Chapter 14: Transportation
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Chapter 14: Transportation A. INTRODUCTION As described in detail in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” New York University (NYU) is proposing the development of four new buildings (including academic uses, residential units for NYU faculty and students, a new athletic facility, a University-affiliated hotel and conference space, and retail uses); below-grade academic uses; approximately four acres of publicly- accessible open spaces; and the replacement of the below-grade Washington Square Village (WSV) public parking garage with a new accessory parking garage on the same block (the “Proposed Actions”). NYU also anticipates making space available to the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) for the provision of an approximately 100,000-square-foot public school.1 By 2031, the Proposed Actions would result in the development of approximately 2.5 million gross square feet (gsf) of new uses in the Proposed Development Area, comprising two superblocks, with the “North Block” bounded by West 3rd Street to the north, Bleecker Street to the south, Mercer Street to the east, and LaGuardia Place to the west, and the “South Block” bounded by Bleecker Street to the north, West Houston Street to the south, Mercer Street to the east, and LaGuardia Place to the west. It is also anticipated that NYU would develop up to approximately 24,000 gsf of neighborhood retail uses in the ground floors of six NYU buildings within the Commercial Overlay Area northeast of the Proposed Development Area. Although an Illustrative Program reflecting what is currently contemplated by NYU has been developed, the desired programming and timing of development of certain buildings may change over time. Given these potential variations with respect to the overall programming, three “reasonable worst-case development scenarios” (RWCDS) were formulated (see Table 1-8). As detailed below in this chapter, RWCDS 3 (“Max Hotel” Scenario) was determined to be the overall worst-case development scenario for the evaluation of potential transportation-related impacts. However, because RWCDS 1 (“Max Academic” Scenario) would yield notably more subway trips but lower or comparable trip-making for other modes of transportation to RWCDS 3, conditions pertained to traffic, pedestrians, and parking were evaluated using projections developed for RWCDS 3, whereas conditions pertained to subway were analyzed for both RWCDS 1 and RWCDS 3. Since the proposed development would be built out over an approximately 19-year period, some buildings would be completed and occupied before the anticipated final build-out year of 2031 and new trips generated by these buildings could result in significant adverse transportation impacts prior to completion of the full development program. Specifically, development components on the South Block, as well as the additional neighborhood retail uses in the Commercial Overlay Area, are anticipated to be completed by 2021. Uses on the North Block would follow and are planned for completion in 2031. Therefore, the transportation analyses 1 If by 2025 SCA does not exercise its option to build the public school, NYU would build and utilize the 100,000-square-foot space for its own academic purposes. 14-1 NYU Core FEIS considered both the interim 2021 analysis year and the final build-out year of 2031 to identify potential impacts and determine feasible mitigation measures that would be appropriate for these two future analysis years. B. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS TRAFFIC Weekday peak hour traffic conditions were evaluated at 17 intersections for the Phase 1–2021 Completion and Phase 2–2031 Full Build-Out scenarios. The traffic impact analysis indicates that under the Phase 1–2021 Completion scenario, there would be the potential for significant adverse impacts at two intersections during the weekday AM peak hour, two intersections during the weekday midday peak hour, and three intersections during the weekday PM peak hour, as follows. WEEKDAY AM PEAK HOUR West Houston Street and Sixth Avenue – northbound approach; and Bleecker Street and Mercer Street – eastbound approach. WEEKDAY MIDDAY PEAK HOUR West Houston Street and LaGuardia Place/West Broadway – northbound right-turn; and Bleecker Street and Mercer Street – eastbound approach. WEEKDAY PM PEAK HOUR West Houston Street and Sixth Avenue – westbound right-turn; Bleecker Street and Mercer Street – eastbound approach; and West Houston Street and Mercer Street – southbound approach. Under the Phase 2–2031 Full Build-Out scenario, significant adverse impacts were identified for three intersections during the weekday AM peak hour, six intersections during the weekday midday peak hour, and seven intersections during the weekday PM peak hour, as follows. WEEKDAY AM PEAK HOUR West Houston Street and Sixth Avenue – northbound approach; Bleecker Street and LaGuardia Place – eastbound approach; and Bleecker Street and Mercer Street – eastbound approach. WEEKDAY MIDDAY PEAK HOUR West Houston Street and Sixth Avenue – westbound right-turn; Bleecker Street and LaGuardia Place – eastbound approach; West 3rd Street and LaGuardia Place – northbound approach; West Houston Street and LaGuardia Place/West Broadway – northbound right-turn and southbound left-turn/through; Bleecker Street and Mercer Street – eastbound approach; and West 4th Street and Broadway – southbound approach. 