Who needs a car in Manhattan? It's a boat-anchor. An expensive boat-anchor at that when you add up all the various costs of ownership. It's hilarious and ridiculous to observe how some folks twist themselves into knots in support of their vehicles; circling blocks looking for a parking space, or sitting on clogged roads moving at a tortoise pace that has pedestrians waving at them as they walk by.
Think of the amount of time taken from your life in support of your personal conveyance. I side with those who think it would be best to ban all "civilian" vehicles in the city. It's really just an island, and a small one at that. Anywhere you need to be, or get to, you can walk or take public transit. So get over yourself, think logically and ban 'em. The city would then become more livable, and certainly less noisy and polluted. I'll leave it to those we elect to determine the best method of doing it.
John~
American Net'Zen
9
Finally an article that mentions construction as a cause of traffic.
It includes the non stop high rises for millionaires going up on a daily basis, closing lanes, and making traffic unbearable. Also, closing of lanes due to construction underground, pipes and whatever they're doing down there, reducing avenues of 4 lanes into one or two.
The day it took 45 minutes to go from 59th st and 9th ave to 48th st and 9th in a taxi, not even my final destination, was the day I walked to Port Authority humping my luggage, I decided even the subway is a better option, luggage and all.
The traffic stresses not only drivers, but pedestrians, who inhale the fumes and have to navigate thru intersections jammed with cars blocking the box.
NY is a mess in so many ways, but the masses keep coming. I'm leaving.
11
Congestion pricing was a good idea ten years ago when Michael Bloomberg proposed it, and it's a good idea now.
(Liberals opposed it because it disproportionately affected poor New Yorkers. My feeling then was, Why do poor people drive into Manhattan when I have been taking two trains and a bus, an hour-and-a-half commute one way, for thirty years to get to my job?)
But it's not just Manhattan.
All the major highways are at a standstill, all the time, not least because drivers are texting, high on marijuana, and otherwise frenzied and causing accidents that set traffic back miles. Coming back from the Berkshires the other day, we sat in traffic on the BQE for probably two hours. The smell of weed from one car in particular was overwhelming.
6
New York needs to get serious about out of center, relatively easy to access parking for drivers coming from upstate, New England, and other out of city locations. The city could model this parking on the Alewife station in Cambridge, MA, where long and short term parking is available to feed into the "T" system. These parking garages would feed into the subway system.
Commuter rail stations and the cost of the train make it too expensive for many people to choose this option.
The region also needs to make non-driving options for entering Manhattan clear, well publicized, and with good signage so people who have no reason to bring a car into Manhattan understand how and where to park.
2
Maybe they can bring the dollar vans to Manhattan.
1
A lot of street space, even in Manhattan, is devoted to car storage--on-street parking. It encourages people to drive and takes up road space that could be used for something more productive, like bus lanes. The space devoted to parking far outweighs the space devoted to bike lanes. Can the city muster the will to reallocate space?
The likelihood, unfortunately, is that things will get worse, not better. New York is the biggest, densest, best transit served city in the country, but congestion pricing is still politically impossible. If autonomous vehicles actually come into regular use, there will be yet more unoccupied vehicles clogging the streets.
7
If the New York Times properly covered land use and development, there would have been reporting on the overdevelopment of the Financial District, the small, narrow streets around Fulton, John, William, Nassau streets etc, since 2010.
In less than 8 years, multiple small (5 story) buildings have been torn down and replaced by massive luxury high-rises.
On streets where - before 2010 - there was rarely a car, there is now constant gridlock, to the point that ambulances cannot move.
See for yourself - come down during the week and look around.
And not just the traffic - the pedestrians, and trash that is piled up on the narrow sidewalks....
14
way to go NYC, just keep on adding ride share autos, that'll fix the problem. "Doing something over and over again and expecting different results"- defintion of insanity.. Need i say more?
4
Get rid of the bicycle lanes. The roads are smaller, there is more traffic, quality of life is deteriorating and put a freeze on new buildings over 20 flights. City is losing quality of life of what it had left. The city is poorly managed. Only millionaires can affird to buy a one bedroom in new buildings. Schools, hospitals , transportation is overcrowded. Stores are empty for landlords do not lower rent. The bicycle lanes have caused massive congestion.Cars that were parked closer to the sidewalk now park in what we’re driving lanes Bicycles take away public parking spaces. Almost to idiotic .
