Mayor Bill de Blasio unveils plan to ease traffic congestion in New York City

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new plan Sunday aimed at easing traffic congestion in New York City.

The initiative includes the creation of new moving lanes in Midtown, clearing curbs during rush hours, expanding NYPD enforcement of block-the-box violations, limiting curbside access in crowded corridors, and bringing coordinated attention to recurring traffic spots on local highways, the mayor said.

"With 8.5 million people, New York City is experiencing both record population and economic vitality; but our success has put serious demands on our already crowded street network," said Mayor de Blasio. "With a targeted effort to help clear travel lanes, delivery zones, intersections and highways, these initiatives will address these concerns head-on, using established and new tools that will keep our city moving, from midtown to all of our neighborhoods ."

Under one element of the plan, called Clear Lanes, the city will create continuous curb moving lanes during busy times on 11 key crosstown streets.

Deliveries will generally be permitted on one side of the street, while the other curb will be signed for no standing from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To enforce the lanes, the city will double the number of traffic enforcement agents in its Midtown Manhattan traffic enforcement task force.

The mayor announced the steps along one of the new Clear Lanes corridors in Midtown, where the city says vehicle travel times have declined by 23% since 2010.

Clear Lane streets will include:

60th and 59th Sts. (Fifth to Second Ave.)

58th St. (Lexington to Second Ave.)

54th St. (Eighth to Third Ave.)

53rd St. (Ninth to Third Ave.)

50th and 49th Sts. (Ninth to Third Ave.)

47th and 46th Sts. (Ninth to Third Ave.)

37th and 36th Sts. (Sixth to Second Ave)