A surge in bus traffic is expected when the WTC Memorial opens

With the National 9/11 Memorial plaza’s opening less than seven months away, the city Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning for a surge in local tour-bus traffic to Lower Manhattan. The agency shared some of its exploratory details with Community Board 1 this week, and fielded questions about how best to select potential drop-off, pick-up, and parking locations.

DOT Lower Manhattan Borough Commissioner Luis Sanchez explained that on-street tour-bus management is critical through early 2014, when the Port Authority’s Vehicular Security Center is expected to open. By then, buses will be able to park underground with access directly from West Street. 

In the meantime, city DOT is considering a multi-pronged interim plan. The first is to promote mass transit as the best way to reach the area. In addition to 13 subways, the PATH, and dozens of bus lines serving the area, there is the added economic benefit of “remote transfer” -- that is, visitors arrive at one subway or bus stop and depart from another, leaving them time to explore the area. To that end, planning has begun for improved wayfinding signs both in subways and on the street.

Another important element is to pick manageable sites for bus parking, as well as places for off-site drop-off. Sanchez pointed out that the city DOT is currently looking at streets in the Greenwich South area for possible curbside access, along with locations further from the World Trade Center. For example, bus-layover zones could be along Warren Street, consolidated with stops on Trinity Place/Church Street, or in Battery Park City during midday non-peak-traffic hours.

The Memorial’s timed-reservation visitor system is expected to help keep buses flowing in and out steadily, rather than arriving in large numbers simultaneously. Increased police enforcement will help reduce illegal parking and idling, and there may be disincentives for tour companies whose buses clog downtown streets, such as inability to reserve Memorial tickets.

Ferry companies also are encouraged by potential future need for midday travel to Lower Manhattan, where boat slips are more accessible than in many parts of the city. Sanchez says that depending on tourist demand, ferry companies may even find themselves restoring weekend service from various New Jersey ports.

“But it’s going to be an iterative process,” said Sanchez.

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