Updates & alternate transit options

Compiled by NYNewsday.com
The contingency plans New York City has set up in the event of a transit strike fall in four major categories (click to jump to each item):

-Carpooling
-Taxis
-Driving Restrictions
-Pedestrians/Bicycles
-In addition, more resources

The regulations are only in effect Monday-Friday, with the most stringent rules in effect from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Carpooling
Under high occupancy vehicle restrictions, between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. all cars entering Manhattan below 96th Street must have four or more passengers.

The same rules apply to most bridges coming into the city:
-Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel
-Brooklyn Bridge
-Holland Tunnel
-Henry Hudson Bridge
-Lincoln Tunnel
-Manhattan Bridge
-Queensboro/ 59th Street Bridge
-Queens-Midtown Tunnel
-Williamsburg Bridge

The rules also apply to vehicles on segments of major expressways feeding into Manhattan:
-Belt Parkway, from 4th Avenue to Gowanus Expressway merge at 60th Street
-Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, from Gowanus Expressway to the Manhattan Bridge
-Bruckner Expressway, from Bruckner Interchange to the Triborough Bridge
-Central Park Drive West, from West 110th Street to Central Park South
-FDR Drive/Harlem River Drive, Dyckman Street to East 96th Street
-Gowanus Expressway, 92nd Street to Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Interchange (Bus/HOV EZ-Pass lane for buses and emergency vehicles only)
-Henry Hudson Parkway, Mosholu Parkway to West 72nd Street
-Long Island Expressway, Grand Central Parkway to Queens-Midtown Tunnel (Bus/HOV EZ-pass lane for buses and emergency vehicles only)
--Prospect Expressway, Church Avenue to the Gowanus Expressway

Once below 96th Street, drivers are free to drop off their passengers. In addition, there are no high-occupancy regulations on motorists whose trips take place entirely within Manhattan.

Major carpool stations will be set up at Yankee and Shea stadiums, and the St. Geroge Ferry terminal on Staten Island.

The city has also designated nearly 40 specific locations as carpool staging areas, with the bulk of the locations in Queens.

Click here to see a map of the carpool staging locations.

Taxis and other transportation services
Cabs can pick up multiple passengers.

A zone-based taxi fare system will be implemented--there will be no meters.

Manhattan will be divided into four geographic zones: -
South of 23rd Street -
23rd Street to 60th Street -
60th Street to 96th Street -
North of 96th Street

Each of the other boroughs will be its own zone.

Passengers entering a cab would negotiate with the driver for their initial fare, up to a cap of $10. Then, each time the cab crosses a zone, an additional $5 will be added to the fare.

Some labeled cabs will be driving along major bus routes, picking up passengers for a flat $3 fare.

Livery cars and vans will also be allowed to pick up passengers at bus stops without service, and the designated carpool locations. [Note: Julio Alvarez, President of the United Drivers Group of America, which says it represents 10,000 livery drivers, has said his drivers will not be participating in the city's plan].

Park & Ride locations have been designated where drivers can leave cars behind to board commuter bus, rail and ferry services.

Click here to see a map of Park & Ride locations.

Peak service on the Staten Island Ferry will be extended in the morning from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and in the evening from 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Private ferry operators have been asked to extend peak service to accommodate staggered work schedules and additional riders. >[? Private ferries will operate service along the East River with stops at Hunters Point in Queens, 34th Street and Pier 11 at Wall Street in Manhattan and the Brooklyn Army Terminal,

PATH, Metro-North and the LIRR will be running, with some additional service added during rush hours. In addition, the following services are unaffected: Staten Island Railway, Amtrak, AirTrain, NJ Transit (commuter rail and bus), Long Island Bus, Westchester County Bee-Line, Staten Island Ferry, Private Ferries.

Driving Restrictions
No commercial traffic will be allowed in Manhattan below 96th Street between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Alternate side of the street parking rules will be suspended citywide for the duration of the transit strike. Weekday No Standing and No Parking rules will be extended on main roads throughout the five boroughs from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. No Standing will be in effect in the peak direction from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. No Parking rules will apply on these roads at other times. Designated No Standing and No Parking areas will be marked. Key roadways will be closed to all traffic except priority transportation services and emergency services, between 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Priority transportation services include taxicabs, buses (school, express, and charter), commuter van services, motorcycles and paratransit.

The roadways are:
-Fifth Avenue, from 23rd Street to 96th Street
-Madison Avenue, from 23rd Street to 96th Street
-26th, 29th, 49th, and 50th Streets, from 1st Avenue to 12th Avenue
-Church Street/Trinity Place, south of Barclay Street

Key roadways in Lower Manhattan will be reserved for emergency services vehicles only, at all times.

These roadways are:
-Nassau Street, from Wall Street to Spruce Street
-Rector Street, from West Street to Broadway
-Vesey Street, from Church Street to Park Row
-Maiden Lane/Cortland Street, from Water Street to Church Street

Vehicles may enter Central Park Drive 24 hours a day, Monday-Friday, but only at W. 59th Street and W. 110th Street.

Southbound traffic entering at W. 110th Street will be subject to HOV 4 restrictions from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., Monday-Friday.

Rush hour lane reversals will be implemented on the Manhattan, Queensboro/59th Street, and Williamsburg Bridges, and the Brooklyn-Battery, Holland, Lincoln, and Queens-Midtown Tunnels to accommodate extra traffic flow.

Pedestrians/Bicylists
Pedestrians and bicylists are urged to use the designated lanes set aside for their use on bridges into Manhattan:
-Broadway Bridge
-Brooklyn Bridge
-Henry Hudson Bridge
-Macombs Dam Bridge
-Madison Avenue Bridge
-Manhattan Bridge
-Queensboro Bridge
-Third Avenue Bridge
-Triborough Bridge
-University Heights Bridge
-Washington Bridge
-George Washington Bridge - closed 12 am to 5 am
-Williamsburg Bridge

The 2005 New York City Cycling Map is available on the Department of City Planning's website

Additional updates and alternate options
New York City Alternative Transportation Information Center
http://www.nyc.gov/html/transitinfo/html/home.shtml
Newsday L.I. transit blog
www.newsday.com/rideshare
MTA
http://www.mta.info/
TWU Local 100
http://www.twulocal100.org/
Craigs list for 1-day apartment rentals, ride sharing http://newyork.craigslist.org/
Taylor Law
http://www.perb.state.ny.us/stat.asp
Carpool links
http://www.litm.org/
http://www.metropool.com/
http://commuterlink.com/
NYC Traffic updates
http://nynewsday.com/news/local/manhattan/nyc-trafficlink,0,784573.hyperlink

Suburban Transit Links
NJ Transit
http://www.njtransit.com/
LIRR
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/lirr/
Metro-North
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr/
Amtrak
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage
PATH
http://www.panynj.gov/path/index.html
NY Waterways
http://www.nywaterway.com/

Phone Numbers
NJ Transit 1-800-772-2222
Long Island Bus (516) 228-4000
LIRR (516) 822-LIRR
LITM (631) 777-7722 or (877) 4COMMUTE
Westchester Bee-Line System (914) 813-7777
MTA Metro-North Railroad (800) METRO-INFO
MetroPool (800) FIND-RIDE
Connecticut Park & Ride (860) 594-2141

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