The Clinton/Hells Kitchen Neighborhood Traffic Study, performed by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), is a comprehensive transportation plan for an area of Manhattan located west of midtown. The goal of the study was to develop recommendations to improve travel conditions and safety for all users of the street network while enhancing the neighborhood environment, based on a combination of sound technical analysis and the community’s vision in a manner consistent with the Department’s goal of “complete streets”.

The area is home to a number of regional transportation facilities, notably the Lincoln Tunnel, the West Side Highway and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Major trip generators within the study area include the Javits Convention Center, the USS Intrepid Museum, Theater Row, the US Postal Service complex, and major distribution centers of three package delivery companies. The study area is home to about 37,000 residents and 96,000 workers. Directly adjacent to the study area are the theater district, Times Square, the garment district, Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. The area is experiencing significant residential and commercial growth, which is expected to continue in the future with the development of the Hudson Rail Yards and the “7” train extension.

The study builds on a Vision Plan issued by a neighborhood advocacy group, which focused on Ninth Avenue as the neighborhood’s Main Street. The Department worked closely with the local Community Board, advocacy groups, the Port Authority and transit operators to develop a comprehensive improvement plan that integrated elements of the community plan. Short-term measures such as signal timing have been implemented. Other measures such as construction to provide pedestrian crossing adjacent to the tunnel were challenging for both microsimulation and developing a balance between accommodating pedestrians and motorists

A major challenge of the study was developing a Microsimulation model to accurately reflect conditions and to capture the multiple entrances and exits to and from the Lincoln Tunnel and the adjacent street network.

The presentation will focus on the technical (e.g,, Microsimulation), community coordination elements of the study and the department’s plans to implement the study recommendations.