11
@Ralph Petrillo If we get rid of the bicycle lanes, wouldn't we end up with more people requiring other transit options (including use of taxis)?
7
@Ralph Petrillo Ralph, please think this statement through: "The bicycle lanes have caused massive congestion." That just doesn't make sense. Take a look around crosstown traffic on midtown any given weekday morning: you will see delivery trucks parked on both sides of the streets, narrowing traffic to one lane. You will see a majority of passenger cars with one drive and no passengers. These are what are clogging the streets; in fact, if more people rode bicycles, maybe we'd have less need for all of these empty, space-taking, polluting cars.
4
I'm in favor of truth in advertising, so these should be re-named "Bloomberg Gridlock Days."
Bloomberg wants to be remembered for what he did as mayor; he has made that quite clear. Okay: THIS is one of the biggest messes he made as mayor - and he did it out of spite.
Please remember his penchant for spitefulness if he decides to run for president, because Bloomberg, quite like Trump, has a huge ego AND zero tolerance for anyone who disagrees with him. (And he has that "short guy/Napoleon" syndrome!)
4
One woman’s traffic is another women’s overtime.
(men’s too—-if they’re under a good contract that is)
1
Hmmmm. Pick the UN up and move it to another country. Now there's an idea worth pursing.
8
NYC is unlivable. Takes at least an hour to get anywhere; enraged honking at all hours; dirty choking fumes; pedestrians and cyclists get killed. Solution: Ban private cars/trucks/vans, eliminate gas stations and all parking, hike tolls to $300 or more per crossing. Only public transit, commercial taxis and delivery trucks and emergency vehicles. Effective from 225th street to Brooklyn.
7
@R. Turner
Why not have mini buses instead of cars and taxis.
Sits twenty people and drives from airports to NYC
No more cabs or Ubers at airports.
Make a complete speed train from JFK to Grand Cebtral.
3
@R. Turner
And what about the disabled, frail or elderly who live in Manhattan, or have medical appointments there, and can't ride bikes or take buses or the subway and can't afford commercial taxis on a regular basis? Are they to wait for access-a-ride vans that often fail to show up or show up hours off schedule? Or perhaps they should just kick the bucket after you or some other zealous biker has run them over while speeding against traffic in one of the city's hundreds of miles of bike lanes.
Some day, R. Turner, you may find yourself disabled, frail or elderly and not sufficiently well-heeled to pay for private car services to transport you, at your beck and call, wherever you wish to go. Maybe then you'll understand that cookie-cutter solutions to complex social problems rarely lead to sustainable and equitable public policies.
14
@Cordelia
Thank you for this, Cordelia.
2
New York should have fixed this a long time ago. First of all charge people who are not Manhattan residents. Set up a permit for people who live in Manhattan and own a car, the permit would allow them to also park for free anywhere in Manhattan. Allow deliveries on certain days only (if that's possible). Cap (it's in the process I believe) how many cabs, uber, lyfts, etc can be in the city at certain times. Build large parking garages connected to the subway or ferry terminals around Jersey/Brooklyn/Queens where people can park their cars for FREE (with a timed limit) and then pay to take the subway or ferry. Create some sort of elevated highway that would connect Holland Tunnel to the Manhattan Bridge and FDR so that people that are only crossing the island are not impacting local traffic on Canal Street. It's great to add bike lanes everywhere but it's not so great when you're not reducing traffic yet removing lanes.
8
@Jonathan--of all the people in the city, manhattan residents have the least need for cars.
6
@Jonathan
City still owns property and they can build parking garages. Of course they will lose money even when everyone else makes plenty from their parking lots.
@mark One of the best parts of living in NYC was not owning a car. You can rent one cheaply and easily for trips out of town that aren't serviced by rail. What kind of maniac would want to own a car in NYC? Oh yeah, The billionaires that made it a drag to live there.
3
While you are stuck in traffic,look at the vehicles around you. The majority belong to private car services and delivery trucks. Add double parked vehicles doing deliveries on streets that were not made for the volume,of traffic that moves around Manhattan now,plus a few tour buses for good measure,and a few ambulances trying to snake through this mess. Travel underground,or walk,if you can.
7
@mk- one practical solution which some major cities have done, is to ban all truck deliveries during the day and only allow deliveries between the hours of 7 p.m.- 12 midnight.
