MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR ILLEGAL STRIKE BY TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR ILLEGAL STRIKE BY TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg joined by Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner John T. Odermatt, New York Police Commissioner (NYPD) Raymond W. Kelly, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Iris Weinshall, New York Fire Department (FDNY) Chief of Department Frank Cruthers, Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Chair Matthew Daus and Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor Joel Klein outlined the City strike contingency plan in response to a potential illegal work stoppage by the Transport Workers Union (TWU).

"A strike by the TWU would be illegal and the City will do everything in its power to prevent one," said Mayor Bloomberg. "A strike would be more than inconvenient; it would endanger human life and devastate our economy. Although I hope cooler heads prevail, we have to prepare for the worst and New Yorkers may need to once again call upon their resiliency, toughness and ingenuity. Our contingency plan is designed to move as many people as possible using alternative means of transportation and to make sure that our streets remain passable for emergency vehicles. We will use ferries, carpools, and park and rides to move people around. Lane Reversals, HOV restrictions and Arterial Roadways will keep traffic moving as best as possible. A strike would be incredibly inconvenient and frustrating, but if we all did our part and follow the plan, we would get through it."

The New York City Strike Contingency Plan includes lane reversals, special HOV regulations, additional park and ride facilities, additional ferry service, truck delivery restrictions and a temporary ban on non-emergency construction, all of which are detailed below. The Office of Emergency Management's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will serve as the coordination hub for the City's strike contingency plan. All pertinent City and State agencies will have personnel assigned to the EOC, which will remain activated through the duration of the strike. Residents can also find additional information on NYC website: www.nyc.gov/transitstrike.

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Requirements:
All Manhattan Bridge and Tunnel crossings will have an HOV 4 (minimum of four occupants per vehicle) requirement in both directions, 24 hours a day during the week, and will have an HOV 2 (minimum of two occupants per vehicle) 24 hours a day during the weekend. The HOV restrictions would switch from four to two people per car at midnight on Saturday (Friday night) and to four people per car at midnight on Monday (Sunday night).

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. Please refer to www.nyc.gov/transitstrike for the boundaries of these restrictions.

Reservation of Arterial Roadways:
Key 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 (FHV), Access-A-Ride vehicles, and commuter van services with NYSDOT 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 Reversals:
To 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.

Bridge/Tunnel	AM Rush (5-11 AM) # of Lanes	PM Rush (3-8 PM) # of Lanes
Manhattan Bridge	3 Inbound & 2 Outbound	3 Outbound & 2 Inbound
Williamsburg Bridge	6 Inbound & 2 Outbound	6 Outbound & 2 Inbound
Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel	3 Inbound & 1 Outbound	3 Outbound & 1 Inbound
Queens-Midtown Tunnel	3 Inbound & 1 Outbound	3 Outbound & 1 Inbound
Lincoln Tunnel	4 Inbound & 2 Outbound	4 Outbound & 2 Inbound

Park & Rides and Carpool Staging Areas:
NYC has several Park & Ride facilities available access additional transportation, including 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. Numerous carpool staging areas will also be set up around the five boroughs. See attached list for additional carpool staging areas. Carpool staging areas are sites for commuters to meet colleagues, friends or ad-hoc groups prior to accessing HOV roadways into Manhattan.

Park	Ride
Yankee Stadium	Metro-North Shuttle to Midtown
Shea Stadium	LIRR to Midtown Off Peak: 9 AM to 4 PM & 7 PM to 10 PM
SI Yankee Stadium / Cromwell Center	Staten Island Ferry
South Brooklyn Marine Terminal	Brooklyn Ferry
Belmont Park	Shuttle Bus to LIRR stop at Floral Park
Long Island Hunters Point Term.	Hunters Point Ferry

Borough	Carpool Staging Areas
Brooklyn	Marine Park, Abe Stark Skating Rink, South Brooklyn Marine Terminal
Queens	Flushing Meadows, Alley Pond Park
Bronx	Orchard Beach, Ferry Point Park
Staten Island	South Beach, Wolf's Pond Park
Manhattan	148th Street and Riverside Drive

Additional Ferry Service:
Additional 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.

Taxi and Limousine Restrictions:
The 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. The number for this hotline is 212-NYC-TAXI (212-692-8294).

Pedestrian and Bicycle Commuting:
The City of New York encourages all of those who are able to walk or bike to work. The following crossings into Manhattan are pedestrian and bicycle accessible.

Bridge	Pedestrian/Bicycle Entrance
Broadway Bridge	MN - Broadway at 225th Street
Brooklyn Bridge	MN - Park Row and Frankfort Street BK - Tillary Street and Adams Street
Macombs Dam Bridge	MN - 155th StreetBX - Jerome Avenue
Madison Avenue Bridge	MN - Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue BX - 138th Street
Manhattan Bridge	MN - Bowery and Canal Street BK - Jay Street and Sands Street
Queensboro Bridge	MN - 60th StreetQN - Queens Plaza
Third Avenue Bridge	MN - 129th Street BX - Willis Avenue, 134th Street
Washington Bridge	MN - 181st Street BX - University Avenue
Williamsburg Bridge	MN - Clinton Street and Delancey Street BK - Bedford Avenue between South 5th Street and South 6th Street
Willis Avenue Bridge	MN - 1st Avenue and 125th Street BX - Willis Avenue, 134th Street
145th Street Bridge	MN - 145th StreetBX - 145th Street

Suspension of Non-Emergency Construction:
All non-essential roadwork will be suspended in NYC. State transportation agencies will be requested to similarly suspend non-emergency construction on major approaches to NYC. Works in progress will be plated over.

Suspension of Parking and Street Cleaning Regulations:
Alternate-side parking regulations will be suspended citywide to increase the amount of on the street parking.

