TRAFFIC DIVISION

In 1904, the difficulties facing the public were a maze of people, horses, bicycles and vehicles vying for space on streets that were often unpaved, muddy or dusty. The great number of horses on streets that year was evident by the Mounted Division having a major unit called the "Traffic Squad." Vehicles rapidly became popular in great numbers causing traffic jams. The "Bicycle Squad" which had been formed as a branch of the Traffic Squad by Theodore Roosevelt in 1895, was also used to catch speeders exceeding the city wide limit of eight miles per hour. The "Manhattan Traffic Area" was organized when traffic "Unit A" and "Unit B" merged in 1975. It is responsible for the safety, enforcement and expedient movement of all traffic in Manhattan from 66th Street to the Battery, East River to Hudson River, including the Williamsburg, Queensborough, Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. In addition to providing a mobile response to disorders and emergency incidents, the "Manhattan Traffic Area" implements traffic plans and investigates vehicles impounded or towed away by the Department of Transportation.

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