Environmental Justice and Bus Depots

Faced with environmental and health hazards, community groups in low income areas of northern Manhattan are organizing for safer and evenly distributed bus depots.

1 minute read

October 28, 2003, 1:00 PM PST

By Connie Chung


"Bus depots are one of many environmental culprits, along with lead and sewage treatment facilities, that contribute to health problems in the area....Beyond the health hazards, the presence of bus depots degrades everyday life in smaller ways. Community members voice concern about the constant noise and parking problems....In addition to more equitable distribution of the depots, activists are urging the use of cleaner fuels. This goal has met with more success....For now, the depots seem unlikely to close, and activists are focusing on more achievable goals. They want anti-idling laws--which prohibit buses from standing with their engines running on the street--to be enforced. They want ventilation systems installed at the bus depots. They want to establish an advisory board made up of community leaders to communicate directly with the MTA, which residents have found reluctant to notify, let alone consult, them about decisions."

Thanks to Connie Chung

Friday, October 17, 2003 in The Nation

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

April 24 - San Diego Post

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

April 24 - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

April 24 - Missouri Independent