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why are bus trips so hard for families?

hey MO: I stopped using the stroller when I took the bus because getting on was just too hard. I had to take my baby out, fold the stroller, and carry everything all at once. Now I carry him in a body sling so I don’t have to wake him up or struggle with the stroller every time we take the bus. Now my back is starting to hurt carrying him all the time. I’m stressed and I am concerned about my health. What are parents supposed to do?

hey you: it sounds like you travel on buses that have not been retrofitted to include an open stroller area, as part of the MTA’s Open Stroller Program it piloted in 2023. The program allows parents to board modified buses without having to disturb their child to fold their stroller before boarding.  Advocacy groups like UP-STAND, fought hard for this critical change and continue to fight for the prioritization of pregnant women and caregiver needs on public transit, but we have a long way to go. The MTA’s latest update (posted in 2025) says it added more than 1,000 designated open stroller areas to its bus fleet. While 1,000+ sounds like a large number, it still represents only a small portion of the city’s overall buses. This means parents are not guaranteed an open stroller area on every bus — even along the same route.

These are not isolated struggles. Every day across the city, caregivers navigate the same barriers while simply trying to get where they need to go. Sharing these experiences is the first step toward building a bus system that works better for everyone. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Here is how you can push for designated stroller areas on every bus and learn more about the program:

Thank you for sharing your question! The more organizations, city agencies, and elected officials hear directly from the public, the more likely conditions will improve. 

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. **A version of this post is featured in the Sunset Post.

Have a story to share? Confused about street traffic regulations and policies? Write to askMO!

A line of people entering the bus in New York City
Boarding the bus — a routine many caregivers say is harder than it should be.

if it’s a bike lane why isn’t it green?

hey MO: I ride a bike and walk a lot. I also drive a car. The other day I pulled out of the Dollar Tree parking lot on Hamilton Ave and found myself in the middle of what seemed to be a bike lane as I waited for traffic to clear. I didn’t see any signs and the lanes on the sidewalk aren’t green. Are these bike lanes? I was always told not to ride my bike on the sidewalk. Are we allowed to ride on sidewalks now?

hey you: there are northbound and southbound bike paths on the sidewalk outside the Dollar Tree parking lot. These paths are separated from car traffic and run though a shared space for people walking and biking, rather than in the street. Green paint is mainly used to signal conflict points where bikes and cars interact, which is why it is less common in these separated corridors. The paths outside the Dollar Tree parking lot extend from Smith Street and Hamilton Avenue to 3rd Avenue and 29th Street and are part of the larger NYC Greenway network. While bike paths do have markings, those markings may not be visible to drivers or clearly understood by the general public as places where people can ride bikes.

The short answer to your second question is yes, people can ride bicycles on sidewalks! However, like many bike-related rules, sidewalk riding is conditional. It’s permitted if there’s a sidewalk-level bike path, if a posted sign allows it, or if the rider is under 13 and using wheels less than 26 inches in diameter.

In Sunset Park, there are additional Greenway segments where sidewalk riding is allowed, including two along 2nd Avenue: one between 35th Street and 39th Street, and another between 58th Street and 65th Street. These segments are considered “shared paths” and therefore are not painted green.

This is a confusing topic, thank you for bringing it to our attention!

Resources related to this topic:

Thank you for sharing your question! The more organizations, city agencies, and elected officials hear directly from the public, the more likely conditions will improve. 

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. **A version of this post is featured in the Sunset Post.

Have a story to share? Confused about street traffic regulations and policies? Write to askMO!

A two-way sidewalk bike path outside of a Dollar Tree Store parking lot.
Yes, there are bike paths on the sidewalk outside the Dollar Tree parking lot. Two paths, one northbound and one southbound, are part of the NYC Greenway network.

when safety projects create risk

hey MO: what is going on with the construction on 4th Ave in Sunset Park? What’s the DOT doing? Right now the construction work in the median is causing congestion as the two lanes going north narrow to one. Inevitably drivers swerve into the bike lane to try to manually turn the road back into two lanes. As a bike rider, I appreciate many of the changes made to 4th Ave over the years, but currently this section feels very dangerous and I just want to know what it’s all for and when will it be over.

hey you: the construction on 4th Avenue is part of a DOT Great Streets project and MTA accessibility upgrade at the 36th Street subway station. Together, these projects have made the corridor between 37th and 27th Streets especially difficult for light mobility users. With lanes removed, temporary signage and shared-lane markings were installed, but enforcement is sparse. Vehicles often idle or park in the lanes, forcing bikes and other light vehicles to merge into faster, heavier traffic. Construction debris and metal plates create additional hazards. DOT has been asked why a temporary protected bike lane was not provided and has not yet responded.

