Councilwoman Gail Brewer has written letters to Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly asking them to restrain tour buses from idling in residential neighborhoods such as Central Park West and 72nd Street where some tour buses stop to let tourists "gawk at the Dakota and the spot where John Lennon was fatally shot by Mark David Chapman in 1980," according to an article by Avi today at the Westside Independent.
"As we approach the summer season, my office is once again hearing many reports about the noxious fumes and idling engine noise from double parked tour buses between the hours of 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM, particularly on weekends," Brewer wrote.
"In addition, constituents report that poor coordination between the various tour companies results in large numbers of tourists blocking the streets and sidewalks as they get on and off the buses...residents cannot be expected to endure a significant loss in their quality of life in exchange for tourist dollars," she continued.
"Both I and my staff have visited the intersections on weekend mornings and have learned that the majority of the tour buses come from out-of-state and Canada," the councilwoman's letter maintained.
She said that she would like "a full-time officer placed at the intersection on weekend mornings," the article said, adding that "The managers of large buildings in the area, The Dakota and The Majestic in particular, are willing to meet with relevant city agencies if such a discussion is needed in order to solve the problem."
"As we approach the summer season, my office is once again hearing many reports about the noxious fumes and idling engine noise from double parked tour buses between the hours of 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM, particularly on weekends," Brewer wrote.
"In addition, constituents report that poor coordination between the various tour companies results in large numbers of tourists blocking the streets and sidewalks as they get on and off the buses...residents cannot be expected to endure a significant loss in their quality of life in exchange for tourist dollars," she continued.
"Both I and my staff have visited the intersections on weekend mornings and have learned that the majority of the tour buses come from out-of-state and Canada," the councilwoman's letter maintained.
She said that she would like "a full-time officer placed at the intersection on weekend mornings," the article said, adding that "The managers of large buildings in the area, The Dakota and The Majestic in particular, are willing to meet with relevant city agencies if such a discussion is needed in order to solve the problem."
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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