3
@lou andrews: Does that include a UPS deliveries to my home, and FedEx deliveries of legal documents to my office in midtown?
1
There is basically never a good time to Drive INTO the City. The GW/Lincoln, Holland.. all are nightmare unless it is 2am or 6am.
We need better trains though..took me 2 full hrs to get to Northern Jersey 25 miles from Manhattan on NJ transit! This is why people drive!
We also need way more FERRIES!
9
Ban all vehicles from (at least) lower Manhattan except EV's. Immediate benefits:
1) Infinitely less traffic for a number of years, anyway.
2) No desperate need to find a gas station. Easier to install charge points, which can be placed right on the street. The city and/or relevant utility could even make money off them.
3) Elimination of gas and diesel fumes, and soot.
4) Might be able to have a normal conversation on the street or...hear birds(!).
Healthier, quieter. Electric buses, trucks, taxis, and private vehicles are all available right now.
2
@Alan Dean Foster- don't you touch my Uber!!!!
1
@lou andrews
Tell your Uber to go electric!
Its fascinating to read about all the horrors on NYC traffic but not to have to live with it. Also, to see the deep insights coming from an outraged public (less construction, fewer bike lanes, eliminate the UN). If NYC wants a future free of this scourge, give Schwartz dictatorial power and wait ten years. That will not happen, so probably best to ignore the moaning.
Move the UN to someplace that isn't so busy!
Why do 8 million people have to be inconvenienced for a couple of huge egos and their security personnel?
Surely there is somewhere else in this country that would welcome the business & income the UN provides.
10
Please tell the U.N. to take a hike. Move to Switzerland, and let the Swiss have the pleasure of diplomats double parking, creating gridlock havoc, and acting as if they have the right to eat at any restaurant without a reservation.
4
I left NYC when I was 17. It was unlivable then, it's worse now. TOO MANY HUMANS. If they would clean up the subways and make them nice that would go a long way to convincing people not to take cars. The subways stink. They smell bad, they look bad, there are cat-sized rats on the tracks and the overpowering stench of urine in every corner. You are NYC, the financial capital of the world. Clean it up and make it nice.
22
@Deb- nope. the Law of Greed says we need to develop more... more land, more skylines, more businesses. Real Estate developers own the local and state politicians and until you can give these pols more money than they "Earn" from Real Estate developers, the road to development hell will continue to expand. Even the Bronx isn't safe(or inexpensive) anymore from these characters. I can't believe i'd ever say this - the Bronx isn't safe from development. Yikes!!!
3
@Deb: If you left NYC at age 17, how would you know what it's like here now?? You clearly haven't been in the subways in eons - they got better & you missed it, and now they've gotten worse again.
PS: The rats are NOT cat-sized.
PPS: It's NYC; it's not our job to make anything "nice."
5
UN Week is also known as fall vacation week in our house. If we can't schedule ourselves to be away for the whole thing we settle for any portion we can avoid. It really is hellish and makes doing anything in the city problematic. Of course, the current state of our mass transit system makes it worse. So take vacation, work from home, call in sick but whatever you do don't get in a car in Manhattan. UN? U go Nowhere.
7
In New York city gridlock days are Monday to Friday round the year except school holidays and major holidays . I commute from Jamaica Queens to downtown Brooklyn which is only 12.7 miles and it takes me one and half hour one way ( which is 3 hours every day for 25 miles). It is ridiculous. The biggest problem is the double parked vehicles all over Brooklyn ( specially on Park Ave and Myrtle Ave) . All deliveries should be before 6 AM or after 10 AM. The bike lanes create major problems specially on DeKalb Ave. Definitely the Uber contributed in the gridlock. The mayor and the transportation dept can eliminate deliveries between 7 AM to 10 AM which will be first step. Why double parked cars do not get tickets?
13
@ASHRAF CHOWDHURY: Maybe you should change your job hours and get to work by 6am, then you would have a smooth fast ride.
1
NYC is still great. If you live here you have options to get around - the subway is not great, but works. You still get good access to great health care if you have insurance. Finally, you can live anonymously, which is a big plus for me. That said, taxes have gone through the roof, the mayor is a incapable manager full of bad ideas. Prices of education, entertainment and housing are insane. I guess more and more people are starting to do the math.Those with options (the most productive workers) will be less reluctant to move if the opportunity emerges.