Restricted Truck Deliveries:
Truck 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.

MTA's Non-New York City Transit Operations Continue
While most New York City Transit bus and subway will not be operating in the event of a strike, the 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.

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 at www.mta.info starting this Wednesday 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 website: www.nyc.gov/transitstrike or tune into Crosswalks TV (ch.74).

INSTATRAK REPORT FOR NYC 3:05 PM 12/9/02 (C) METRO TRAFFIC CONTROL [ 3:03 PM] 010101 NYC BULLETIN NORTHBOUND JOE DIMAGGIO / WEST SIDE HWY ACCIDENT. RIGHT LANE BLOCKED AT 79TH ST (W) [ 3:01 PM] 020101 NYC BULLETIN NORTHBOUND INBOUND GOWANUS XPWY / NORTHBOUND B.Q.E. (I-278) ACCIDENT AFTER BROOKLYN BRIDGE +SIX CARS INVOLVED+... THEN SLOW APPROACHING KOSCIUSZKO BRIDGE // BOTH WAYS +CONSTRUCTION+ FROM BROADWAY TO 30TH AVE UNTIL 3PM [ 3:00 PM] 030301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS HUDSON RIVER CROSSINGS: OUTBOUND LINCOLN TUNNEL NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT / IB FINE. [PA/CAMS] [ 2:56 PM] 040301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS HUDSON RIVER CROSSINGS: OUTBOUND HOLLAND TUNNEL TRAFFIC FLOWING FREELY /IB OK..[6-10AM WEEKDAYS, SINGLE OCCUPANT VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT MANHATTAN BOUND AT ALL CROSSINGS SOUTH OF 14TH ST] [ 2:48 PM] 050301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS VERRAZANO NARROWS BRIDGE (BROOKLYN-BOUND UPPER LEVEL) NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT , LOWER OK / STATEN ISLAND BOUND MOVING WELL ON BOTH LEVELS / =NO COMMERCIAL TRUCKS ALLOWED ON LOWER DECK= [MTA/CAM] [ 2:48 PM] 060301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS LOWER EAST RIVER CROSSINGS: BROOKLYN BATTERY TUNNEL (INBOUND) TRAFFIC FLOWING FREELY / BROOKLYN BOUND FINE. [MTA] [ 2:50 PM] 070301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS LOWER EAST RIVER CROSSINGS: WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE (TO MANHATTAN) NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT / BROOKLYN BOUND OK. [CAM] [ 2:49 PM] 080301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS LOWER EAST RIVER CROSSINGS: MANHATTAN BRIDGE (TO MANHATTAN) HEAVY TRAFFIC INTO RIGHT LANE CONSTRUCTION / BROOKLYN BOUND MOVING WELL. [CAM] [ 2:49 PM] 090301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS LOWER EAST RIVER CROSSINGS: BROOKLYN BRIDGE (INBOUND) TRAFFIC FLOWING FREELY ON THE SPAN / BROOKLYN BOUND FINE. [CAM] [ 2:55 PM] 100301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS UPPER EAST RIVER CROSSINGS: TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE (TO QUEENS) TRAFFIC FLOWING FREELY INTO ONGOING CONSTRUCTION / BRONX-MANHATTAN BOUND OK ON THE SPAN. [CAM/MTA] [ 2:49 PM] 110301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS BAYONNE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION WORK BLOCKS ONE LANE EACH WAY, NO MAJOR DELAYS REPORTED. [PA]. [ 2:58 PM] 120301 NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS HUDSON RIVER CROSSINGS: INBOUND GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE UPPER LEVEL NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT UPPER LEVEL (MOVES WELL ACROSS THE SPAN)... LOWER LEVEL NO DELAYS INTO TOLLS =RIGHT LANE CONSTRUCTION= // OB OK [=LOWER LEVEL RIGHT LANE CONSTRUCTION=]. [CAMS/PA] [ 2:58 PM] 130401 NYC VOLUME/DELAYS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS CLEARVIEW XPWY (I-295) BETWEEN NORTHERN BLVD AND UNION TPKE (NEW YORK) - CONSTRUCTION WORK CLEARED [ 2:57 PM] 140401 NYC VOLUME/DELAYS BROOKLYN: OUTBOUND PROSPECT XPWY (RT 27) AT 10TH AV - ROAD CONSTRUCTION CLEARED [ 3:04 PM] 150401 NYC VOLUME/DELAYS WESTBOUND BELT PKWY TRAFFIC FLOWING FREELY FROM JOHN F KENNEDY AIRPORT TO LEFFERTS BLVD +RIGHT LANE CONSTRUCTION CLEARED+... THEN SLOW APPROACHING THE VERRAZANO BRIDGE // EB HEAVY FLATBUSH AVE TO ROCKAWAY PKWY [ 2:56 PM] 160401 NYC VOLUME/DELAYS WESTBOUND CROSS BRONX XPWY HEAVY TRAFFIC FROM JEROME AV TO GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE // EASTBOUND HEAVY GWB TO JEROME AVE [ 3:04 PM] 170401 NYC VOLUME/DELAYS QUEENS: WESTBOUND L.I.E. (I-495) AT MAURICE AV - CONSTRUCTION WORK ON LOWER ROADWAY CLEARED. / BOTH WAYS LIE THRU THE CLEARVIEW - CONST.CLEARED / EB LIE NEAR 48TH ST - CONST. CLEARED [ 2:56 PM] 180401 NYC VOLUME/DELAYS NORTHBOUND F.D.R. DR / HARLEM RIVER DR NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT FROM BROOKLYN BRIDGE TO TRIBORO BRIDGE ... THEN SLIGHT DELAYS ON RAMP TO GWB // SB MOVING WELL TRIBORO BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN BRIDGE