How to Meaningfully Improve Traffic Safety

[BrooklynBus]

Final Part

 

 

http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2014/11/commute-meaningfully-improve-traffic-safety-part-2-2/

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You know how government lies. That's why I would be against congestion pricing under any circumstances. Remember what they did with the lottery? Vote for the lottery because all the money will go to education. Yes, all the lottery money went to education minus the millions spent on TV ads every ten minutes to promote the lottery. And for every dollar the lottery generated for education, a dollar was removed from the state budget for education. The state budget went from something like 75% being spent on education to like 30% on education after the lottery started. Result? No additional money for education.

 

Even if they say all congestion pricing money will go to transportation, the city will then use congestion pricing to fund the entire DOT budget like potholes, roadway reconstruction, signage, red light and speed cameras on every corner. Then instead of contributing anything to the MTA budget, city subsidies would now come from congestion pricing. They won't add new bus routes or reduce the crowding standards so as to increase subway service. They will find excuses not to do what is needed. They will use the money for capital projects and the state will reduce its contribution to the MTA accordingly. And what capital projects will they choose? The ones that help the developers and bankers who are connected to the MTA Board. Or useless edifices like the new PATH Station or the Moynihan Station that does nothing to increase train capacity. Result of congestion pricing? Same service we have now, but drivers going to and through Manhattan would spend much more.

 

Then in a few years they would change their mind and start tapping into congestion pricing for non-transportation purposes. Just let them get teir foot in the door. If Long Islanders didn't protest to get the 10 cent toll removed on the Southern State when they wanted to raise it to a quarter in the 1970s, today it would cost $3.75 and next year $4. Why should there even be a toll to get from one part of Queens to another?

 

That's why I don't even trust Sam Schwartz's proposal that would cut the price of tolls for non-East River Crossings. Because that would ony hold for five years and then they would increase it back to where they are now. They never would stay low for the long term.

 

Sorry, but I have been lied to too many times to trust the city anymore. How many bond issues did we already approve to get the Second Avenue Subway? Two or three? And none of that money was used for the Second Avenue subway. We had to borrow more.

Yes, I know but we have to do something to mitigate the on going traffic problems in this city. I still think that deliveries should be done at night and for the record, congestion pricing has worked well in places like London.  For trips INTO the city that people can make using public transit, transportation should be good enough to complete those trips.

 

So you're saying that you want people to turn to public transportation if it was made more convenient for riders? Mass transit is still considered public transportation. I bet there is more people taking public transportation to commute somewhere then there is drivers commuting in the city. With new laws such as this it may be possible that the numbers will increase for public transportation. Mind you that there is billions of people that ride the MTA in a day. I know having a vehicle is nice to have but it is not a necessity. The way I look at it is owning a vehicle in NYC is a convenient thing. It is for those drivers that would rather drive to commute than take public transportation. Public transportation does get the deed done as well. But if we are talking convenience here, then the city needs to look at both traffic and public transportation. Fixing one alone won't really resolve anything, rather than just make the other worst. Regardless you are still going to have drivers and riders. I have been taking public transportation longer than I have been driving. 

If its anyone that really wants to talk about real traffic, California may be your choice topic of discussion. 

That's correct.  Sunday I made 5 trips which involved 8 express buses one local bus and some walking.  

[rsperez93]

Yes, I know but we have to do something to mitigate the on going traffic problems in this city. I still think that deliveries should be done at night and for the record, congestion pricing has worked well in places like London.  For trips INTO the city that people can make using public transit, transportation should be good enough to complete those trips.

 

That's correct.  Sunday I made 5 trips which involved 8 express buses one local bus and some walking.  

That is ridiculous. There is no way that will be a success.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

That is ridiculous. There is no way that will be a success.

What is ridiculous?  Plenty of stores already make deliveries at night...

[BrooklynBus]

Yes, I know but we have to do something to mitigate the on going traffic problems in this city. I still think that deliveries should be done at night and for the record, congestion pricing has worked well in places like London.  For trips INTO the city that people can make using public transit, transportation should be good enough to complete those trips.

 

 

That's correct.  Sunday I made 5 trips which involved 8 express buses one local bus and some walking.

 

I have been advocating nightime deliveries for years. In some European countries, it is mandatory. Here the merchants rule. The Fulton Mall in Brooklyn which only allows buses, trucks making deliveries and emergency vehicles was planned for 17 years. Two lanes of traffic were eliminated to permit widened sidewalks. The plan was no cars and all deliveries after 7 PM when bus traffic was less. The idea was without cars buses could move much quicker. However, on opening day, the merchants refused nighttime deliveries because of increased costs. So what was the result? Instead of buses fighting with cars, now they had to fight with trucks which often blocked the only moving lane forcing buses to pass in the opposing lane so that faster bus speeds were never realized.