According to Community Board 7, the DOT safety project is expected to finish by 2028. Construction of the MTA accessibility project is scheduled to be completed by December 2026.

If you face challenges in work zones here is what you can do:

Thank you for sharing your question! The more organizations, city agencies, and elected officials hear directly from the public, the more likely conditions will improve. 

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. **A version of this post is featured in the Sunset Post.

Have a story to share? Confused about street traffic regulations and policies? Write to askMO!

A person riding a bicycle navigates a signed work zone on 4th Avenue, sharing the lane with motor vehicles amid construction debris and metal roadway plates.
A person riding a bicycle navigates a signed work zone on 4th Avenue, sharing the lane with motor vehicles amid construction debris and metal roadway plates.

the congestion pricing questions Sunset Park is asking

hey MO: *what’s up with congestion pricing? I heard the program just passed its one-year mark but as a Sunset Park resident, I don’t see any benefit from it. Daily traffic going onto the Gowanus Expressway is nearly at a standstill, the street construction along 4th Avenue seems like it will never end, and the wait time for bus service is atrocious. How is its revenue being spent and are transit improvements in Sunset Park and neighborhoods outside Manhattan included in the spending?

hey you: thank you for your question. You’re correct: congestion pricing completed its first year on January 5. While the program does appear to be meeting (even exceeding) the MTA’s expectations, the agency has yet to clearly detail which specific locations are benefiting from the revenue it generates. We do know that roughly 80% of the approximately $550 million raised through congestion pricing is legally dedicated to the MTA’s 2020–2024 Capital Improvement Plan. Current projects funded through this plan include the Second Avenue Subway expansion; signal upgrades along the A/C and BDFM lines serving riders in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn; accessibility improvements at more than 23 subway stations; new railcars and express bus service in Staten Island; and critical track repairs and system upgrades. This means communities outside Manhattan’s congestion relief zone are benefiting, even if those benefits aren’t always felt at the neighborhood level yet. 

Moving forward here’s what Sunset Park residents can do to help ensure local transit concerns are addressed and funded: 

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. **A version of this post is featured in the The Sunset Post. 

Have a story to share? Confused about street traffic regulations and policies? Write to askMO!

 

Car and truck traffic on 3rd avenue in Sunset Park Brooklyn
Cars and trucks fill Third Avenue in Sunset Park, illustrating ongoing congestion on major outer-borough corridors.

the hidden harm of sidewalk parking

hey MO: *finding that there are drivers that feel it is okay to park their vehicle on the sidewalk (this time partly on it) is a bit dismaying. Because (1) the feeling that they can do it because there are no consequences to them for this behavior. And (2) the way the street and sidewalk feels – that it is not particularly safe.

hey you: seeing cars parked on the sidewalk is frustrating—and you’re right to be concerned. Sidewalk parking is not only illegal and subject to fines or impoundment, it can also create real hardships and potential harm for many. While we can’t say why people park this way, we do know that curb space is extremely limited, vehicles are larger than ever, and public parking options are scarce. Sidewalks, however, are meant for people walking, using mobility aids, or pushing strollers—not as overflow parking—and blocking them reduces safety and accessibility for everyone.

For someone using a wheelchair or walker, navigating around a parked car can be not just difficult, but dangerous. Parents with strollers or young children may be forced into the street. And for older adults with limited mobility or vision, these obstacles can turn a simple walk into a risky challenge.

That said, here are some ways you can take action:

  • Start with conversation: Let the people you know who drive—friends, family, and neighbors—understand that sidewalk parking, even when it feels temporary or harmless, can be a serious barrier for people using wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, or navigating with limited vision.
  • If sidewalk parking is happening in front of a business, consider speaking with the owner or manager about the hardship it creates.
  • Inform your Community Board about recurring sidewalk blockages in your area.
  • Report “Sidewalk Blocked by Personal Property” through NYC 311 (online or via the app).
  • Use the Department of Transportation Feedback Portal to advocate for design solutions such as bollards or curb extensions that prevent sidewalk parking.
  • Recommend to folks you know who drive their personal car to:

Thank you for speaking up and advocating for the safe, inclusive streets we all deserve.

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. **A version of this post is featured in The Sunset Post.

Have a story to share? Confused about street traffic regulations and policies? Write to askMO!

Cars parked on a sidewalk
SUV and Cybertruck on the sidewalk make it harder for residents to exit their homes and reach the curb safely.

bus camera, double parking

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hey MO: sharing an experience I learned a few days ago. As some may already know MTA buses can video and capture cars that blocking pathway of the bus. I learned a hard lesson as I received a ticket for doing so. I was dropping off a friend and was doubled parked as I helped unload their groceries for them. I was not in a bus lane, but on a two way street.

