02.24 /14
10 years ago
After the announcement of Pulaski Skyway replacement project, the New Jersey Department of Transportation has decided to divert most of the express buses and Manhattan-bound cars to the Staten Island Expressway. “The route will now change and pass through the Goethals Bridge through the Staten Island Expressway,” said Michael Grimm, the representative of Staten Island/Brooklyn. This multi-year project is set to commence next month, as the report says.
Grimm also said that this plan again going to bring difficulties for Staten Islanders once again. Grimm also told that the traffic diversion of Pulaski Skyway will reroute more than 40,000 vehicles everyday. In peak hours, over 10,000 vehicles pass the Skyway. “This decision by New Jersey Department of Transportation would rather complicate the traffic issue on Staten Island Expressway,” said Grimm. Grimm also mentioned that New Jersey Department of Transportation informed about such a big event to the representatives just a month before the plan was about to start.
Grimm, while declining to give any specific names, also said that multiple sources including a few members from Staten Island Expressway pothole crew told him a few unpleasant details about this new plan. According to him, this project will divert all Manhattan bound cars, express buses and vehicles through the Island and Brooklyn once the northbound lanes of the Skyway are closed in March for the next three years.
Grimm also mentioned about a few employees of a Jersey-based express bus company, who told him about their re-routing plans, which include more than 100 Wall Street bound buses, between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day. A message was also sent to Academy Bus, one of those bus companies, regarding this matter. However, the website of NJDOT says something different. According to the department, the re-routing plan is still not decided. However, NJDOT has no plans of using SIE and Goethals as an alternate route considering the length of the trip. Instead, the department officials have made some suggestions to motorists asking them to take public transportation or to use carpools and vanpools that NJDOT will consider to subsidize in part.
The website includes both Turnpike Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension and New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur as two alternate driving routes for all Manhattan-bound vehicles. The department has plans to enhance the ramps and convert the shoulder into a third level during rush hours of a day. Calls made to the department, seeking comments from NJDOT spokesmen, were not instantly returned.
Grimm commented on this stating that drivers will certainly look for alternate routes and divert through Staten Island to avoid heavy traffic at the spur. After all, drivers can find only a few routes to Manhattan including both Goethals and the Staten Island Expressway where they will not pay. He also said that he will try his best to get clear answers from the NJDOT about this ludicrous decision that may affect their borough in a negative way.
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To inform and help protect independent vehicle operators and their passengers, we have developed and implemented a set of COVID-19 response measures compliant with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) recommendations.
As of April 17, 2020, New York State requires all TLC drivers and passengers to wear face coverings while riding together. Independent vehicle operators are required to wear a face covering, such as a facemask, bandana, or a scarf that cover mouth and nose when transporting passengers, or when otherwise within 6 feet of customers or others. Passengers are asked to wear a face covering before entering vehicles and during their entire ride.
We require independent vehicle operators to sanitize their vehicles before the start of each shift. Independent vehicle operators must also clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces after the completion of each trip. When cleaning and disinfecting, individuals must wear disposable gloves and PPE, compatible with the cleaning products being used. Vehicles must be thoroughly ventilated during and after the cleaning process. All gloves and any other disposable PPE used for cleaning and disinfecting the vehicles must be removed and disposed of after cleaning.
Interior surfaces that must be disinfected include: seat cushions, arm rests, door handles, window buttons, buckles and seatbelts, light and air controls, doors and windows, and grab handles. Frequently touched electronic surfaces, such as tablets or touch screens used in the vehicles must also be cleaned and disinfected. Special attention must be paid to surfaces and objects that are touched often by passengers. Surfaces that are frequently touched by the driver, such as the steering wheel, radio buttons, turn indicators and cup holders, must also be disinfected at regular intervals.
Independent vehicle operators must carry cleaning and disinfectant sprays and/or disposable wipes and disposal trash bags with them in their vehicles.
We educate independent vehicle operators about where to find accurate information about COVID-19, its symptoms, and how it spreads. We actively encourage sick independent vehicle operators to stay home. We also encourage the use of and provide assistance in acquiring hand sanitizer and disposable wipes and cleaning products.
As an important infection control measure, we require independent vehicle operators to practice regular hand hygiene. The times on the job to clean hands include:
Most independent vehicles are carrying partitions between driver and passengers for your safety.
At this time, we restrict independent vehicle operators from providing pooled rides or picking up multiple passengers who would not otherwise be riding together on the same route. Passengers should only be allowed to sit in the back seat.
We also encourage use of the vehicles' vents and/or lower the vehicle windows to bring in fresh outside air instead of using the recirculated air option for the car’s ventilation during passenger transport.
We ask independent vehicle operators to open and close trunks and doors for their passengers. Passengers should be asked to handle their own personal bags and belongings during pick-up and drop-off.
We prioritize contactless transactions that limit or eliminate close contact and the sharing of items such as pens and electronic signature pads between independent vehicle operators and passengers.
For the safety of passengers, no items such as water bottles or magazines should be provided.
We routinely conduct unannounced field checks to monitor compliance with our COVID-19 response measures. We discontinue service to our customers by independent vehicle operators found to not comply with our guidelines.