6
The real reason why NYC especially in Manhattan itself has so much traffic on a regular basis is because of the over development and the reducing or elimination of streets from vehicular traffic not to mention the omnipresence of ride share app vehicles that have no limits to how many of them can be there. I'm getting tired of those who continue to push and feel relentlessly that the only way it can be fixed is with congestion pricing, which continues to feel not only as a regressive tax on those who can't afford it but also by placing it on those who come from areas that happen to be transit deserts hence living to no other viable alternatives to getting around besides driving who will see it as a punishment for those doing so. Keep in mind that it's still highly opposed where the proposed zone should be. Ever since Bloomberg became mayor, he was known for either reducing streets with bike lanes that barely go used throughout the year or even eliminating streets altogether for pedestrian plazas that only go used when weather permitting. The rest of the time these are seen as a waste of space. As for mass transit, a better way to help them is to audit them to see where their revenues are really going to, because I could never understand how do they have such high revenues yet the system is in bad shape. Another thing that will help is cracking down on fare beaters, because those who feel they deserve a free ride end making it more for those who do pay with the hikes.
15
Gridlock alert days are the best days to drive in. Everybody scares off, takes the train, which is packed. No one on the roads.
@BB
Maybe in SF but you have obviously never been in NYC for UN week.
7
Here are 4 modest suggestions to speed up traffic and help the important people who drive:
eliminate sidewalks on one side of all the streets, why should there redundant sidewalks on both sides?
eliminate bike lanes - not only to get more space for cars but also for increased profits for the oil industry from forcing bicyclists to drive (and if they cannot afford to drive, who needs them) but also more profits for the medical industry from increased obesity, diabetes etc
forbid disabled or elderly people from walking in midtown Manhattan, they cross the street too slowly, if not for them we could shorten pedestrian crossing times;
pave over all of Central Park so motorists can go crosstown anywhere from 59th to 125th St, it would also save tax money spent on maintaining the park, cutting grass etc
16
@Barry Schiller hilarious
1
@Barry Schiller: You left out congestion pricing for pedestrians! After all, sidewalks are valuable real estate and those who use them should pay a fee per block walked.
PS: Bike riders are already doing their best to eliminate the disabled and elderly. If they can't hit them, they figure maybe they can just scare them to death.
6
I have zero sympathy for anyone driving that's not in a delivery truck or commercial vehicle required to be in the city. I'll wave at you as I zip by on my bike though.
6
The photo, not the article so much, at least notes a big cause of grid lock in Manhattan: Construction.
9
The maintenance of a 250 year old city with 8m plus tourists is a permanent occurrence. New Yorkers love to complain about things not working and things getting fixed.
7
@Brooklyn Dog Geek I think the issue is that construction will be occurring on the same building, road, subway tunnel, etc. for indeterminate stretches of time. When the construction is *finally* finished, the thing is broken again. Why should that be acceptable?
@Brooklyn Dog Geek
You've confused a maintenance shed with construction out on the street. Look at the photo next time.
And blocking two lanes of a major avenue, as is going on in my neighborhood for new tower, construction is hardly "maintenance".
I highly doubt that you live in or spend much time in Brooklyn.
Also look into the concept of a stawman argument, nowhere can you suggest have I said things in NYC shouldn't be fixed.
Then note how the article completely misses the construction mess that is much of Manhattan south of 100th street.
1
The best way to get around is still the subway. There are more incidences of signal malfunctions, sick passengers and other routine delays but it still beats waiting to pass through an intersection for three or four traffic light cycles while the meter is running.
15
@Steve
Unless the MTA plans to build the rest of the IND 2nd System along with the Triboro RX they were supposed to build decades ago, there will still be transit deserts hence the need to drive.
2
I got an idea, move the U.N. somewhere else already! We have enough traffic, congestion, etc. to begin with. Not only do they block areas all over, there is also the shopping contingency of diplomats and delegates' families who have multiple cars that will randomly stop vehicle and pedestrian traffic just so they can get to Saks or Bloomingdales! Be gone!
17
I feel for delivery drivers and the like, but for most people driving they get what they deserve? If you are not transporting something you couldn't carry, why in the world would you drive in Manhattan? Why?
7
@Still Waiting for a NBA Title If you live far enough out from the city, it's almost always cheaper and faster (except in the most extreme traffic) to drive in and hunt for free parking or even find discounted garage parking than pay for LIRR tickets. A single off-peak round trip ticket from my town's station costs a few dollars less than filling my entire tank of gas, and driving there and back uses up an eighth of a tank at most.
