Drivers definitely are getting the message to steer clear of Manhattan during the morning – major bridge and tunnel traffic has plunged dramatically since a single-occupant car ban was adopted, officials announced yesterday.
At the Lincoln Tunnel yesterday, a whopping 8,000 fewer vehicles crossed into Manhattan from 6 to 10 a.m. – a 42 percent reduction in traffic – according to Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman.
At East River crossings, the Queensboro Bridge saw 34 percent less Manhattan-bound traffic yesterday morning compared to a typical day before the ban, the city Department of Transportation announced.
The Manhattan Bridge saw 27 percent less such traffic, and the Williamsburg had 12 percent fewer vehicles. The Brooklyn Bridge had 75 percent fewer vehicles, but DOT spokesman Tom Cocola said that number is so high because the bridge has limited access and exits.
“Overall, we’re happy with this morning’s commute,” Cocola said yesterday.
But both he and the Port Authority said traffic volume has jumped in the hour leading up to 6 a.m., suggesting people are leaving home early to beat the ban.
Under the ban, most driver-only cars are barred from using Manhattan-bound river crossings south of 63rd Street from 6 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. The ban is designed to encourage carpooling and the use of mass transit to reduce crushing traffic jams in the wake of the World Trade Center attack.
Just 3 to 5 percent of the cars approaching the bridges have been turned away by police for not complying the ban, said Cocola, who added that the restrictions will continue indefinitely.