 

On Brighton Beach Avenue which is only about a mile long, you can have 25 trucks at a time double parked during the afternoon making deliveries and tying up car and bus traffic. They supposed to make their deliveries expeditiously but often stay double parked for three hours at a time as they unload their entire truck. Because there are so many fruit stores, they each get deliveries at least three times a week. And all this is legal because there are only two small curbside delivery zones. The merchants do not want more because they do not want metered spaces for their customers and themselves to be reduced. They rather have the traffic congestion because of their selfishness.

[N6 Limited]

Final Part

 

 

http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2014/11/commute-meaningfully-improve-traffic-safety-part-2-2/

LOL! The article is not meant to be funny, but it is because it's all true.

[BrooklynBus]

LOL! The article is not meant to be funny, but it is because it's all true.

It was even funnier but the editor removed a line after I mentioned the Hugh Carey Tunnel. I said that the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel informs you the two areas that are connected. What does the "Hugh Carey" Tunnel tell you? To bring some packages with you?

[qjtransitmaster]

Well I do agree that NYC is a pedestrian city and that we need to encourage people to use public transportation and leave their cars at home. HOWEVER, there also needs to be things done to encourage the flow of traffic for drivers AND for those using public transportation (i.e. bus service). Some drivers have no choice but to drive and if we expect them to pay more (which I believe that they should) then they should be entitled to expect a reasonable commute at a decent speed, and for those sacrificing and using bus service, they should expect the same thing. My personal opinion as someone who is big on protecting the environment is that we need to be increasing tolls to force people to use more mass transit and that we should continue to create more "premium services" like ferry service, commuter rail service and express bus service because some people simply don't want to use transit because it isn't appealing enough.

 

In Europe "luxury" transportation is played up for those with money who can afford cars but can be attracted to the "premium services". It's a very smart strategy. Here, transportation is generally treated as service for those who can't afford to drive except for those riding the commuter trains or the express buses or ferry service (excluding the SI Ferry), and that should change. We need to promote our premium services to attract new riders that would otherwise be driving. If they're driving into city, those are the people who we should be targeting because transportation from their neighborhoods to the city should be good enough and convenient enough for them to use it. I know plenty of people who refuse to use the subway because they find it too ghetto and dirty and instead drive in. New express bus service or commuter rail service could perhaps attract those people if marketed correctly.

 

I'm one of those people who am not a fan of the subway and take the express bus and commuter rail service because most of my commuting is to and from Manhattan, but if I had to commute outside of the city, I would certainly purchase a car and would want something environmentally friendly and fuel efficient. I saw a Tesla yesterday that was just beautiful, and that's the type of car that's luxurious but also environmentally friendly.

 

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/155897-tesla-model-s-is-now-the-best-selling-luxury-car-with-an-asterisk

you do realize LI ,CT & NJ are interlinked to NYC right you can only do so much to promote transit in the city but if the surrounding areas are neglected bus & rail wise that won't solve NYC's traffic issues. And although I agree with boosting commuter rail use express buses will need frequency enhancements on key unique corridors that can't be properly served by the rail services. Just look at eastern queens the rail service is abysmal and discourages ridership the fares (Premium) ain't helping. It should not cost $7 or $4 to travel between Brooklyn and queens or Manhattan & Bronx period. You overestimate car use into the city the automobile actually has a small mode share of the Manhattan travel market. In order to compete with cars you must go to where they are going and mold existing service be it LIRR , bus or subway or even SBS/LTD and express buses to work together to capture the travel market share.

[N6 Limited]

It was even funnier but the editor removed a line after I mentioned the Hugh Carey Tunnel. I said that the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel informs you the two areas that are connected. What does the "Hugh Carey" Tunnel tell you? To bring some packages with you?

And whats you know whats crazy? The people that comment on your articles.     Every time I read them I'm flabbergasted, how do you have the patience? 

[BrooklynBus]

And whats you know whats crazy? The people that comment on your articles.     Every time I read them I'm flabbergasted, how do you have the patience?

 

I was thinking of quoting you how you said everything was true. I don't mind honest criticism but it is annoying when you have a few idiots whose only aim is to discredit with innuendos without supporting any of their arguments. They have only one statistic that they keep quoting that your chances of survival as a pedestrian increases when cars go slower. Therefore they conclude all speed limits need be lowered period. Nothing else needs to be considered.