7
Often it's cheaper to drive multiple people and pay for parking than to take the train, especially if commuter RRs are involved.
Congestion pricing needs to happen.
4
@Still Waiting for a NBA Title
How about you try looking for the causes to why there those of us who end up driving into the main parts of the city rather than the effects, and then maybe you will understand the reason why we do so?
5
The price of owning and driving an expensive car in Manhattan is sitting in traffic for hours. What a life of luxury!
4
I remember walking down the sidewalk in New York City and I heard a police siren off in the distance.i turned and saw they were just coming around the corner about 500 feet away. No one could pull over because the traffic was so jammed up. So the police car literally moved up at a snails pace foot by foot. I couldn’t stand the sound, people had just starting honking. So we had a police siren, a police speaker blasting out commands to move about 100 or so cars on both sides of the road honking nobody could move... I thought driving in Boston was crazy..
1
Last time I was in New York I used Uber and Cabs to get around as many of my appointments were near subways. I spent most of my time in traffic. I could not believe how congested it was. Obviously I was part of that. As much as I love New York City I will think twice about having meetings there in the future.
9
Stop rubber-standing new apartment/condo building developments. We don't need more people living in Manhattan.
Improve the subway system, its signal systems, etc., which will then allow for more frequent trains. Each and every bus line should allow for Pre-Paid boarding with ALL doors opening up, to speed up the process (what century is this again??!) Better public transportation means fewer people relying on cars.
Figure out a way to change the mindsets of people. Far too many people, even in a place such as NYC, are 'addicted' to owning their own car. Even within families, each person feels they 'must' have their own car. What ever happened to car sharing...to picking up/dropping off other family members? Does every private home in NYC (i.e., Queens, the Bronx, etc.) really need 3-4 cars among their family members, and then they are 'complaining' that the city doesn't allocate enough street parking for them and all their cars??
The DoT and police need to do better at ticketing cars that double-park within outer borough neighborhoods. Where I live, cars double-park with complete impunity, while 'meter maids' walk right on by. Food delivery guys also need to be held more accountable for reckless driving, as do the restaurants, Seamless, Grubhub, etc., which employ them.
Why is the US so bad with advance planning...with seeing the writing on the wall? Why do we always wait until it's too late, to try and 'fix' things??
35
@Lisa The police should be instructed to enforce the no standing rules in bus lanes.
1
As the article points out, gridlock has become the standard description for key Manhattan arteries. Thanks to Uber & Co. cars cruising while waiting for fares, more and more cars simply don't leave Midtown and Downtown for hours on end. This persistent gridlock is bad for business, and bad for health. It can even kill, should one need an ambulance or fire engine to save one's life - they often simply can't get through the stalled traffic above slow walking speed.
A key component of any solution is congestion pricing. It worked in London and Singapore. The reason is simple: Our current traffic nightmare is a classic result of underpricing a valuable, but limited commodity; direct car access to the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world. As we learn in Economy 101, if we give away chairs for free, demand will soon outstrip supply, and we won't have enough chairs even for those who really need one because they hurt their foot. As long as direct access to Midtown and Downtown Manhattan is free and unrestricted, gridlock alerts will be the new normal there.
Now that Governor Cuomo, who has endorsed and promoted congestion pricing, has secured the nomination for his reelection in November, I look forward to him throwing his full weight into pushing it through the New York State legislatory branch! Let's see if he meant it.
27
@Pete in Downtown: No, the key component is to get rid of Uber, which is clogging the streets horrendously.
And NO to congestion pricing! This town is expensive enough as it is.
10
Improve public transit and more people will use it, congestion pricing will not stop congestion, just check out the tunnels and bridges from NJ everyday. The cost of crossing the river and parking is astronomical and always over capacity. I live in an “easy” commute location, but I’d rather spend more money and time in my car than rely on NJ Transit to get me home. Check out how badly managed the bus lane into the Lincoln Tunnel is. Then time the exit from an arrived train at Penn Station up to the street, never mind how slow the trains go-so on time performance never suffers. Easy fixes never even experimented with. If the price to enter the city goes up, the parking garages will lower their fees. More bike lanes, more congestion, more traffic calming will cut down on cars, just as has happened.
