Free FiDi Bus Service Scraps Stops To Prevent Ticket Seller Scams

FINANCIAL DISTRICT, NY — The Downtown Alliance Business Improvement District will scrap five bus stops on its free bus route beginning Memorial Day in an effort to stop aggressive ticket sellers who try to scam tourists, the BID announced Thursday.

"Unfortunately, the behavior of the aggressive ticket sellers near The Battery is leading us to make this seasonal service change," Alliance president Jessica Lappin said in a statement.

Five stops will be scrapped on the Downtown Connection bus beginning Monday, May 27 through Monday, September 2.

The effort began last summer to try to curb the scammers who trick tourists on Lower Manhattan's waterfront into paying for a free bus service.

Last summer, the problem reached a point where the BID was in daily contact with NYPD's First Precinct, Lappin told Patch last year. One ticket touter tried to sell a Patch reporter a ticket for $18.50 to visit Lady Liberty for $40 last year.

"The Alliance will continue to work with our local leaders in government to ban and further restrict these sellers. Until that time, we will take steps like this one to mitigate their impact on residents, workers and tourists in Lower Manhattan and hope this will help improve summer service for our regular local riders," Lappin said.

The bus route runs seven buses along 36 stops near popular tourist destinations, which is available seven days a week 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The bus usually runs every 10 to 15 minutes, according to the Alliance.

The Battery Park City Authority president B.J. Jones said in a statement, "The Downtown Connection is a valuable service for many Battery Park City residents. BPCA will continue to support our lawmakers and regulators' efforts to implement a long term solution that minimizes impacts to our residents and businesses."

This summer, the BID's Downtown Connection will skip the following stops:

Battery Park City bound:

• State and Bridge streets
• Battery Place and Washington Street
• Battery Place and West Street

South Street Seaport bound:

• Battery Place and West Street
• Battery Place and Greenwich Street

Image courtesy of Downtown Alliance