Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
In case one hasn't noticed, there is a vast number of BUSINESSES on the island of Manhattan that are constantly needing things like DELIVERIES. I mean, if you want to volunteer to carry twenty or so 40-lb. boxes of supplies from a warehouse in Queens to a restaurant in Times Square via the 7 train, by all means, go ahead. Just make sure you keep up the etiquette and don't let the boxes take up someone's seat, okay?
Oh, and there are things such as... wait, what are those things called? Oh, right! Ambulances! Emergencies do happen, people. I mean, I guess if you want to take the subway or wait for a bus when you're having a heart attack, that's on you. I, however, would prefer to be in an ambulance receiving care and NOT having to be stuck in an unnecessary gridlock because Mr. Mayor is trying to turn Manhattan into something it's not and clogging up the arteries of city even worse than they were while he's at it.
Face it. New York City is the largest city in the United States. I am all about going green. Believe me, I am. But there are times when vehicles are needed. There are times when, in order to sustain life, a truck is going to have to come over a bridge or through a tunnel. An ambulance or cop car is going to have to make it through to reach someone in trouble. Hell, even cabs have their place. I can tell you from personal experience that as a woman, I wasn't always keen on taking the subway to Queens at 4 in the morning when I got off work.
These pedestrian malls do nothing but make a traffic problem that already existed worse. Do they deter "jerks" from driving? Probably not. If someone wants to drive, they're going to drive. Do they cause issues for vehicles that NEED to get where they're going? Absolutely.
If you want to live on an island where there are no cars, I suggest a private one in the Bahamas.
Airwair..your arguments has zero merit. Deliveries can be made any time of day...do they need to be made during rush hour? How about instead evenings/early mornings/weekends? Deliveries can still happen..there are more than 8 hours in a day. Secondly, due to the monumental traffic, ambulances get stuck in...yes..traffic! So in order to free up streets and make them geared more to pedestrains and for those vehicles (like ambulances) that must be on the road, we are working towards decreasing the emphasis on cars in the city.
I agree there are times when vehicles are needed, the problem is those vehicles that are needed are swamped in the 90% of cars/traffic that are NOT needed and are here becuase people want to drive/convenience. Want to make your deliveries fast? You WANT less cars in Manhattan right? You want ambulances to get to you quickly in case you are hurt? You WANT less cars in Manhattan right?
These pedestraian malls are one piece of that puzzle to de-emphasize cars, and promote pedestrian areas and green space. In time, these plazas will grow larger, and cars will be penalized more and more so that LESS are on the road, so that those other vehicles that NEED to be on the road can be more effective, more efficient, and we can all live more healthy. Why people are having trouble understanding this concept I have no idea.
80 percent of traffic in NYC is taxi cabs. All I see is yellow when I drive around. That is the traffic congestion. There are 8 taxis per every car that I have seen driving on the streets of manhattan. Get rid of them, people can take the subway and then you can alleviate most of the traffic congestion. But of course there are those types of people that would not dream of taking a train......
I don't think it will penalize the cars that are on the streets already. Like I said, if someone wants to drive, they're going to drive. Traffic in Manhattan hasn't stopped people from driving since... well, ever. I doubt it's going to start now. Looking at it from that perspective, all you're doing is creating a bigger mess.
I'm quite fond of taking the train. I took the train 95% of the time. However, as I said, taking the train to Queens at 4 AM when I get off work is not an option for me. Taking the train late night when I've been out drinking with friends is not an option for me. Taking the train when I'm flying out of Newark is not an option for me. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Bottom line? Getting rid of cabs isn't going to do anyone any favors. Cabs are a part of New York life. They always have been, they always will be. Get over it.
I don't think it will penalize the cars that are on the streets already. Like I said, if someone wants to drive, they're going to drive. Traffic in Manhattan hasn't stopped people from driving since... well, ever. I doubt it's going to start now. Looking at it from that perspective, all you're doing is creating a bigger mess.
I'm quite fond of taking the train. I took the train 95% of the time. However, as I said, taking the train to Queens at 4 AM when I get off work is not an option for me. Taking the train late night when I've been out drinking with friends is not an option for me. Taking the train when I'm flying out of Newark is not an option for me. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Bottom line? Getting rid of cabs isn't going to do anyone any favors. Cabs are a part of New York life. They always have been, they always will be. Get over it.
I am over it............................................
Especially since I only drive into the city for fun things only, so I could really give a rats arse........
I do agree though, that there are times when a train just isn't going to cut it.
These pedestrian malls do nothing but make a traffic problem that already existed worse. Do they deter "jerks" from driving? Probably not. If someone wants to drive, they're going to drive. Do they cause issues for vehicles that NEED to get where they're going? Absolutely.
.
People who drive in manhattan during business hours and rush hours for business purposes- deliveries, contractors bringing equipment to work sites, and such will tolerate a higher cost (in the form of minutes wasted to traffic congestion) than people using the roads for less important (with important being measured by how much time and gas one is willing to burn waiting in a car stuck in midtown traffic) purposes. Eventually, those with less important purposes for driving re-orient their schedules because they conceptualize the possibility of things differently: I completely disagree that one who wants to drive will just drive no matter what.
This isn't to say that we should shut down half of manhattan's streets, it's just that traffic responds to road capacity. Also, since the only cost one bears directly from using the roads is the time it takes to travel on them and the cost of operating one's individual vehicle, demand will always be higher than it would be if consumers faced an optimal market price. Namely, if you wanted the most efficient level of traffic, you'd charge people per the mile traveled.
Airwair..your arguments has zero merit. Deliveries can be made any time of day...do they need to be made during rush hour? How about instead evenings/early mornings/weekends? Deliveries can still happen..there are more than 8 hours in a day.
These pedestraian malls are one piece of that puzzle to de-emphasize cars, and promote pedestrian areas and green space. In time, these plazas will grow larger, and cars will be penalized more and more so that LESS are on the road, so that those other vehicles that NEED to be on the road can be more effective, more efficient, and we can all live more healthy. Why people are having trouble understanding this concept I have no idea.
You make it sound as if any business gets one or two deliveries a day. Some get many, and they can only happen when someone is there to receive it. You can't deliver at dawn to a store that's open 9-7.
If Bloomberg's secret agenda is fewer cars, then what would help would be higher tolls. But, hey, then maybe they should instead be arranging for lower transit fares and more buses, not fewer!
Cars are already de-emphasized in Manhattan, probably more so than almost any other American city.
You make it sound as if any business gets one or two deliveries a day. Some get many, and they can only happen when someone is there to receive it. You can't deliver at dawn to a store that's open 9-7.
If Bloomberg's secret agenda is fewer cars, then what would help would be higher tolls. But, hey, then maybe they should instead be arranging for lower transit fares and more buses, not fewer!
Cars are already de-emphasized in Manhattan, probably more so than almost any other American city.
Most of the businesses often do deliveries between 10am-2pm, evident in the pattern of deliveries being allowed on the bus lanes up on Fordham Road in the Bronx. From 10am to noon, deliveries are allowed on the eastbound bus lanes (the south side), while westbound deliveries are allowed between noon and 2pm. However, it is not the same in the bus lanes along 207th Street as parking is allowed from 10am to 4pm weekdays.
Back to topic, I like the pedestrian plazas, mostly since it gives me a chance to relax while in the process allowing pedestrians to walk freely without bumping into each other (which was done a lot when cars drove on Broadway).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
