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I agree. My husband and I walk whenever we can and I'm thankful we live in a neighborhood that actually has stuff to walk to like restaurants, bars, parks, etc. I hate looking for parking. Honestly, I wish I could ride a bike because I want to do that for exercise because I LIKE riding a bike and I HATE jogging.
I think that public transportation lacks in many areas and in many ways. I'm not sure how much it can be improved this late in the game but I hope it can. But when I go to visit a friend in Williamsburg from where I am, it takes me an hour by public transportation. By car, it takes me fifteen minutes. That kind makes me lean heavily on a car, unless I plan on drinking that evening.
I am ALWAYS on the lookout for bikes, more than pedestrians, because those are the people who seem to be doing something that lends itself to injury. When I drive to work at night, it's not well-lit and most people on bikes in the street don't have lights or sometimes not even reflectors. Then they constantly drift back and forth, sometimes four feet into the lane and then back toward the parked cars. I've had cyclists go right through their red lights when I have a green light and have slammed on my brakes. I've been making a turn onto a street and have cyclists salmoning down the street, almost getting hit by my car, when they could have been going the right way down the next block which even has a bike lane. Geez I've almost been hit by a bike MULTIPLE TIMES just being a pedestrian and no one has ever said sorry.
I'm not sure if licensing would work but I think maybe they could promote and enforce biking rules the way they do for cars.
There's always time for change, NYC is forever evolving. If the DOT maximized SBS into true BRT, it would be a game changer. IMO, I believe CitiBike will be very influential as well for local trips.
But BRT, we need true BRT so bad and the DOT is unable to proceed due to NIMBYs.
Please watch this example of how true BRT operates for those that do not understand:
I agree in enforcing problems like: lack of lights on a bicycle at night or wrong way riding, or riding on the sidewalk (with ticketing, fix it ticket for the lights). I'm against licensing at this time though. It's too soon and wouldn't make much of a difference versus deterring biking.
At the same time, bicycles and autos are different types of vehicles, I strongly believe a yield is adequate at a red light or stop sign. Bikes have better visibility, can brake sooner and don't travel as fast as cars. It also discourages travel via bike to stop all the time for lights either timed for cars or motion activated by them.
At the same time, and more importantly, how about enforcing traffic laws for a change. Speeding, double parking, running reds, blocking the box, illegal U-turns. I see all of this everyday, throughout the day. Enough with the window tint tickets already.
Last edited by nykiddo718718; 05-25-2013 at 06:35 PM..
My first choice is walking, and I tend to walk longer distances than many people, but I keep a car in NYC, because I need one to convey myself and property where I need to go on my own schedule. I've always had a car, or access to a car, since I learned to drive, so there is also a convenience factor.
Sure, cars are much more expensive to keep and maintain in the city, even with comparatively lower mileage than if one needed a vehicle every time they walked out of their house, but if one is aware of the costs, it's largely a personal lifestyle decision as to whether or not it is needed.
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It depends on who and at what stage in life you are:
If you are a 19 year old student sharing an apartment with roommates, a car is not vital.
But if you are older, have family and kids, a car is essential for:
Weekends and holidays
Visiting family and friends - out of the state/city
Shopping - stocking food and household necessities
Driving children to after school programs
Changing the city atmosphere when it becomes claustrophobic.
Or we could create BRT routes throughout the city, linking destinations. That's how it should be done (until we can expand those vital subway lines).
The more stops you have, the less "rapid" your bus transit is. The fewer stops you have, the more routes you need, and the more transfers necessary. The problem is unavoidable with fixed-route transportation.
Quote:
For those that must use a car, you will benefit from decreased congestion.
But if you are older, have family and kids, a car is essential for:
Weekends and holidays
not necessarily.
Visiting family and friends - out of the state/city
not necessarily.
Shopping - stocking food and household necessities
not necessarily.
Driving children to after school programs
such as?
Changing the city atmosphere when it becomes claustrophobic.
what do you mean by this?
Can you give examples of the points you stated? I am not convinced that a car is essential for accomplishing these things (in general, and one of the reasons I say "in general" is that the points you listed are general) if a person lives in an area with an adequate transit network.
The more stops you have, the less "rapid" your bus transit is. The fewer stops you have, the more routes you need, and the more transfers necessary. The problem is unavoidable with fixed-route transportation.
On the other hand walking the distances to/from transit stops allows a body to stay fit and functions as exercise time that is built into a body's schedule. This is less time that needs to be dedicated to exercise. As long as it is nothing crazy.
Can you describe specific past experiences that make you say this?
Taking the Q58 from Ridgewood to Flushing. It would take about 10-15 minutes if I drove, but the bus ride is usually over an hour [or around 40-45 minutes if it's limited]. I often go to Whitestone/College Point/Bayside where public transportation is far less frequent too. Also, I can't stand trains due to all the randon weirdos they attract, and I once got stuck on the D in Bensonhurst for a couple of hours.
Taking the Q58 from Ridgewood to Flushing. It would take about 10-15 minutes if I drove, but the bus ride is usually over an hour [or around 40-45 minutes if it's limited]. I often go to Whitestone/College Point/Bayside where public transportation is far less frequent too.
Can you give examples of the points you stated? I am not convinced that a car is essential for accomplishing these things (in general, and one of the reasons I say "in general" is that the points you listed are general) if a person lives in an area with an adequate transit network.
Obviously the person feels like the car made doing those things a lot more viable. They had the money to get a car and could afford one, so they purchased one.
While rising gas and tolls may discourage people, when all is said and done, there will always be people who drive in NYC simply because they can afford to ,and also because its quicker.
From the North Bronx to Central Queens by car is 25 minutes. By train its nearly two hours. Its not far at all. The public transportation in NYC was not well planned if you are trying to get around the outer boroughs. To go from East to West in the Bronx takes along time, as all train routes take you into the city and forget going into Queens.
Can you give examples of the points you stated? I am not convinced that a car is essential for accomplishing these things (in general, and one of the reasons I say "in general" is that the points you listed are general) if a person lives in an area with an adequate transit network.
Taking children on crowded public transportation is a nuisance. They can't always sit down and get fidgety. When you have more than two children, IMO, subways and buses become unmanageable -- especially when you have strollers. They are not built for strollers, carriages or bicycles. I would ride my bike more if I could take it on the subway or bus, like I could in California.
I was just remembering when I was a teenager taking the subway, and you never saw families with children in the numbers you see today. Everyone in my neighborhood had a car -- especially because we lived in a zone that you needed to take the bus for 40 minutes to get to the nearest subway. When I was older, I skipped the bus/subway altogether and took the LIRR despite the higher cost.
I would like to see some other options, like light rail -- especially in neighborhoods that lie outside of the current subway lines. Put bike racks on buses and have a bike car where you can park bikes. Everyone isn't capable of riding a bike to their end destination. We're not all 25 years old. But if you offer some means to transport bikes, I believe more people would ride a portion of the distance.
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