Cooperator Joseph Hanania has a new petition to improve bus service on Grand Street. Here’s his proposal:
Let’s get improved bus service to the Grand Street Coops! Go to change.org and sign the petition. Then, get your spouse/children/friends to also sign. When we have 400 signatures, we will turn it in to the MTA.
To: Carmen Bianco, MTA President
14 A service to the dense Grand St. Coops is far from adequate – even while there are three 14 D busses for every one 14 A bus. The difference is especially noticeable when there are service delays on freezing days, and it takes half an hour — or more — for a jammed 14 A bus to arrive.
This can be easily resolved with a more equitable allocation of 14th Street crosstowns, with half – rather than one quarter – running the 14 A route, and the other half remaining on the 14 D route.
At the same time, the 14 D’s route should be extended. Instead of having its eastern terminus at Delancey St., it should continue two blocks south to Grand St., so that it services westbound Grand St. residents. It would cut back to Delancey St. via Columbia St. to resume its current route. This would add approximately 5 blocks to its route – and attract a lot more customers who are otherwise stuck waiting and waiting.
And yes, it is possible to fight City Hall – and win. I led a petition drive to upgrade the East River tennis courts, which were in lamentable shape. We got nearly 1,000 signatures on that one. The result: Councilwoman Rosie Mendez recently got a $500,000 appropriation in the city budget to get the courts resurfaced next year.
A similar petition requested the NYC EDC, which runs the East River ferry, to create a stop at Grand St. This petition garnered 600 signatures – plus the support of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The EDC is studying putting a ferry stop at Grand St. (You can still add your name.)
By contrast, this petition to improve 14 A bus service should be easier. We are not asking for anything new, merely to improve what is already there.
— Joseph Hanania, hanajoe@aol.com