New York City’s ban on most vehicular traffic on 14th Street in Manhattan begins on Thursday.
Only MTA buses, large trucks and delivery vehicles will be allowed between Third and Ninth Avenues from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. The goal is to speed up crosstown buses, which travel on average at just 4 mph.
“It has seen in the period of about five years a decline in ridership about 30 percent. We would like to try and reverse that trend,” Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said.
The hope is that the car ban will make crosstown trips 5 minutes faster. There will be a 60-day warning period for drivers before fines begin in early December. First time violations will cost drivers $50, with the cost increasing to a maximum of $250.
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