This summer’s cuts to MTA service left many Battery Park City residents in the lurch. The M9 bus was an important line to connect residents west of Broadway to points east, including Chinatown and much of the Lower East Side. (Of course, we also lost the convenience of the W train at area subway stops: a loss that, while not of the magnitude of the M9 removal, has added 15 minutes to this writer’s daily commute).
While the W train has waved its last goodbye, is there still hope for the M9?
Community Board 1’s Battery Park City Committee will be discussing the affects of losing the M9 bus in its next meeting on September 7th.
If you have been affected by the route elimination, please let us know how it has changed your commute — and what you have done to accomodate for the loss of service — by leaving a comment below or by emailing us at [email protected]. We’ll make sure to forward your stories to the committee to discuss during the September 7th session.
M9 was our direct link to Chinatown — both for weekend lunches and dinners and also much of our staples shopping. I am Chinese and we cook a lot of Asian food at home. Last Sunday, instead of a quick trip that we were used to (1 – 1.5 hours) on the M9, it took us more than 3 hours with waiting for a bus to South Ferry area to catch the M15, a longer walk from the bus stop to Mulberry street’s shops, and another long wait in the sun for M22 and a long walk carrying all our shopping back home….
Our usual hassle free and enjoyable weekend family Chinatown trip is now a torturous journey to accomplish chores.
So, YES, the loss of M9 service has affected our quality of life tremendously.
M9 is the mode of transportation that my 13 year old son and about 25 other middle school children take to school. He goes to MAT in Chinatown. It also effects children who use the bus who travel to Baruch, Salk, Bard, NEST and Millenium.
We live in Battery Park City South and now the only way the kids can get to MAT is taking the M22 on Vesey St., which is not that far in nice weather…
I think that it is very sad that the only mode of transportation to take up to the eastside (Seaport, Chinatown and Lower Eastside) was taken away from the BPC residence.
It was a wonderful busline and has affected mine and my families quality of life.
The elimination of the M9 has been a major inconvenience especially for the elderly Asian population in Battery Park City. Shopping in Chinatown has been very difficult because walking is impossible and the alternative of taking the shuttle and waiting for the connecting bus at the Seaport is an hour one way trip. On the extremely hot days we’ve had this summer, the waiting in the heat for the shuttle and the bus is not even an option. The harsh winter will also be a problem.
My wife and I live at 70 Battery Pl, and used the M9 many times per week to travel to Pearl St and Madison St. It was about a 10-15 minute commute depending on our destination. We REALLY miss the M9.
We have tried various alternatives:
1. We can walk to our destinations. We’re in good shape, but we could still use the exercise. Unfortunately, walking is not always the best form of travel. We don’t always have the time (it takes 25-40 minutes to walk to where we used to take the M9), and if it’s raining or super hot & humid, or dreadfully cold… forget it.
2. The Downtown Connection bus is relatively convenient for getting to our Pearl St. destination. However, service only runs from 10am-8pm, and we often need service much earlier or later that that. If the Downtown Connection wasn’t around, we’d probably be thinking about moving.
3. We’ve tried the M20 to the M15. This hasn’t ever worked out that well, because the transfer times are not convenient, and you’re stuck outside. We usually end up bailing and walking or taking the Downtown Connection if it’s running.
4. To get to Pearl St, we’ve also tried the 4/5 train. This doesn’t save us any time, unfortunately, it just reduces the amount of walking we have to do. We’ll take the train from Bowling Green up to City Hall and walk over to Pearl St. It takes about 25 minutes total. Might as well just have walked it!
5. To get up to Madison St now, it takes about 35 minutes using the M15. It takes us a while to get to the M15, and then another 15-20 minutes or so to get up to Madison St.
As you can see, we’ve really been trying to make our commutes work post-M9. My wife tells me almost daily how much she misses the M9. And if I’m carrying a heavy bag on a 95 degree day with 100% humidity in a suit, you can bet that I’m missing it too.
The Downtown Connection is an awesome public service that we use as much as possible now that the M9 is gone, but it’s not running all the time like the M9 was. When it’s not running, our commute can take two to three times longer than it used to.
We miss the M9! Please do what you can to bring it back!