In the ticket I learned that the MTA takes two pictures of your vehicle. The first bus documents your car and if a second bus passes and your car is still there, Im guessing it generates a ticket. Though I was parked for only 7 minutes, I did receive a ticket in the mail. What this tells me if two buses are not at far distance from each other, the secondary bus will generate the violation.

Sadly I am in the wrong and it was a pricey lesson. If anyone for any reason needs to double park, make sure its not on the pathway of MTA buses.

hey you: thank you for sharing your experience—you’ve got it right. The MTA piloted its Automatic Camera Enforcement (ACE) bus routes in late 2019, and the program became permanent in 2022. As of now, 39 routes are ACE-equipped, and nearly 1,000 buses—about a third of the fleet—have on-board cameras. Initially, these cameras issued tickets to vehicles stopped in bus stops or blocking bus lanes. By 2023, enforcement expanded to include double parking. A violation is triggered if two buses pass the same vehicle more than five minutes apart and both capture the license plate.

Fines start at $50 for a first offense and rise to $75 for a second, $100 for a third, $150 for a fourth, and $250 for a fifth or more within a year.

However, like any rule, camera violations do have exceptions. Learn more here: MTA Bus Camera Violations.

what you can do:

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. **This post is featured in The Sunset Post.

Have a story to share? Confused about street traffic regulations and policies? Write to askMO!

ugh, another sinkhole

hey  MO: thank you for creating this resource. I ride this street a lot and there is a patch of asphalt in the bike lane that sinks. I reported several times to 311 but the repairs are quick and short lived. It seems like the root of problem isn’t being addressed. What more can I do?

hey you: sinkholes on our city streets are, unfortunately, becoming more common. Several factors contribute to this, including aging underground infrastructure, extreme weather, and the constant pressure from heavy vehicles. When these hazards appear in bicycle lanes, the danger is especially serious—people riding often have little time to react, and pooling water or road depressions can easily lead to crashes and serious injuries.

Thank you for reporting the sinkhole to 311. If you live on the block or nearby, encourage your neighbors and business owners to report it too—multiple reports can help move the issue up the city’s priority list. It’s also a good idea to notify your local Community Board. They can sometimes push city agencies to act faster. You can additionally contact the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which is typically responsible for underground repairs. 

If you’re connected to bike clubs, cycling groups, or neighborhood safety advocates, encourage them to call in the sinkhole as well. A collective response can help get bike lane hazards fixed more quickly and protect everyone on the road.

It takes a village. Thank you for your submission!

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. 

Have a story to share? Confused about street traffic regulations and policies? Write to askMO!

sinkhole in a bike lane

why people who ride bikes run red lights

hey MO: I understand that bike lanes exist for everyone’s safety – especially the bikers! Even with these designated lanes, I’ve see so many bikers who refuse to obey the rules of the road, e.g., running red lights, cutting off pedestrians when turning, and  not using reflective protective gear at night. I’ve seen this most often with food delivery bikers, but casual and recreational riders are also at fault.

Education for bikers should be required just as education for drivers. I also believe we must foster a shared sense of responsibility among everyone who bikes, walks, or drives.

hey you: this is a complex topic—thank you for raising it. It’s true: not everyone consistently follows the rules of the road. Yet people who ride bicycles are often singled out, even as bicycle infrastructure and rules on public roads remain unclear and sometimes contradictory. While we support education, it must go hand in hand with a deeper examination of our infrastructure, policies, and street regulations.

Bike infrastructure is often fragmented. Rules vary by location, change without notice, and can place people who bike at disproportionate risk. Over time, these inconsistencies erode trust and lead many to question the rules themselves.

Even basic rules can conflict—for example, which traffic signal a person on a bicycle should follow at an intersection, or that riding through a red light is permitted in certain cases—something many people don’t know.

Additionally, people who ride—especially delivery workers—face job pressures and impatience from other road users, often pushed to move faster or off the road altogether. This is why people who don’t ride also need to understand bicycle infrastructure—and that rules that seem clear for drivers are often not for people on bikes.

If we want safer streets, we need to rethink how we teach and regulate street use for everyone.

Until then, please refer to these resources:

This page has been updated for clarity and concision.

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. **A version of this post is featured in the The Sunset Post. 

Thank you for advocating for more education! Have a story to share? Confused about street traffic regulations and policies? Write to askMO!

Four people on bicycles wait for the light to turn green at an intersection, where rules are often unclear.
Four people on bicycles wait for the light to turn green at an intersection, where rules are often unclear.

Additional Resources

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