DEP Invoice or Financial Record, September 30, 2001

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Traffic worst yet, says DOT D o o c 3 Q 3

By PETE DONOHUE took the D train yesterday. ings added to the backups. Yesterday, stuck in traffic on DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER “Traffic is crazy,” he said. “It Air conditioning repairman 11th Ave. at 42nd St. as his com- Not enough people abandoned their cars in favor was horrendous. I don’t expect Bill Bums came over the Will- mute neared two hours, he had to start driving again until mid­ iamsburg Bridge and wanted to one word to describe his experi- of mass transit yesterday, trapping hundreds of thou­ October. Hopefully, by then, ev- head south to John St., but was ence: “miserable.” sands of commuters in the longest traffic tieups etything will be okay.” directed north on the Bowery to Southbound cars continued to since the World Trade Center disaster. Delays at the George Washing­ Delancey St. It took him two be rerouted off the West Side ton Bridge hit one hour, half an hours to snake back downtown. Highway at 34th St., keeping the “Yesterday morning’s rush At Catherine St, he griped: final few miles free for emergen- hour was the worst trafficwise never know what could happen.” hour longer than normal, accord­ Subway ridership was “lighter ing to the broadcast service “By the time I get to John St., it cy vehicles and minimizing fraf- since the catastrophe,” said city will be about lunchtime.” fic in lower Manhattan. As a re­ Transportation Department than normal,” Mayor Giuliani Shadow Traffic. Southbound drivers also were suit, cars and trucks^ backed up spokesman Tom Cocola. “A lot acknowledged. “The railroads 45-niinute wart using their brakes as much as 40 blocks before the exit, of streets were jammed.” are normal. Since the subways Drivers at the Lincoln Tunnel their gas pedals in midtown. “Terrible,” said cabbie Maxi- Robert Costa, a pharmacy are lighter and vehicular traffic were waiting 45 minutes to an “It was very bad on Seventh moLarac. “It’s really bad. People manager from Bensonhurst, is pretty crowded, I really do hour, down from two- to three- Ave.,” said Vincent Loveless, 31, are getting out and walking. You Brooklyn, said traffic was so bad urge people to consider for the hour delays last week. who delivers and installs pool ta- can’t move.” on the Gowanus Expressway next couple of days, or the next While commuting times into bles. “I was going nowhere. I Ted Ballaster, 37, Slog^ng that he took side streets to the week or so, to alternate their rou­ Manhattan on the East River was sitting at a light and not mov- through traffic to de^er electri- Brooklyn Bridge — and a trip tine and take public transporta­ crossings were the normal 15 to ing for 10 to 15 minutes. There cal supplies to midtbtvn, said that normally takes 15 minutes tion. You will find it a lot easier.” 20 minutes. Shadow Traffic said, are definitely more people on the gridlock is costing fiihi jnoney. took two hours. Some heeded the call to take the area between the Williams­ road.” “It’s impossible topget any- “It’s the worst, but I won’t take mass transit. burg and Brooklyn bridges were Tim Clark counts on spending where,” he said. “Yc|i jVait two the train,” Costa said. “I’m afraid Car salesman Julio Alicea, 34, nightmarishly jammed. Police 45 minutes to get to the Garment hours to get in, and’then you to. I’m afraid of gas bombs. You of the Bronx, drove last week but checkpoints and street rerout- District from Little Feny, N.J. can’t even move." ’