14-2 Chapter 14: Transportation WEEKDAY PM PEAK HOUR West Houston Street and Sixth Avenue – westbound right-turn; West 4th Street and LaGuardia Place – northbound approach; West Houston Street and LaGuardia Place/West Broadway – northbound left-turn/through and southbound left-turn/through. Bleecker Street and Mercer Street – eastbound approach; West Houston Street and Mercer Street – southbound approach; West 4th Street and Broadway – southbound approach; and West 3rd Street and Broadway – westbound through. Table 14-1 provides a summary of the above impacted locations by Build year and analysis time periods. As detailed in Chapter 21, “Mitigation,” all of these significant adverse impacts could be mitigated with standard traffic engineering measures that have been reviewed and approved by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). Table 14-1 Summary of Significant Adverse Traffic Impacts Intersection 2021 Analysis Year 2031 Analysis Year AM Peak Midday PM Peak AM Peak Midday PM Peak EB/WB Street NB/SB Street Hour Peak Hour Hour Hour Peak Hour Hour West Houston Street Sixth Avenue NB - LTR WB - R NB - LTR WB - R WB - R West 4th Street LaGuardia Place NB - R West 3rd Street LaGuardia Place NB - LT Bleecker Street LaGuardia Place EB - LTR EB - LTR West Houston Street LaGuardia Place/West NB - R NB - R NB - LT Broadway SB - LT SB - LT Bleecker Street Mercer Street EB - TR EB - TR EB - TR EB - TR EB - TR EB - TR West Houston Street Mercer Street SB - LTR SB - LTR West 4th Street Broadway SB - LT SB - LT West 3rd Street Broadway WB - T Notes: EB = Eastbound; WB = Westbound; NB = Northbound; SB = Southbound L = Left Turn; T = Through; R = Right Turn; DefL = Defacto Left Turn TRANSIT The preliminary screening assessment summarized below concluded that a detailed examination of subway and bus line-haul conditions is not warranted. However, a detailed analysis of station elements at four area subway stations as shown below was prepared: Broadway/Lafayette Station; Bleecker Street Station; Prince Street Station; and West 4th Street Station. With Phase 1–2021 Completion, the proposed project under RWCDS 3 would not result in any significant adverse transit impacts. Upon Phase 2–2031 Full Build-Out, significant adverse impacts are anticipated to occur under this development scenario at two subway station stairways, as follows. 14-3 NYU Core FEIS Broadway/Lafayette Street Station – northeast stairway (S9) during the PM peak period; and West 4th Street Station – northeast stairway (S2A/B) during the weekday PM Peak period. For RWCDS 1, the Broadway/Lafayette Station’s northeast stairway (S9) impact would occur under both Phase 1–2021 Completion (PM peak period) and Phase 2–2031 Full Build-Out (PM peak period) scenarios, while the West 4th Street Station’s northeast stairway (S2A/B) impact would only occur under Phase 2–2031 Full Build-Out (PM peak period) scenario. Table 14-2 provides a summary of the above impacted locations by Build year and analysis time periods. As detailed in Chapter 21, “Mitigation,” these significant adverse impacts could be mitigated with stairway widenings. An engineering analysis to determine the feasibility of implementing the above-described mitigation measures was undertaken and the recommended stairway widening mitigation measures were found to be feasible. The analysis conducted for this EIS to determine the potential for significant adverse impacts was based on the RWCDS that maximizes the potential for impacts to the subway station stairways. It is possible that the actual built program will contain a mix of uses with lower transit demand, and therefore would have less potential to adversely affect these subway stairways. Accordingly, prior to implementation of the required stairway mitigation, NYU may undertake a study to determine whether the required mitigation would be unwarranted based on the then anticipated built program and service conditions in 2021 and 2031. If NYU undertakes such a study, it would be submitted to DCP and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT) for review. NYU, in coordination with the MTA NYCT, would implement