11
@DJM
I feel that the real idea behind congestion pricing isn't to really stop congestion or even give better air quality, but to make a revenue out of it. If people stopped driving due to having to pay to enter, then no revenue can be made off of it. Even cities such as London are still experiencing congestion and this is the very city where most use as an example for congestion pricing. In reality, congestion pricing just made them want to relocate their routes in order to avoid paying for it, which is what forced for it in two years to be expanded and doubled not due to its success, but its failure. Getting back to NYC, until the MTA plans to build the Triboro RX along with the rest of the IND 2nd System they were supposed to build, people from such areas will continue to drive.
4
@DJM: "If the price to enter the city goes up, the parking garages will lower their fees." Lower their fees?? Hahahahaha! That's my laugh for the day!
7
@Tal Barzilai You are correct that the MTA needs to fix and augment the transit options, but it is a tricky problem. If transit doesn't get fixed and augmented, people won't ride it and will keep driving. You can tax congestion, but without providing transit to those without alternatives to driving, it's a regressive tax on those who don't have an alternative.
Realistically, new transit it too expensive in NYC to be a viable solution, so traffic isn't going to get better anytime soon.
Any attempts to add traffic capacity are only going to worsen the situation through induced demand, since transit is already strained and some people will switch to cars.
Yep - we're done here. My husband and I have lived here for over 10 years and birthed one child, but the quality of life has consistently declined each year (and cost of living continues to increase) to where we are now at our breaking point.
We are both fortunate to be in a nice neighborhood with sufficient amenities and within walking distance of our offices in midtown, but I sincerely have no idea how everyone else manages every day. The subways are a decrepit nightmare and we increasingly feel trapped in our little 30 block radius. The hassle and stress of doing things in other neighborhoods or parts of the city, whether via taxi or subway, just isn't worth it anymore.
So, we are leaving next spring to what some would consider "flyover" country, but I consider paradise! The countdown is on. We've had a great run, but it's time to go! And we will be taking our tax dollars with us :)
63
@Katherine
Well, did you vote for Michael Bloomberg, who allowed construction all over the place, it's a massive cause of congestion in Manhattan and Brooklyn, etc?
Yes, De Blasio continued this fail.
Did you vote for Andrew Cuomo on whose watch subway and bus service has so massively declined?
If you can answer "yes" to either question, then you're really in no position to complain.
3
@Katherine
Condolences and good luck. I grew up in Gramercy Park over 60 years ago. It was a different world. Today, I consider New York City "flyover" country.
9
@Katherine okay so leave. those of us who aren't long-term tourists are going to stay and work to better our city
3
Just imagine if we had a mayor who supported congestion pricing. Not only would there be funds to repair a badly dilapidated subway system, the lifeblood of NYC, there'd be less traffic and less pollution. Asthma rates would go down. If only politicians weren't so short-sighted.
34
@Adam Cuomo would still find a way to steal those revenues.
2
@Adam
I feel that the idea for congestion pricing only works in theory and not in practice. As long as we have an agency that can barely handle their existing revenues properly, I doubt this will be anything different. Isn't anyone concerned about how the MTA makes so much in revenues yet the system tends to be in bad shape? Where is it really going to? My guess is not back into the system hence the reason for an audit. Also, I feel that cracking down more on the fare beaters would help to, because if everybody who took the buses and subways actually paid, the MTA wouldn't need to talk about constant fare hikes just to cover for what they losing from them, In other words, better enforcement on fare beaters would be another good start to help with revenues rather than some regressive idea like congestion pricing. BTW, before anyone starts crying racism or class warfare on this issue, they need to know that fare beating comes from every group no matter how they make. Seriously, if they can afford at least the clothing they have on, they can easily afford the fares yet those such as Cy Vance believes that they should get nothing more than a slap on the wrist for doing this as if they won't learn. Meanwhile, politicians who districts are in the transit deserts won't support congestion unless they will get something big out of it otherwise they will go with their constituents and oppose it greatly. Overall, congestion pricing is a lost cause that should just end now.
2
@Adam: We had one: his name is Bloomberg. He also supported having the Olympics in NYC, and building an Olympic stadium on the west side of Manhattan.
He was ticked off at not getting his cherished "congestion pricing" so he foisted bike lanes on us to make congestion WORSE - and in this he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams!
