Why You Soon Won’t Be Able to Drive on One Major Manhattan Thoroughfare

Unless you drive a city bus or a truck, don’t expect to be driving along 14th Street in the near future.

The city says starting October 3, a busway will be implemented between Third and Ninth Avenues for the street which serves as a major artery for traffic below Midtown. Once the busway rules have been put in place, only MTA buses, trucks and cars making pick-ups or drop-offs will be allowed to travel there. Once the cars have done that, they will be required to make the next possible turn off of 14th Street.

The rule will be in effect seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

An appellate court ruling paved the way for the busway, which should come to the relief of many who ride buses using that road. One in particular, the M14, was clocked as the slowest in the city — averaging just 4.3 mph, according to data by New York Public Interest Research Group and TransitCenter. That’s even slower than a manatee.

However, not all are cheering the move. Those who live in the neighborhoods on surrounding streets say all the ruling does is move the traffic onto their smaller street of the Village.

“It’s a nice place to live, a nice place to raise kids, and now all were going [to] do is get more cars,” said attorney Arthur Schwartz, who lives in the area and has been spearheading the fight against the busway. “All the DOT is doing is pushing cars from 14th street to other streets in name of moving busses.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted on Friday night in support of the decision, which didn’t surprise Schwartz.

“Bill has disappointed everyone who lives in the neighborhood and I’m not sure what the point of it is,” he said, adding that he plans on continuing his fight in front of a five-panel judge in January.