an important role in our economy and offer a service that is popular. However they should not do so at locations where such disruptive operations negatively affect businesses and residents, and this at no cost to the bus companies.

Tri-State, which has long called [pdf] for improved regulation of inter-city bus service in New York, commends Governor Cuomo for taking this important step to improving the safety and livability of New York’s streets.