Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Iris Weinshall announced a pilot program designed to facilitate travel for bus commuters entering Lower Manhattan. Effective Tuesday morning, September 3, 2002, the City will permit buses only to travel from Battery Place, along Church Street to Barclay Street during the morning rush from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and then in the evening rush hour from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Passengers who ride express buses offered by New York City Transit from Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York City Department of Transportation franchise buses from Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx and private interstate carriers from New Jersey, Rockland County and Pennsylvania will travel along the car-free bus-way on Church Street. Regular motorists exiting the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel during the morning and evening rush hours will travel up West Street, or through the Battery Park Underpass to the FDR Drive.

"The Church Street bus-way is an opportunity to enhance and improve bus service as traffic volumes increase during the fall as businesses and residents to Lower Manhattan return" said Mayor Bloomberg. "Traffic is simply too heavy in New York and we have to think outside the box to move goods, people and services around our City more quickly and efficiently. Bus-only streets are an excellent way to encourage the greater use of public transportation "

"We will begin this initiative after Labor Day, as students return to school and workers return from summer vacations," Commissioner Iris Weinshall said. "We expect to reduce congestion and non-bus traffic by about 80 percent during the morning and evening peak periods."

Specific Elements of the Program Include:

The Trinity Place exit from the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel will be closed during morning
(6:00 AM-10:00 AM) and evening (3:00 PM-7:00 PM) commuting periods

Only buses will be permitted to turn onto Greenwich Street at Battery Place during the morning and evening commuting periods. New York City Police Department Traffic Enforcement agents will manage the intersection.

Trucks making deliveries can go up West Street and turn right on Albany Street. New truck loading and unloading areas will be established on the west curb of Trinity Place, between Edgar Street and Liberty Street from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Truck loading and unloading will also be permitted on the east curb of Trinity Place from Morris Street to Rector Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on the west curb of Greenwich Street from Battery Place to Morris Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This will assist local merchants who need to receive deliveries during the business day.

Command Bus will be restored to Church Street and Trinity Place during the morning peak. Interstate Carriers, including Academy, Coach USA, and others, will return to Trinity Place for evening rush operations.

Local and New York City Transit Express bus stops will be restored to Church Street between Cortlandt and Dey Streets and between Vesey and Barclay Streets.

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