Committee hears overview of NYSDOT Route 9A (West Street) study; members press for more crossings, resilience and bus service

Members of the Manhattan City Transportation Committee received an update on the New York State Department of Transportation’s two‑year study of Route 9A (West Street) and discussed possible outcomes and community priorities. NYSDOT staff described a broad study scope; committee members urged study elements that would increase pedestrian crossings, calm traffic, add safe bike infrastructure and integrate resilience planning.

Committee members said Route 9A serves many different street contexts along the western Manhattan waterfront and asked DOT to treat the corridor’s sections differently rather than applying a single design. The committee recommended: more cross‑street openings through the median, bus service improvements to provide a north‑south transit option, separated high‑speed bike lanes distinct from pedestrian paths, and better signalization and mid‑block refuge spaces where pedestrians and cyclists cross.

The board discussed the idea of reclassifying portions of Route 9A as a boulevard to calm speeds and improve local access. Members also emphasized that resilience work (including Army Corps designs discussed in prior forums) should be coordinated with the study; several members said resilience elements should not rely on a simple seawall and that funding and interagency coordination will be necessary because the study area crosses city, state and Hudson River Park agency boundaries.

Committee members described the Route 9A corridor as a long‑running planning topic and said they were encouraged that DOT solicited neighborhood walking tours; the study will include community workshops and schematic designs later in the process. No formal committee vote was taken; members asked to receive schematics and to be included in follow‑up workshops.