Comments on: DOT Giving Away 350 Metrocards at Shea Park-and-Ride http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steve http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/comment-page-1/#comment-19676 Steve Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:10:07 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/#comment-19676 I'm not too impressed by this facsimile of test run of a park-n-ride program. I notice that DOT didn't even pay for the cards--they got some trade association to pony up. Plus no mention of the environmental benefits of mass transit, because it is taboo for city government (or at least the Mayor and certain city agencies) to mention that cars pollute--that might offend motorists. I’m not too impressed by this facsimile of test run of a park-n-ride program. I notice that DOT didn’t even pay for the cards–they got some trade association to pony up. Plus no mention of the environmental benefits of mass transit, because it is taboo for city government (or at least the Mayor and certain city agencies) to mention that cars pollute–that might offend motorists.

]]> By: Frank http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/comment-page-1/#comment-19595 Frank Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:11:35 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/#comment-19595 Come on d00d, The public is clamoring for a car-free Central Park. 100,000 signatures. Years of campaigning. A DOT study showing that it is feasible. DOT won't just try it. The public is clamoring for traffic-calming and major reforms in the way streets are managed and run in and around Downtown Brooklyn. Yet, DOT Deputy Commish Mike Primeggia annihilated the Downtown Bklyn Traffic Calming Project. Virtually every neighborhood group and every community board in the city is clamoring that traffic congestion and problems related to traffic are one of their top three issues. Yet, DOT and the Mayor have no over-arching transportation policy or plan for reducing traffic congestion and car trips. There are lots of examples of public clamor being met by a stone wall at DOT. There's a reason why lots of NY'ers perceive DOT in this negative light. Come on d00d,

The public is clamoring for a car-free Central Park. 100,000 signatures. Years of campaigning. A DOT study showing that it is feasible. DOT won’t just try it.

The public is clamoring for traffic-calming and major reforms in the way streets are managed and run in and around Downtown Brooklyn. Yet, DOT Deputy Commish Mike Primeggia annihilated the Downtown Bklyn Traffic Calming Project.

Virtually every neighborhood group and every community board in the city is clamoring that traffic congestion and problems related to traffic are one of their top three issues. Yet, DOT and the Mayor have no over-arching transportation policy or plan for reducing traffic congestion and car trips.

There are lots of examples of public clamor being met by a stone wall at DOT. There’s a reason why lots of NY’ers perceive DOT in this negative light.

]]> By: d00d http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/comment-page-1/#comment-19592 d00d Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:50:11 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/#comment-19592 If the public was clamoring, through their politicians, for reduced traffic, mnemosyne, then DOT would be pressued to do larger things. It's so easy to blame DOT for everything, though, I guess. If the public was clamoring, through their politicians, for reduced traffic, mnemosyne, then DOT would be pressued to do larger things. It’s so easy to blame DOT for everything, though, I guess.

]]> By: mnemosyne http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/comment-page-1/#comment-19561 mnemosyne Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:22:08 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/19/dot-giving-away-350-metrocards-at-shea-to-reduce-gridlock/#comment-19561 If the the City was really dedicated to reducing auto use and improving traffic flow on 12/20 and other gridlock alert days, they would simply look back at their traffic mitigation plan from one year ago. On 12/20/05, the first day of the transit strike, the DOT did more than encourage and entice; they partnered with the NYPD to enforce policies that necessiated responsible commuting. One year ago the City met and managed a transportation crisis, but if you’ve been out and about at a “peak hour” recently, you’d have no idea. Despite the gridlock alert, we have no stridently enforced HOV restrictions, no reserved travel lanes and no physical measures that encourage biking and walking. Now, I'm not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, even if it's offering a teeny stocking-stuffer instead of the tree-tilting package I'd prefer. 700 transit trips are a nice gesture, but they're not what are streets need. Enforcement and interagency coopertaion have proven themselves in the near past and are the real answer for our near future. If the the City was really dedicated to reducing auto use and improving traffic flow on 12/20 and other gridlock alert days, they would simply look back at their traffic mitigation plan from one year ago.

On 12/20/05, the first day of the transit strike, the DOT did more than encourage and entice; they partnered with the NYPD to enforce policies that necessiated responsible commuting.

One year ago the City met and managed a transportation crisis, but if you’ve been out and about at a “peak hour” recently, you’d have no idea. Despite the gridlock alert, we have no stridently enforced HOV restrictions, no reserved travel lanes and no physical measures that encourage biking and walking.

Now, I’m not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, even if it’s offering a teeny stocking-stuffer instead of the tree-tilting package I’d prefer. 700 transit trips are a nice gesture, but they’re not what are streets need. Enforcement and interagency coopertaion have proven themselves in the near past and are the real answer for our near future.

]]>