Volume 22, Number 41 | The Newspaper of Lower Manhattan | February 19 – 25, 2010
Plans to reduce Chambers to one lane
Starting as soon as next month, the city plans to reduce Chambers St. to one lane, going westbound, for the next three years.
The proposed traffic change is part of the city’s $26 million total reconstruction of Chambers St. between Broadway and West St., a three-year project that will replace a water main built in the 1880s and other utilities. The city plans to keep one lane of traffic flowing on Chambers St. at all times but won’t have enough room to maintain the current two-way traffic, said Shane Ojar, who does outreach for the city Dept. of Design and Construction.
“This is the most intense project we’re going to do in the city in the next few years,” Ojar said, citing the many businesses and schools on Chambers St., in addition to pedestrians, cars and buses.
Ojar spoke at a meeting of Community Board 1’s Tribeca Committee Wednesday night. Board members were upset to hear about the extent of the work on one of Lower Manhattan’s key thoroughfares, which will include late nights and weekends, and they were also concerned that the city has not come up with a detour plan.
“It’s starting in a month,” said Peter Braus, chairperson of the Tribeca Committee. “They still haven’t thought it through?”
Attendees also were worried that the city will have little choice but to detour Brooklyn Bridge-bound vehicles on West St. through Warren St. near I.S. 89 students crossing the highway.
Ojar said the city Dept. of Transportation was still finalizing the plan to make Chambers one-way westbound, and he promised that D.O.T. would present a plan soon. The community board hopes to schedule a public meeting with D.O.T. within the next 10 days to get more information.
— Julie Shapiro
