Oil Spill Closes Upper Level of GW, Sending Trucks onto 181st St. (9/25/10)

If you were wondering why 181st Street was clogged with truck traffic on Wednesday morning, here is the story in a nutshell.  According to police officers at the scene, an early morning oil spill on the upper level of the George Washington Bridge required trucks to be diverted onto local streets in and around Hudson Heights.  While automobiles were able to use the lower level to head to New Jersey, trucks are barred from that level.  The result was a mess of trucks on 181st Street trying to get to Broadway and other arteries.  Compounding the mess was the truck that ran out of gas in the middle of 181st Street and the truck and automobile collision just behind that.

Takeaway:  we need more railcars and fewer trucks.