By Gus Saltonstall
An Upper West Side bus stop is getting relocated for at least two years due to a construction project, an MTA spokesperson confirmed to West Side Rag.
The M11 downtown stop on Columbus Avenue West 65th and 66th street has been temporarily discontinued and relocated to the M7 stop at the corner of West 66th Street and Columbus.
“This is being done in order to accommodate work for the 125 Columbus Avenue construction project,” the MTA spokesperson told the Rag.
That project is expected to take at least two years, with a currently anticipated completion date sometime in January 2027, at which point the M11 stop will be returned to its original location, the spokesperson added.
The construction project at 125 Columbus Avenue is connected to extensive renovation work at the Manhattan New York Temple, which is part of The Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints. The renovation began on March 2, and is expected to take three years to complete.
In the meantime, the Mormon congregation leased a temporary space at the 132-year-old West End Collegiate Church at 245 West 77th Street, which the Rag previously reported on.
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I’ve always referred to the M -11 bus as ‘The Elusive Eleven” ; shows up when you don’t need to board and waiting which seems forever when you are in a hurry to catch it …
If only there were more buses on the UWS.. Many of us older people aren’t into taking the subway any longer .. and to wait for the M11 forever and then have it arrive in groups of two buses is horrendous! Also .. if they could add seating at the bus stops that would be amazing! Cheers!
I thought I was the only one wondering. With both the M11 AND the M7 routes on Amsterdam, it is astonishing how long the wait is for either. Maddening.
You are not alone. I could never figure out this consistent problem.
Why would you be at a bus stop when you don’t need to board a bus? As to the latter, apps provide real time bus arrival times so there’s no need to wait excessively.
Its not clear if this site will return to be a mormon church or sold to developers?
The Mormon Church has it written on their website (which is linked in this article) that they are renovating the building, upgrading the temple and facade.
It’s better to have the two buses (M7 and M11) stop at the same location, anyway. So, don’t bother moving the M11 back after construction is done.
I agree. There’s no reason the stops were apart.
I’m guessing they think moving the bus stop on the west side of the road is necessary necause a lane on the east sode will be closed due to construction. Provlem is that lane is a turn only lane for cars trying to get on 65th St to go through the park. So we move that lane out one.
The problem is the bike lane runs down the east side of Columbus. Between 67th and 66th the green paint signifying bike lane moves across the eastern most traffic lane. The cyclists need to get out of the turn only lane before 65th. Now they presumable will need to move out 2 lanes.
That would be complicated enought but is exasperated by the fact that intersection of 66th and Columbus is a Barnes Dance. At some point all traffic lights are red and all pedestrians have a Walk signal. Great. Excpet that legally the bikes are allowed to go when the walk signal is on in the direction they are traveling. So now eBikes going 30 miles and hour will, legally, be cutting across 2 lanes of traffic and popping out between stopped cars while pedestrians are, legally, crossing in the crosswalks.
It’s an accident waitinf to happen.
To be clear, I’m not blaming the cyclist. I am a little tired of almost being hit, and often telled at, while crossing with the signal.
our mayor must get all bikes off our streets asap. Our streets are unsafe and dangerous
all bikes must be banned immediatelu
The intersection is not a “Barnes Dance.” There is always a time when one direction has a green light – 65th Street, Broadway or Columbus Avenue. You never have an opportunity to cross Broadway, Columbus Avenue and 65th Street in one segment.
I said the intersection of 66th and Columbus is a Barnes Dance. Go check it out if you don’t believe me.
Bikes are not guided by pedestrian crossing signals so they can’t go thru a Walk signal.
Scroll down in this link to the NYC Biking Laws. It says “Go with the walk, unless there’s a bike signal or sign, cross the intersection when the pedestrian signal shows the “walk”.
http://nyc.gov/bikesmart
It also says: “Cyclists have all the rights and are subject to all of the duties and regulations applicable to drivers of motor vehicles.”
There are many intersections where the Walk signal is shown for a while prior to the traffic signal changing to green. This is to allow pedestrians time to cross before all the traffic starts moving. Following the Walk signal in those situations means the bike would be running the red light. I wouldn’t base my defense on a poorly written pamphlet that doesn’t refer to vehicular traffic signals that bikes must adhere to.
In the cases you describe the walk signal comes before the green in the same direction. If the bikes go they are going parallel to the pedestrians. In the case of 66th and Columbus the bikes and pedestrians are going in any direction becuse Walk is showing on all the displays.
Of course pedestrians should watch for bikes and bikes for pedestrians. The fact that the buke lane is crossing driving lanes at this intersection means bikes may be approaching the intersection for either side ofntheneast most lane, and with the changes needed for the construction project, likely anywhere in the 2 most eastern traffic lanes.
A major non-news story.
This info is very helpful to me, my child and his friends who take this bus regularly.
Thank you, WSR!
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