A new Canal Area Transportation Study just released will shed light on area transportation and safety issues. The report, published by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, aims to identify short-term solutions to improve infrastructure and mobility, and relieve congestion in the study area.
The section under evaluation is bounded by Houston St. to the north, Chambers St. to the south, and the Hudson and East rivers.
The first CATS study, conducted in 2002, led to the city’s adding higher-visibility crosswalks to Canal St.; the renaming of traffic signals and repairing of streetlights along the boulevard; and addressing traffic-sign problems at the Holland Tunnel and Manhattan Bridge.
Data compiled for the study includes traffic and pedestrian counts, travel time and delay information, parking surveys and accident data, according to the report.
Based on the study’s results, N.Y.M.T.C. recommends widening sidewalks in the area; the continuation of truck restrictions for the Holland Tunnel; and keeping Canal St. as a two-way thoroughfare with left-turn restrictions at certain intersections.
N.Y.M.T.C. also suggested adding a number of features, including high-occupancy vehicle lanes on the Manhattan Bridge; real-time signs encouraging the use of alternate routes to Canal St., such as the West Side Highway; and a park management plan for the area.
