Quantcast

Transit Sam, Nov. 14, 2012

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE IN EFFECT
PATH service has been restored in New Jersey and Manhattan, stopping at 14th, 23rd and 33rd Streets and bypassing Christopher and Ninth Streets. Service will run in both directions from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The PATH won’t be making stops at the World Trade Center, Exchange Place or Hoboken.

As far as bridges and tunnels go, the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel has two lanes open, one lane for buses and one lane open to cars. Manhattan-bound traffic is permitted to travel from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and Brooklyn-bound traffic is allowed from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Queens-Midtown Tunnel is open to all traffic except trucks.

Finally, in the Battery Park Underpass, one eastbound lane opens starting at 6 a.m. Wed., Nov. 14; it will remain open 24 hours eastbound. The westbound lane will be open to buses from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. everyday.

Barring regular repairs, the Holland Tunnel is open to traffic, however one Manhattan-bound lane is closed from 11:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on weekdays. Also, from Monday to Friday, one Jersey-bound lane is closed from midnight to 5 a.m.

In transit news, service has been restored on the L, the N, and most recently the A, which has been extended to the Howard Beach Station. There, a shuttle bus service will connect riders to the Mott Avenue-Far Rockaway Station. The R train remains closed.

A citywide embargo on construction following Hurricane Sandy has halted regular street closures on Chambers Street, Hudson Street, Nassau Street and the Brooklyn Bridge until Thurs., Nov. 15.

For updates on street closures and the status of the embargo, follow me at twitter.com/gridlocksam.

From the mailbag:

Dear Transit Sam,
Commuting from New Jersey into New York City and back has been a total nightmare this week with only one rail line running into and out of Penn Station, and if I go over to the Port Authority bus terminal, I see horrific bus lines into Jersey. I’ve spent long hours trying to find a way to get home — from getting a ride from a random stranger once I got back to Jersey to sharing a cab. Help!
J.K., East Rutherford

Dear J.K,
Indeed, New Jersey Transit was hard hit, and it will be weeks before it resumes full service; the PATH, meanwhile, is only running between Jersey City to 33rd Street. The good news is that there are ferries running between Jersey and New York City, and the NJ Transit is running a free bus service from Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Liberty State Park station (in Jersey City) to Liberty Landing Marina. At the marina, commuters can hop on a Statue Cruises ferry, which will take you to Battery Park for free. The ferries operate weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and they won’t be as crowded as the buses. Good luck!
Transit Sam

Dear Transit Sam,
I was driving near the Brooklyn Bridge when I was entering a turning lane to make a left. Do you have to signal when you enter a “left turn only” lane? I would guess not, because you’re entering a turning lane anyway.
Jacob, South Street Seaport

Dear Jacob,
I hate to break it to you, but you guessed incorrectly. Turning lanes are implemented to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in the intersection from a backup of cars trying to make a difficult turn. Signaling in a turning lane warns oncoming drivers that you may turn in front of them. There is no exception in the books to not signal in turning lanes. Therefore the law — NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law, Section 1163 — which specifies turning movements and required signals, is in effect.
Transit Sam