Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2000

Release #447-00

 
Contact:

Sunny Mindel/ Lynn Rasic (212) 788-2958

 

Keith Yazmir (NYC & Company) 212/484-1244

MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES PARK & RIDE WEDNESDAYS AT SHEA STADIUM

Traffic-Reduction Program Benefits Holiday Shoppers & Broadway Matinee-Goers

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today announced Park & Ride Wednesdays, a free pilot program to improve the holiday traffic flow into and around New York City. A public-private partnership and part of the City's overall holiday traffic plan, Park & Ride Wednesdays is spearheaded and sponsored by NYC & Company, the City's official tourism and marketing organization. The program allows holiday shoppers and Broadway matinee-goers to leave their cars at the Shea Stadium Park & Ride lot and take public transportation into Manhattan - for free.

"New York City welcomes the increase in visitors during the holiday season," Mayor Giuliani said. "Holiday city tourism resulted in $15.5 billion in revenue last year alone. Programs such as Park & Ride Wednesdays together with the City's Holiday Traffic Control Plan are important ways of alleviating traffic and congestion and ensuring a safe and happy holiday season."

The Park & Ride Wednesdays program was born out of the Tourism Roundtable, formed by NYC & Company earlier in the year to bring private tourism providers and city officials together to discuss how to better facilitate the growth of tourism with a focus on traffic flow issues. NYC & Company, together with the Mayor's Office, the New York City Department of Transportation, the Police Department and the MTA, has worked to develop Park & Ride Wednesdays to address the gridlock problem of matinee Wednesdays in the Times Square area.

"This program demonstrates how public and private cooperation will allow New York City to continue to grow tourism to everyone's benefit," said Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas, President and CEO of NYC & Company. "On behalf of New York City's $15.5 billion tourism industry, which grew to a record 36.7 million visitors last year, we are pleased to play a role in launching Park & Ride Wednesdays as part of our ongoing effort to make it easier to get around New York City."

The pilot program provides one free $4-value MetroCard Fun Pass - good for a day of unlimited subway and bus rides - to every person traveling into the city who parks at the Shea Stadium Park & Ride facility on Wednesdays between 10 AM and 2 PM. The program will be in effect from November 22 through January 3, 2001. Additional Park and Ride locations may be added in the future.

Joining the Mayor for the announcement were President and CEO of NYC & Company Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas and Department of Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall.

Sponsors of the pilot program include the Broadway shows Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon, Bloomberg Radio and The New York Post. Central Parking has provided additional support for the program.

For more information about Park & Ride Wednesdays, log on to NYC & Company's website at www.nycvisit.com or the New York City Department of Transportation at www.nyc.gov/calldot.

 

www.nyc.gov


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