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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2002
PR-098-02
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND COMMISSIONER
IRIS WEINSHALL ANNOUNCE CITY WILL PAVE 37 MILES
IN LOWER MANHATTAN


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Iris Weinshall announced today that 37 lane miles of streets in Lower Manhattan will be remilled and repaved, thanks to funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Kenneth Holden and FEMA Regional Director Joseph Picciano joined the Mayor and Commissioner Weinshall at the announcement.

"Economic development and growth is dependent upon a first-class transportation infrastructure, the repaving and remilling of these streets ensures that businesses, residents and visitors will be able to navigate downtown easily and efficiently," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Today's announcement is another example of this Administration's efforts to improve transportation in Lower Manhattan."

FEMA has agreed to reimburse the City for milling and resurfacing improvements on many local streets below Canal Street leading to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. These streets include: Church Street, Broadway, West Broadway, Water Street, Chambers Street, Warren Street, Park Place, Vesey Street, Liberty Street, Fulton Street and John Street. As per FEMA guidelines, the work will be performed by private contractors and will extend through the month of June. See a copy of the map (in pdf).

"Work on these local streets requires cooperation from a number of City agencies and interests, such as the various utility companies, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Design and Construction," Commissioner Weinshall explained. "Our chief role at DOT is to coordinate efforts so that all below-surface items are addressed before milling and repaving by private contractors begins. I want to caution all motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in the area that many streets, as well as sidewalks and some curbs will be ripped up and difficult to navigate while the repaving effort is underway."

"Our plans to restore roadways in Lower Manhattan are essential for pedestrians and motorists to travel unimpeded and to reopen corridors for moving goods," said DDC Commissioner Kenneth Holden. "This work is another important step in the comeback of this vital area."

The process of remilling means grinding up an existing roadway, particularly its top layer, which generally is about two to four inches thick. This gives the City the opportunity to examine existing street furniture such as manhole covers and catch basins. Afterward, a street is repaved with two to four inches of fresh asphalt.

Due to the construction in the area, the single occupancy vehicle restrictions will remain in place at the five crossings leading to Lower Manhattan. They are the Holland Tunnel, Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge. Single occupancy restrictions are weekdays and Manhattan-bound only from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The Mayor and Commissioner Weinshall also noted that other streets - particularly around the immediate World Trade Center area - will ultimately be required to undergo reconstruction. Agencies such as the Port Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will need to do extensive below-ground work during the foreseeable future as rebuilding continues.

In the ongoing campaign to ease traffic congestion and encourage the use of public transportation, Mayor Bloomberg also announced significant reductions in the number of parking permits the City distributes. The City has reduced the number of permits from 7,718 to 5,374, a reduction of more than 30% since last year.

And in March, the City announced expanded ferry service between New Jersey and Lower Manhattan to ease vehicular traffic caused by the disruption of the Path train system. FEMA has paid for additional eight ferries and 100 employees. The service provides for ferries every six minutes during the morning and evening rush hours and every 20 minutes during off-peak times. The ferries operate between the Hoboken Rail Terminal, the World Financial Center and Pier 11.


www.nyc.gov

Contact: Ed Skyler / Jordan Barowitz
(212) 788-2958
Tom Cocola (DOT)
(212) 442-7033