Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Traffic Study

Project Description

DOT is conducting a comprehensive study of transportation conditions and safety issues in the Clinton/Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan. The primary study area for this project is bounded by West 29th Street to the south, West 55th Street to the north, 8th Avenue to the east and Route 9A to the west (see map at bottom). (Note that this study area is adjacent to, but does not overlap with, the West Side Manhattan Traffic and Transportation Study currently underway). The area, having been rezoned as an action related to the Hudson Yards development and the Number 7 Subway extension, is poised to experience significant growth. It is already congested due to regional traffic to and from the Lincoln Tunnel. Also, since trucks were banned from the Holland Tunnel, truck traffic to the Lincoln Tunnel has greatly increased. Thus, there are competing demands for the various functions of the streets, curbside, and sidewalks, which serve regional and local travel needs. DOT is studying current and future issues affecting a wide variety of modes and users, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, local residents, motorists and trucks.

DOT has collected detailed data about traffic volumes and delay, vehicle classification (including bicycles), pedestrian flows, transit service, goods movement, parking and safety. DOT will develop a series of short- and long-term improvement measures to address vehicular travel/congestion, maintain access, improve pedestrian and other road users' safety, improve and enhance residents' quality of life.

Data collection included

• previous studies
• automated 24-hour traffic counts
• roadway inventory
• peak period turning movement counts
• pedestrian and bicycle counts
• speed and delay runs
• on-street and off-street parking survey

Community involvement is crucial to the study process. DOT is coordinating with elected officials, community groups, and governmental agencies through a Project Advisory Committee (PAC).

The following topics are being analyzed in detail as part of this study

• Pedestrians
• Vehicular traffic congestion, capacity and circulation
• Safety and accidents
• Transit and intermodal issues (with special attention to buses)
• Parking demand and supply
• Goods movement
• Bicycles

Project Documents

Project Advisory Committee Kickoff Meeting (October 17, 2007) Download presentation (pdf)
Project Advisory Committee Second Meeting (December 4, 2007) Download presentation
Public Meeting / Workshop (April 30, 2008) Download presentation (pdf), Download feedback from workshop (pdf)
Project Advisory Committee Meeting (September 3, 2009) Download presentation (pdf)
Project Advisory Committee Meeting (June 28, 2010) Download presentation (pdf)

On October 17, 2011, DOT held a public meeting to review of previous community input, summary of improvements implemented to date, and descriptions of recommended improvements.
Download presentation

Schedule:

April 30, 2008: Public meeting and workshop

September 2008 - April 2009: Data collection

May 2009 – July 2010: Analysis of existing and future conditions

Summer 2010: Development of short and long-term improvements

Fall 2010: Quantitative analysis of short and long-term improvements

January 2011: Preliminary recommendations

Spring 2011: Final Report

Map of Study Area