November 7th - November 13th, 2003

City Ends Passenger Minimums for Lower Manhattan Bridges, Tunnels

Wednesday, Nov. 12: Restrictions on the number of passengers in inbound vehicles using Lower Manhattan bridges and tunnels will be lifted on Monday, Nov. 17, the city's Department of Transportation announced. Vehicles with single passengers have been barred from the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges and the Brooklyn Battery and Holland Tunnels between 6 and 10 a.m. -- a ban imposed on September 27, 2001 as a result of the effects of 9/11.

The department said in a statement that the restrictions are no longer necessary because of improvements to traffic flow in Lower Manhattan and the pending reopening of the PATH station at the World Trade Center site.

Restrictions on other Manhattan crossings -- the Queensboro Bridge and Queens Midtown and Lincoln Tunnels -- were lifted 18 months ago, on April 22, 2002. Restrictions on trucks with four or more axles remain in effect for the Holland Tunnel, and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes remain in place on the Long Island and Gowanus Expressways.

Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall said she recommends the continued use of mass transit and said anyone interested in carpooling can visit www.commuterlink.com.

Churchyard Adjacent to WTC Site Reopens

Friday, Nov. 7: The Church Street gates to St. Paul's Chapel in Lower Manhattan have been reopened, the New York Times reported, allowing access to the churchyard for the first time in many, many years. The yard, which houses centuries-old graves, was previously accessible only from the chapel itself -- and that entrance had been closed since September 11, 2001. According to the Times, the gates will be open daily from 10 a.m. to dusk.

Workshops Seek Feedback on Memorial Design Proposals

Imagine New York, a project of the Municipal Art Society and other civic and cultural organizations, has invited New Yorkers to participate in a series of workshops examining design proposals for a permanent memorial at the World Trade Center. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation plans to reveal the designs of eight finalists next week (the week of Nov. 17).

Public feedback to the Imagine New York workshops will be conveyed to rebuilding officials. The two-hour workshops will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, and Friday, Nov. 21, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22. Each will be held at Pace University's Schimmel Center for the Arts.

Space is limited; for more information or to sign up, call (212) 750-3952 or visit www.imaginenewyork.org.