What is street managment?

As part of the Street Management Project, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) and the New York City Economic Development Corporation have been reaching out to the downtown community to solicit their views on the state of downtown streets -- and their suggestions for making them work better. The feedback gathered through this ongoing dialogue generates ideas for short- and long-term improvements in the area.

The Street Management Project team has asked downtown stakeholders the following questions:

• How is the downtown street system working today?
• What improvements does the street network need most?
• What are some main concerns for the system in both the short and long terms?
• Does each neighborhood in Lower Manhattan have its own set of concerns and do they differ from one another?

According to the answers stakeholders gave to these and other questions, the top two priorities for downtown streets are cross-town traffic circulation and parking improvements -- with the ultimate goals being convenient business deliveries, parking for visitors on weekends and off-hours, and easy access to downtown neighborhoods.

Here are some thoughts from different community and civic stakeholders on how the street system is working and potential ways to improve it.

Street Uses

• Downtown streets generally have some combination of the following uses: commercial, retail, residential, truck access, and tourism. But "streets in Lower Manhattan are changing," so paying attention to the ways that they are used -- and whether their layouts suit these uses -- is critical to making the system work well.
  
  
• Because "street space in Lower Manhattan is a limited resource," providing access to all users all the time can be tricky. New delivery methods make the use of street space more efficient. Non-transportation uses are also important, such as "street furniture" like bollards and benches.
  
  
• Downtown needs "a balance between pedestrianization and vehicles." Retail shops along streets like Nassau have benefited from becoming pedestrian-only, but a wider street like Fulton might better accommodate both vehicles and pedestrians.

Parking and Curb Uses

• Because Lower Manhattan's streets are narrow, special attention should be given to issuing and enforcing parking permits for city and state agency vehicles. Short-term loading zones are tough for delivery trucks to find, forcing them to park on sidewalks and block streets. What's more, it's difficult for tow trucks to remove illegally parked cars and trucks because of the narrow streets and distance to tow-yards.
  
  
• City-employee parking, both in authorized parking locations and truck loading/unloading zones around the Civic Center, limits available spaces for other downtowners and visitors.
  
  
• Lower Manhattan's neighborhoods need different types of parking regulations and truck loading zones. For instance, Battery Park City could benefit from alternate-side-of-the-street parking for residents, while the Financial District needs to accommodate more commercial vehicles, livery vehicles, and taxis at different times of the day.

The World Trade Center Site

• There are several street management issues on the table surrounding the World Trade Center's redevelopment, which call for special planning and collaboration with the community and stakeholders. They include the new West Street Bypass, bus access and parking, and the continuation of Greenwich and Fulton Streets through the site itself. Reconfiguring the site from a super block to a more urban-friendly design opens up the opportunity for greater cross-town access.
  
  
• As the World Trade Center site is redeveloped "there is a big need for parking," especially given that the site will have a variety of uses and be home to businesses, cultural centers, and a memorial.

Other Concerns

• Construction Vehicles
  In addition to delivery trucks, many downtown streets are increasingly "choked off by parked construction vehicles," which sometimes block sidewalks and bike and jogging paths.
  
  
• Street Fairs
  Merchants' businesses sometimes suffer from downtown street fairs that can obstruct pedestrian traffic and deliveries.
  
  
• Tour Buses
  Tour buses, sometimes led by drivers who are unfamiliar with Lower Manhattan, often circulate through "core" downtown streets causing congestion. Fixed routes, layover areas, and pick-up/drop-off points could help keep traffic moving steadily all over downtown.

Long-Term Vision

• "Streets are New York City's open space; they are the city's social space" -- so placing limits on vehicular traffic downtown would help make spaces more enjoyable, safer, and livable for pedestrians.
  
  
• In Lower Manhattan, there are "dozens of blocks that need not be open to traffic at all times," such as sections of Dey, Rector, and Edgar Streets, while others, such as Park Row, should be open to help retail business.
  
  
• Establishing a circular bus route, expanding ferry service, and creating perimeter 'accessways' to Lower Manhattan for vehicles along West Street and South Street/FDR Drive would encourage foot traffic inside the downtown core.

The thoughts gathered from initial outreach conversations make it clear that many concerns about today's street system are shared among residents and business owners alike -- as are new ideas for Lower Manhattan's future. With the Street Management Project, these thoughts and other feedback from downtown community groups are helping DOT put practical ideas to work.

Please continue to check LowerManhattan.info's Street Management Project page to learn more about the program and what's happening downtown. Click here to sign up for weekly email updates about this project and other Lower Manhattan activities.