“New York City Closed to all Traffic”

Abstract

This chapter examines the transportation shutdowns that quickly ricocheted out beyond the New York area following the attacks of 9/11. Each subsequent event amplified the crisis unfolding at the World Trade Center, intensifying the fear and panic and increasing the numbers of people directly caught up in the catastrophe. With the avalanche of toxic dust and debris came terror. Bridges and tunnels were closed, streets were clogged with stalled traffic, and no trains were moving. Suddenly, hundreds of thousands of visitors, residents, and commuters found themselves trapped in Lower Manhattan, struggling to grasp what was happening and trying to answer one question: How could they get off the island? Passengers then arrived in waves at the World Financial Center ferry terminal.