7
Ms. Hu cites statistics showing that there are almost 100,000 fewer vehicles in midtown today than in 2004, but goes on to blame the increased congestion on more automobiles? How does that work, exactly?
Why is everyone unwilling to mention the elephant in the room? It’s the bike lanes!
Future President Bloomberg shoehorned bike lanes into our streets, KNOWING it would cripple the flow of traffic. He called it “traffic calming” and it was done intentionally. Then he planted Citi Bike docks everywhere (except the really wealthy neighborhoods) and in an effort to encourage cycling and retroactively justify all of the expense, allowed cyclists to ride unabated by rules, helmets or the threat of punishment.
Congestion pricing is a great way to pay for subway repairs, but it won’t solve the congestion problem so it should really just be called a subway maintenance tax. It doesn’t take a genius to know that the only way to ease the current congestion is OBVIOUSLY to remove what caused it in the first place!
20
@Gary Taustine Not only the bike-less bike lanes but the pedestrian plazas that in some cases have reduced some streets to one lane, in other cases block traffic altogether and divert drivers blocks out of their way.
People are going to drive into town no matter what and it seems that keeping traffic flowing would go far to reduce congestion.
6
@steven23lexny
YES. The pedestrian plazas may be wonderful for the few people they accommodate, but they're inconveniencing millions of commuters every day.
@Gary Taustine You sound upset. I highly recommend a bike ride to work a few days a week, or to mix it up with the subway and/or bus.
1
I can't imagine what our major cities, (and some minor ones), roads and commuting will be like in another 20 years. it will be one large parking lot at all hours of the day and night, like LA is already. Too many people.
Also, trucks are clogging up the highways and biways everywhere, which are increasingly involved with fatal crashes.
The noise and pollution are bad from so many heavy, mostly diesel, vehicles plying the roads. I question the safe driving abilities of the operators of these vehicles too. Police never seem to bother with them. Ever see a commercial vehicle pulled over or ticketed? It is a free for all, especially with the delivery trucks.
21
@mj: Tell me that you don't ever order anything delivered to you by truck ... no, eh?
1
There are tried and true methods, we just have to have the stomach for them:
1. Congestion pricing, especially for single drivers (a la HOV lane rules), as they do in Europe
2. Ban deliveries between the hours of 8:00 and 11:00 as they do in Boston.
3. Limit construction-related blocking of side streets
4. Make construction crews and contractors accountable and responsible for delayed roadwork and repairs
5. Limit roadwork on major thoroughfares like the FDR and the WSH to the overnight hours
6. Tolls for single drivers coming into Manhattan to encourage car pooling.
7. Resident only permit parking in residential areas.
8. Park and Rides in outer and inner boroughs. Not fair to penalize people who live in transit deserts (though some would argue that their cost of living makes up for it) but also not fair to have advantage them either.
We have trains, taxis, Uber’s and subways. There is no reason why individuals should be driving into work in Manhattan.
43
Max, you've got my vote for Mayor!!
2
@Max
Unfortunately the unintended consequence of this falls on low-income workers - store workers, drivers of delivery trucks etc. This would relegate them to night shifts, off-hour shifts etc, impacting on family life, child care responsibilities etc.
In the meantime, high-income people who live in convenient areas of Manhattan - who can walk or have short commutes - get the benefits.
Sadly such a plan only exacerbates income/wealth inequality.
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@Max
Here's how I view what you just said.
1. The idea for congestion pricing is highly opposed outside of Manhattan and it should just be stopped already due to that.
2. That ban may not be good for all delivery services considering their hours and the way they function.
3. Unfortunately, those have to be placed somewhere and no matter where they get placed, they will be blocking streets.
4. The unions will make sure that it won't happen or at least limit their liabilities on such.
5. Again, this had to do with the unions and how the construction workers function along with contracts.
6. Unfortunately, not everybody can find at least one other person to come with them, and they will see this as singling them out.
7. It will only force others to drive around other areas to look for parking, plus there is a fear that they will be abused just like the placards in claiming that they can use them to park where they please.
8. Unfortunately, anti-car groups such as Transportation Alternatives will never support this as their whole goal is to discourage and possibly eliminate anyone who drives, plus they would rather use us motorists who drive into the city as the cash cow to help create a revenue for a system that we can barely use ourselves despite not calling to fix the way the MTA operates the revenues they already have.
Overall, not everyone can take advantage of the available transit options.
