Last week, the Department of Transportation announced the various ways the city would deal with holiday season traffic or, as some call it, "hell on wheels." With the catchy, management-consulting-speak name 2006 Holiday Traffic Mitigation Plan, the plan has nine gridlock days (this Wednesday being a big one), the "Times Square Shuffle" (no crossover option for cars at 45th Street), and Central Park will reopen its drives to traffic starting today. Happy Holidays, Central Park lovers.
There are more details, but an interesting add is the "Holiday Construction Embargo," which means that any work the impedes the flow of traffic can only happen between 12:01AM to 6AM, with proper permission and permits.
Streetblogs finds the concept of traffic mitigation amusing, because "In other words: Accomodating more traffic is the mitigation for more traffic." In fact, a Streetsblog commenter adds, "I found out about this 'mitigation' the hard way this morning--when my son was almost run over on the way to school on Park Drive East by northbound traffic 8:00 am."
And Gridlock Sam says that while Wednesday is a big travel day, Tuesday is "no picnic" either, as people try to get a jump on Wednesday tomorrow.
