|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||

| GOTHAM GAZETTE: SEARCHLIGHT 2002: Transit Strike | JUMP TO YOUR DISTRICT |
CITY'S TRANSIT STRIKE CONTINGENCY PLANMayor Michael Bloomberg has announced contingency plans if there is a transit strike. The 34,000 members of the city's transit workers' union voted unanimously to authorize a bus and subway strike if talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority fail to produce a new deal by Sunday, December 15, when their contract expires. The city's contingency plan includes lane reversals, requiring only vehicles with multiple passengers on bridges and tunnels, park and ride facilities, and ferry service. Also truck deliveries will be restricted and parking regulations and non-emergency roadwork will be suspended. Residents can also find additional information on city web site TAXI AND LIMOUSINE RESTRICTIONSThe Taxi and Limousine Commission will allow group rides in taxicabs. There will be taxi stands at Park and Ride facilities and around the City. The restriction on street hailing of livery cab services will be lifted and taxicabs will be able to pick up additional passengers even when they have a fare. In addition, the restriction on the street hailing of commuter vans will be lifted. People with handicap license plates as well as ambulate and para-transit vehicles are exempt from the special HOV regulations. The Taxi and Limousine Commission call center will accept requests for transportation from affected persons in the disability community and forward requests for service to licensed transportation providers. Group Ride StationsManhattan
The number for this hotline is 212-NYC-TAXI (212-692-8294). PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE COMMUTINGThe city is encouraging all of those who are able to walk or bike to work. The following crossings into Manhattan are pedestrian and bicycle accessible.
MTA'S CONTINUING OPERATIONSThe Staten Island Railway, as well as New York City Transit's Staten Island and Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx franchise buses will not be affected. They will continue to operate, but commuters should be prepared for significant crowding and delays. HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE REQUIREMENTSAll Manhattan Bridge and Tunnel crossings will require a minimum of four occupants per vehicle requirement in both directions, 24 hours a day during the week, and require a minimum of two occupants per vehicle 24 hours a day during the weekend. Occupancy requirements will also be instituted on sections of the following roadways: the Long Island Expressway, Bruckner Expressway, Harlem River Drive, FDR Drive until 96th Street, Henry Hudson Parkway until 72nd Street, Belt Parkway Gowanus Expressway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and the Prospect Expressway. ROAD CLOSINGS FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLYKey arterial roadways in Manhattan will be reserved for public safety vehicles and for priority transportation services from 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM. Priority transportation vehicles include medallion taxicabs, school, express, and charter buses, For Hire Vehicles, Access-A-Ride vehicles, and commuter van services with New York State Department of Transportation permits. These roadways include 5th and Madison Avenue from 23rd Street to 96th Street, as well as 26th, 29th, 49th, and 50th Streets from 1st to 12th Avenues. The following roadways are reserved to Emergency vehicles only: Maiden Lane, Cortlandt, Nassau, Rector, Vesey, and Church Streets in lower Manhattan. LANE CHANGESTo accommodate extra traffic flow into and out of Manhattan, rush hour lane reversals will be implemented on the Williamsburg, and Manhattan Bridges, as well as the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and Staten Island's Bay Street between 5-11 AM and 3-8 PM. PARK AND RIDES AND CARPOOLING STATIONSThe city has Park & Rides and Carpool Park & Ride facilities at Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, Long Island-Hunters Point Ferry Terminal, Belmont Park, Staten Island Yankee Stadium, Staten Island's Cromwell Center, and St. George Terminal Parking. Carpool staging areas will also be set up around the five boroughs. See attached list for additional carpool staging areas.
ADDITIONAL FERRY SERVICEAdditional ferry service will be offered by both public and private entities covering various routes in and out of Manhattan. Existing ferry service will also be expanded. SUSPENSION OF NON-EMERGENCY CONSTRUCTIONAll non-essential roadwork will be suspended. State transportation agencies will be requested to similarly suspend non-emergency construction on major approaches to the city. SUSPENSION OF PARKING AND STREET CLEANING REGULATIONSAlternate-side parking regulations will be suspended citywide to increase the amount of on the street parking. RESTRICT TRUCK DELIVERIESTruck deliveries will not be permitted south of 96th Street in Manhattan from 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM. Regional law enforcement and transportation agencies will be requested to divert trucks from bridge and tunnel approaches during these hours. In addition, within 24 hours of an actual strike, the MTA will put in place a contingency plan to provide limited additional service for Queens and Bronx commuters on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad. Commuters should be prepared for crowding and delays. Details of that service will be available on line starting this Wednesday, December 11 and in a printed brochure that will be available at major railroad stations such as Pennsylvania Station, Atlantic Terminal and Grand Central Terminal later this week. All maps and additional strike related information are available on New York city's web site and on Crosswalks TV Channel 74. |
|
This website is brought to you by Citizens Union Foundation and is made possible by grants from the Charles Revson Foundation and receives support from the J.M. Kaplan Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Independence Community Foundation, Surdna Foundation, the Altman Foundation, the New York Times Foundation and viewers like you. |