Should motorized traffic be allowed through the WTC site?

[Stern]

The arguments (you can add you own):

Yes.) It will restore circulation with the rest of lower Manhattan and that the super block mentality is a failed premise from the past and wrong for NYC.

No.) Motorized traffic is pedestrian unfriendly and it will create congestion. Given the tourist nature of the redeveloped WTC through traffic and pedestrians will not happily coincide (through traffic will not get through, tourists will not be able to enjoy the site and will risk being hit by traffic). Motorized traffic allows potential car bombs to be within feet of all aspects of the World Trade Center. Motorized traffic adds air and noise pollution to what many feel is an already congested development for what more sanctuary is needed.

[Jonathan_Hakala]

Stern, what a great poll question. Thank you!

Yet another reason to vote no: Without SUVs and other nonessential vehicle traffic crisscrossing the World Trade Center site, the proposed 200-foot tall concrete bunker for the "Freedom" Tower would be unnecessary. The proposed concrete bunker violates the most basic principles of urban planning and would severely retard street life. And people from all over the world would see this bunker as concrete evidence that the United States had somehow allowed itself to decay into a closed and paranoid society.

Allowing motorized traffic through the World Trade Center site would also destroy Governor Pataki's environmental record and any chance Pataki might have for national office.

[ZippyTheChimp]

The streets should be configured with retractable barriers to selectively restrict traffic at certain times and on certain days.

There is no reason for Fulton St to be open to any traffic except shuttle buses. Traffic needing to get to West St north can turn right on Church St and then use Barclay or Murray Sts, which have light traffic. I don't know if there are plans to allow turns south from Fulton onto West Sts.

Greenwich St needs to be opened to traffic at least at certain times, because it will impact Broadway, which is already choked with traffic.

Allowing motorized traffic through the World Trade Center site would also destroy Governor Pataki's environmental record and any chance Pataki might have for national office.The environment argument is not valid, unless you can show that eliminating traffic would reduce pollution overall in the area, not just on a particular street.

[JMGarcia]

For security purposes at the FT it is irrelevant if Greenwich and Fulton are open as long as Vesey is which I doubt that they will close.

Otherwise I agree with Zippy, although I could personally care less if drivers are choked up on Broadway and have no urge to lessen their "suffering".

[Ninjahedge]

Around? Yes.

Through? No.

I think a lot of the streets down there are absolutely USELESS to cars and should be shut down completely! (I bladed thriugh there to get to Century 21 from the WSH and some of those "roads" are nightmares!)

As for the ones immediately surrounding the WTC, aside from Broadway and the WSH, I do not think those small roads have much of a purpose other than shortcutting a 1/4 mile off your route by going down and around.

If it takes "too long" to do that, then maybe you should think of walking the block or two and get a cab on the other side... ;)

[ZippyTheChimp]

I think you are incorrect about the impact of West Broadway on the surrounding streets.

Stand on the corner of Chambers & W Broadway and observe how much of the traffic turns left on Chambers (a narrow 2 way street), and how little continues south. Then go to Chambers & Broadway and see how much turns right on Broadway. This condition has nothing to do with 09/11. It came about when the WTC was built, and a southbound route was cut-off without any thought about where the traffic would go.

It's not about how long it takes drivers to maneuver around the area. Constant traffic congestion screws up the area for pedestrians. As long as traffic is not going to be eliminated from Manhattan, then it must be handled intelligently.

[JMGarcia]

Its always seemed to me a lot of the traffic turning onto Chambers going east is headed for the Brooklyn Bridge.

I'm not sure where Greenwich would get people that Broadway and the WSH doesn't already.

Personally, I think the pedestrian experience is better on streets with heavy, slow moving traffic compared to higher speed traffic like on the Avenues.

[TonyO]

I voted yes. Its amazing that all of you voted for a superblock. That was one of the largest complaints about the original WTC.

[BrooklynRider]

I think the WTC site needs to be oriented in a way that will make it look as different from the prior formation as possible. I personally would prefer to go there and not look at a site and think, "That's where 4WTC was. That's where Tower 2 was."

I think that traffic should be allowed, but only vehicles that meet height restrictions. A truck-free zone like Park Ave. I prefer lively streets (including traffic) to pedestrian malls with no real purpose.

[TomAuch]

No, but we don't have to settle for the same superblock. We could restore Greenwich and Fulton, but they could be selectively closed off, for pedestrians, people on bikes, tour buses, and street-cars only (there have been plans ever since 9/11 to bring a street-car/trolley line down to the area.) Normal vehicular traffic should be bared from entering.

[ryan]

I disagree with the premise "no motorized traffic = superblock."

[Jonathan_Hakala]

^ Ryan, so do I.

[Ninjahedge]

Have you been across those blocks though?

It is not as if this was a true superblock, or that cross-town was a prevalent mode of transport in that area either.

If this area was not blocked off from other modes of transport I do not think it will be much of a problem.

that, and comparing it to the residential superblocks in areas that DO need the cross-town roadways is not exactly fair....

[alonzo-ny]

I agree with zippys post restrict traffic at certain times would be a good solution, i think more people would be drawn through the site to battery park city if it had actual streets on it.