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Congestion is the result of:
overdevelopment, Uber, ecommerce delivery, construction-related street blockage and bicycle lanes which narrowed streets.
Ecommerce/instant delivery and Uber continue unabated - despite the harm to NYC traffic, negative impact on bus transit and the environment.
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Put tolls on ALL crossings into Manhattan and increase them. Increase them more for non-Manhattan residents. Increase them until the congestion eases. With all of the public transportation options, very few drivers of non-commercial vehicles really need to be driving into Manhattan on weekdays. Perhaps there could be some sort of hardship exemption process.
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@Publius I agree there should be no free bridges, but one of the big problems is the time spent on the roads. Imagine two cars crossing the Willis Bridge (and maybe in the future paying a toll). One parks somewhere in northern Manhattan and the other spends eight hours driving around midtown. Both crossed a bridge once, but one is contributing much more to traffic.
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@Pete: Any car on the street, driving or parked, contributes to congestion, because someone else couldn't park in the place where the first driver parked, and is driving around looking for a place to park. We need to use economic coercion to limit the number of cars on the island.
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@Publius Well I was going to say eliminate most non-residential street parking, but we all know how that would go politically. If cars are in a parking garage, it really doesn't matter, although I would advocate taxing parking garages and lots at a higher millage rate to help offset the second- and third-order costs of cars.
"There are many reasons: a fleet of Ubers and other for-hire cars... a spike in delivery trucks... and nonstop construction that has blocked or narrowed car lanes.” So why can’t Corey Johnson and the City Council impose a cap on new licenses for delivery trucks and new construction, as they did for Uber licenses?
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@Mickey Wayne: Why can't the City Council re-open Broadway as a usable street? It's been chopped up and rendered impassable for the benefit of "tourist seating areas" and "pedestrian plazas" - this is complete INSANITY if anyone would think about it for more than 2 seconds!
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@L: Right, because we should not have big plazas and public spaces and outdoor cafes and all the other things European cities have that make them so beautiful. No, we have to make cars and trucks the first priority. Daft. Most people want more pedestrian space, not less. The solution is fewer people driving and more using subways and buses.
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@Publius
The pedestrian plazas may be convenient for tourists to hang out, but truly question comparing NYC's pedestrian plazas to European cities....
Doubt anyone would describe Times Square and Herald Square pedestrian plazas as "beautiful." Rather they are depressing looking places surrounded by tall buildings - areas for tourists (after shopping at chain stores) to sit, eat and leave trash....
1
I wish the useless UN would go somewhere else
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@NYC Dweller
I hear Trump is planning to move it to West Virginia!
Not much congestion there.
3
I often visit the corner of Front and York in downtown Toronto during afternoon rush hours. It seems that many Toronto drivers are in favour of gridlock. They enter an intersection on the green but are unable to exit before the light turns red. They block the pedestrian crosswalk and the cross street. There are also improper pedestrian actions which contribute to gridlock.
A year ago there was an experiment where two uniformed policemen controlled the behaviour of drivers and pedestrians at this intersection. This was effective but the experiment was rather expensive.
1
By letting people commute by car on these days, we're just making life harder on the folks who need to drive like the HVAC technician or more importantly, fire and EMS (most police officers would also be better off riding a bike on these days).
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If you regularly walk or bike, Gridlock Alert Days are known as Schadenfreude Alert Days.
It's also worth reiterating that the guy who invented invented the term coped by riding a bike.
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@Pete
And bike lanes are responsible for the congestion, so it seems bikes relate to just about everything.
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@Pete: I want congestion pricing for bikes, with a fine for everyone who is not wearing a helmet.
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@Pete
Unfortunately, not everyone can ride a bicycle, so trying thinking about others besides yourself.
5
We visited NYC last week and spent hours and hours stuck in traffic in taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts. Intersections were plugged by people "in the box", construction reduced lanes, double parking and deliveries, bus lanes..it was a nightmare. We will probably delay our next visit until the traffic is under a little more control.
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@felixmk - our traffic is atrocious, but the subway system is safe and for the most part pretty reliable, specially during weekdays when repairs are kept to a minumun; they may be over-crowded during peak hours but one can make from midtown to Battery park in about 20 mins or so during the morning rush
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@felixmk: Walk.
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@felixmk, If this is the case, you will never be visiting NYC again. It is only going to get worse. Especially as our population sky rockets within the North East corridor.
4