Hell's Kitchen Rallies Against Tour Buses and Traffic

On a rainy August Saturday, more than 75 Hell's Kitchen residents turned out at a rally against traffic co-sponsored by State Senator Tom Duane and Councilmember Christine Quinn. The residents came to let Mayor Giuliani and the City know that they were fed up with the plague of tour buses and commercial vehicles that use their neighborhood as a virtual parking lot for Midtown Manhattan. These vehicles load and unload passengers and park in prohibited zones, idle incessantly, and spew diesel fumes onto neighborhood streets.

Neighborhood and elected representatives have met with all three local precincts, NYPD's Traffic Enforcement Division, the Department of Transportation and Port Authority, but have seen no noticeable improvements. They are currently attempting to set up an interagency task force with Robert Grotell of the Mayor's Office of Transportation to work out a set of solutions, and have also sent a letter to Mayor Giuliani detailing a long list of grievances. At a community precinct meeting in July, T.A. called on City DOT and the Mayor's Office of Transportation to address the neighborhood's long ignored problems, and to support legislation that would require antique double-decker buses to meet emissions standards.

Hell’s Kitchen residents march on 9th Avenue chanting: “We Breathe and We Vote.”

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