Shtum in Stockholm
To the apparent disappointment of the item's author, officials from London, Stockholm and elsewhere talked enthusiastically about the effects of their "congestion pricing" programs in cutting traffic, while the New York contingent was mostly happy just to listen.
From the item:
Weinshall had no big traffic reduction strategies or plans to share with the assembled because unlike the other cities at the conference, New York City doesn't have any.
While that's not quite true -- this is the administration, remember, responsible for the limited-turn "thru streets" that delighted transportation nerds at the time of their introduction -- Weinshall's reluctance to go within a mile of congestion pricing isn't really a surprise.
Bloomberg, remember, offered a relatively innocuous statement on the subject back in February -- "there are places in the world that have tried congestion pricing, and it's certainly something that we should be looking at," he said -- only to have his press office immediately warn off any interpretation of the comments as a "loosening" of his opposition.
It seems that for the foreseeable future, the rights of New York drivers to sit in heavy traffic will remain free of charge.
-- Josh Benson UPDATE: One of the StreetBlog authors emailed to object to the use of the term "anti-car" in this item. "We've got nothing against cars," he wrote. "Rather, we take issue with transpo policies that promote car use in the city to the detriment of other modes."
I'm not a driver, so I can't weigh in too definitively on traffic issues. I can say, however, that the "Thru Streets" are a joke. I work on 53rd St and I have been nearly hit by a number of cars turning onto Madison or 5th, when there are huge signs saying they are not allowed to do that. I've also never seen any enforcement of the Thru-Streets when the rule is violated.
I have no idea if the majority of cars that do follow the rule are helping traffic problems, but I doubt it, as at least once a day I see a truck block the box on 53rd as it enters the intersection on a yellow light and then can't make it to the other side--I have also seen zero enforcement of that rule on 53rd. What ever happened to the ticket blitz for that? That could both raise needed money for the city and serve as a deterent to one of the biggest traffic problems in the City.
Somehow I wonder what would happen if all taxis and vehicles owned by the government agencies were removed from below 59th street in Manhattan? Would the streets suddenly be empty beyond belief?
How can you say Thru Streets are a joke? According to the DOT's own report, traffic speed increased by 33 percent!!! Oh, by the way, that means from 4 mph to 5.3 mph. Wow.
Funny 12:13. What was implicit in my previous post, but maybe too implicit, is that these trucks block the box partially because they can't legally turn, but there's in a hurry to get to the next street that they can turn on, so they go into the intersection hoping to make it.
thru streets is not a "traffic-reduction strategy." thru streets is a strategy designed to increase the city's roadway capacity and move more cars through midtown manhattan, faster.
I love how the local media, i.e. papers like The Observer, jump all over the Mayor and run all of these ridiculous, alarmist stories when the idea of congestion charging comes up. And then they use the shitstorm that they themselves generated as some sort of evidence that congestion charging would never work in NYC. It makes it nearly impossible to have a rational discussion about the issue.
How is it possible that Weinshall remains Transportation Commissioner after the Ferry massacre and cover-up? By the way, who paid for Weinshall's trip? Which City employees went with her? Did anybody from TLC go? Did she look at Street Furniture? Could she find any street furniture from Cemusa in Sweeden? What about all of the campaign contributions from taxi fleet owners to her husband and also the national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee?
What about the Ferry Massacre and Cover-up? Who is paying for this junket, the Taxi Fleet Owners and Lease Agents who give regular maximum campaign contributions to her husband? Did any DOT employees go with her? How about TLC employees and officials? Like Salkin?
Maybe she will tour Europe to try and find some street furniture of Cemusa with ads on them.
Waitaminute. Politiker's beef with StreetsBlog is that "thru streets" really is a "big traffic reduction strategy?"
I see. That must be why there isn't any traffic congestion in the city since it's been instituted.
The city should quit its stonewalling and start working to turn public opinion on the issue. After all, in Stockholm, polls went from 69% opposed to 62% in favor in less than a year.
P.S. to StreetsBlog author: there's no shame in being anti-car. Most New Yorkers don't even have one, but we get stuck with all the noise, pollution and violence.
Greetings,
Yes, the folks at the ghost town of White Hills, Arizona send best wishes from a "Benson" Tramp Printer and publisher of "The Ghost Town News". I am working on the Benson family tree.
----Phil