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.
I'm going to say something the drivers here won't like but that's too bad. If driving into Manhattan is such a hassle (and to be honest, it should be a hassle) then don't drive. NYC has the most extensive network of mass transit in the country and one of the tops in the world, there is no reason to drive into Manhattan for work.
Thank God I don't work in Manhattan. I can't imagine taking a packed subway train everyday for 2 hours.
As a guy who walks, uses public transportation, and drives on a regular basis:
The absolute worst are the bikers in Williamsburg. Many of them seemingly have no respect for (in no particular order, since all are violated freely, as if it was their born right to do so): signs, signal lights, other bikers, the law, pedestrians, drivers, common urban sense, and themselves (ultimately).
Can't tell you the number of times that I've driven past there and encountered bikers speeding carelessly past red lights, all the while going in the wrong direction on a one-way street, and without reflectors/reflective clothing (at nighttime). And some never seem to slow down for any reason whatsoever (even life-threatening ones!).
I've seen far too many close calls, but the Williamsburg bikers are as blithe to that as they seemingly are to anything else that is too bourgeois and below their purview (even the implications of reckless cycling, which can lead to major injury or death, are too outre for them). Really pisses me off.
Last edited by tungt88; 08-04-2016 at 02:37 PM..
Reason: typo
The cyclists are down right dangerous. I almost had one crash into me as I was crossing at a green light on Bushwick (with the walk sign saying Go). There were several cars sitting at the red light as I was crossing the intersection and some idiot on a bike proceeded to totally ignore that he had a red light and flew right though it and almost into me in the cross walk right as I was about to step up onto the sidewalk. I could not see him until he was skidding out to avoid me. They come up along side of cars so they are hard to see. If they are coming up on a red light shouldn't they have to stop just as cars do?
I don't bike, but I thought bike laws were the same as motor vehicle laws?? You have to stop at red lights, and stop signs, can't go the wrong way down a 1 way street (etc can't drive north on 5th avenue), and the like.
Deliveries are not the same as commuters. Obviously, stuff has to be brought in by vehicles.
It's a big, dense city. Traffic definitely has to stop flow. Manhattan streets are not the autobahn.
I don't really understand your point- other than that you're pedestrian-centric other than when you need deliveries.
Drivers are entitled to the road as pedestrians are.
They both have rules to follow.
When the White Walk Man dissapears and it turns into a Red Hand- Pedestrians should stop.
If they just keep going, the Green Light for drivers is ineffective. There are some busy intersections which could aid from elevated crosswalks like they have in Las Vegas.
I don't really understand your point- other than that you're pedestrian-centric other than when you need deliveries.
Drivers are entitled to the road as pedestrians are.
They both have rules to follow.
When the White Walk Man dissapears and it turns into a Red Hand- Pedestrians should stop.
If they just keep going, the Green Light for drivers is ineffective. There are some busy intersections which could aid from elevated crosswalks like they have in Las Vegas.
You don't understand my point because you (and other drivers here) fail to understand this: NYC (and primarily Manhattan) is a walking city. It has always been a walking city. Even when some people over the years tried to change that (Robert Moses) it didn't work.
What people have to understand is that Manhattan is geared towards pedestrians, not drivers. Always have been. It was never meant for suburban drivers to commute to or god forbid race through to get somewhere else.
Elevated crosswalks are by nature designed to remove pedestrians from streetlevel, mainly to accommodate cars, under the disguise of making it safe for pedestrians. Busy intersections are busy because it is successful. Stores and businesses that are successful attract more customers than failed ones. Same with streets. Dead streets have few pedestrians. You don't remove the one thing that makes an intersection successful, the people.
If it becomes dangerous for pedestrians, then you remove the danger, which is the cars. Under the Bloomberg administration, his commissioner understood this. That's why he turned Times Square into a pedestrian zone, eliminated multiple lanes. You see this on 34th street, Madison Square park, and numerous other places where car lanes have been removed for pedestrian plazas.
Unlike other cities, personal vehicles are not a necessity in Manhattan. I can't think of a reason why non-commercial vehicle are *needed* in Manhattan. It's a privilege, it's a *luxury* that is available as a personal covenience. People don't have to drive, but they want to.
I don't bike, but I thought bike laws were the same as motor vehicle laws?? You have to stop at red lights, and stop signs, can't go the wrong way down a 1 way street (etc can't drive north on 5th avenue), and the like.
Yes, you are right, but, you know, apparently some entitled folks feel that these laws are too bourgeois to be followed, despite the NYC DOT rules being very clear on that point.
A brief read, but see points: 4-02, 375(24-a), 1231, 1234, 1236, and 1237, all of whom I have seen the Williamsburg set blithely violate during both daytime and nighttime. Many don't even seem to be aware that there are rules governing bicycle usage.
Biking is great. Reducing pollution is great. But, please, follow the rules. They are common-sense ones designed to keep all safe.
There is no reason traffic should have to stop flow because pedestrians wish not to obey the laws of the shared road.
Well, the car is the major dangerous object with a potential to maim and kill others in its path; it deserves stricter regulation. Anyhow, can this pattern by attributed to careless pedestrians?
I don't bike, but I thought bike laws were the same as motor vehicle laws?? You have to stop at red lights, and stop signs, can't go the wrong way down a 1 way street (etc can't drive north on 5th avenue), and the like.
Yes, those on bikes are supposed to follow the same rules/law as drivers including going the wrong way down one way streets, stop signs/red lights, etc....
In theory those found in violation can be ticketed, but in practice it rarely happens.
Now and then the NYPD does a crack down and even then those actions are out of complaints or an incident. The former are usually about delivery persons the latter after a biker has hit someone.
Case in point when that woman was killed last year in Central Park crossing the West Drive by a biker for months afterwards you had NYPD at that spot and all over the park enforcing speed laws and so forth. As always within several weeks the show of force was gone and things went back to normal. Though you do see often see NYPD on the West Drive in the 80's and 70's because there is so much going on over there (pedestrians, bikers, roller bladers, joggers, etc....)
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.
