Getting to downtown Manhattan is getting easier. The Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) is now operating a high tech, wireless Traffic Management Plan to maintain mobility in Lower Manhattan as the area undergoes extensive rebuilding. The LMCCC is currently overseeing more than 190 construction projects within one square mile below Canal Street, including the rebuilding of the WTC site.

The two major components of the plan are:

1) The Construction Permit and Enforcement Taskforce (CPET)

2) The Intelligent Transportation Systems(ITS)

The Construction Permit and Enforcement Taskforce (CPET), comprised of City agencies with regulatory authority over construction activity, meets several times a week to review pending permits, identify problem areas and deploy enforcement personnel to areas as needed. CPET also participates in numerous general and project-specific construction coordination meetings and works directly with project sponsors in the field to facilitate construction. CPET agencies include the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT), the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) and the New York Police Department (NYPD). Each agency in CPET has enforcement personnel solely dedicated to Lower Manhattan. There are 10 DOT highway inspectors, six DOB inspectors and 35 traffic agents with the NYPD - all focused on enforcing rules that alleviate traffic congestion and maintain quality of life.

Additionally, NYPD has two tow trucks dedicated solely to crack down on drivers who are double parked or parked illegally, thereby inhibiting construction and mobility. There is additional participation by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Sanitation (DOS).

With $6 million provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the LMCCC has installed 27 traffic monitoring cameras, eight Variable Message Signs (VMS) which are solar powered, two Highway Advisory broadcast radio stations to provide real-time traffic information to drivers and 13 transponder readers and is in the process of installing 152 traffic sensors throughout Lower Manhattan. This Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) funnels up-tothe- minute traffic information to the joint City/State Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Long Island City.”

LMCCC Executive Director Robert Harvey said, “Our goal is to have a constant flow of information to those who live and work in Lower Manhattan. With this Traffic Management Plan, we can mitigate the impact of the construction and reduce congestion so the quality of life downtown is maintained. This system is coming online as construction in Lower Manhattan hits a peak in the next year or so. ”

LMCCC and NYC DOT will integrate data from the ITS onto www.Lower Manhattan.info, giving the community easy access to real time data about mobility downtown. For more information on the Traffic Management Plan, visit our website at www.LowerManhattan.info .