The bus don’t stop here no more.
It’s been mass transit mass confusion along Pelham Parkway lately for both riders and local drivers.
That’s after the city suddenly removed 100-plus parking spaces the week of April 23 to make way for an alternate Bx12 bus route on the Pelham Parkway South east-bound service road.
It’s part of the Department of Design and Construction’s ongoing reconstruction efforts along the thoroughfare.
New “No Standing” signs were installed along the right side of the newly paved roadway by the city Department of Transportation, limiting parking until the “end of project” as it read on the warning flyer. Residents couldn’t believe their eyes.
“That’s not fair!” groused Raul Logrono, a 10-year Pelham Parkway South resident now forced to park a half a mile away from his home.
“It’s already tough finding parking,” added Logrono’s son, Oscar. “Probably the nearest parking spot is going to be four or five long blocks.”
“There are going to be disruptive points in the project,” said DDC spokesman Craig Chin, whose agency oversees the $36 million project, now in Phase 2. “We try to make all attempts at mitigating the impact of the project.”
Phase 2 has eastbound main road traffic reduced from 3 lanes to 1, from White Plains Road to Stillwell Avenue.
The lane reduction forced the DDC to shift the Bx12 and the Bx12 Special Bus Service route to the side road, where temporary bus stops have been installed at White Plains Road, Williamsbridge Road and Eastchester Road.
“The Bx12 buses create a lot of congestion for drivers,” said resident Victoria Jones. “In addition to the MTA buses, you have school buses that drop off kids.”
Residents complained that the MTA, which worked with the DDC and DOT on the changes, only gave several days notice about the service change.
That left plenty of riders scrambling from their regular bus stops to catch the bus on the service road.
“I’m late now picking my kids up,” said Soundview resident James Walls, one of dozens who missed the Bx12 Special Bus Service, moved to the other side of the street, next to the TD Bank. “It’s about the money, it’s not about the customer.”
MTA spokeswoman Deidre Parker said the DDC did not give her agency a start date until a week before. “We would have liked to have had more time for notice.”
Some residents embraced the changes.
“Traffic is smoother without the parking,” said Samantha Espinal. She was in the minority to what resident Carla called a “major inconvenience,” adding with sarcasm: “You gotta love the City of New York.”
Reach reporter David Cruz at 718-742-3383 or email dcruz@cnglocal.com.
