Comments on: McCaffrey: The Subway is Crowded. Let’s Keep it That Way. http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/ 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: gecko http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33741 gecko Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:04:02 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33741 NYC is a trillion dollar real estate market and one of the densest populations in the world teaming with the headquarters of major world class private and public institutions; center of the world'd third largest economy. Doesn't make sense that congestion pricing and even much better such as low-cost human-powered transport and transit are having such difficulties. There's a lot of self-interest for those who run this world to move this stuff forward. It's really bad business not to. NYC is a trillion dollar real estate market and one of the densest populations in the world teaming with the headquarters of major world class private and public institutions; center of the world’d third largest economy.

Doesn’t make sense that congestion pricing and even much better such as low-cost human-powered transport and transit are having such difficulties. There’s a lot of self-interest for those who run this world to move this stuff forward. It’s really bad business not to.

]]> By: Hilary Kitasei http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33691 Hilary Kitasei Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:15:34 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33691 I watched this without sound and thought it was the most effective pro-subway piece I can imagine! The people who avoid the subway today are those who still think it is like the 80s and 90s -- empty, dirty, dangerous. This looked civilized, efficient, and above all SAFE. This was no random crowd. This could have been a crowd pushing into Bergdorf's, or at least Grand Central Station. Can this be used with different captions? I watched this without sound and thought it was the most effective pro-subway piece I can imagine! The people who avoid the subway today are those who still think it is like the 80s and 90s — empty, dirty, dangerous. This looked civilized, efficient, and above all SAFE. This was no random crowd. This could have been a crowd pushing into Bergdorf’s, or at least Grand Central Station. Can this be used with different captions?

]]> By: jmc http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33668 jmc Wed, 11 Jul 2007 06:03:58 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33668 I wouldn't imagine that placards would influence EZ-pass, which will be the predominant collection system. I doubt they do now. I wouldn’t imagine that placards would influence EZ-pass, which will be the predominant collection system. I doubt they do now.

]]> By: Congestion Pricing? No, not yet http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33662 Congestion Pricing? No, not yet Wed, 11 Jul 2007 03:32:35 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33662 About the film -it appears to be an efficient mass transit system that is working. "The city has got to clean up its act before it it introduces congestion pricing," said former city Transportation Commissioner Sam Schwartz (wcbs 6/19/2007). I share the same idea, that if illegal placard abuse goes away, then congestion pricing becomes a moot point. How so?: 1. NYC has already lost $250-million in parking meter revenue alone since 9/11 [Schaller report 2006 - NYC loses $46-million a year due to illegal placard abuse]. 2. According to Marcia Kramer's wcbstv.com story (6/19/2007), there are an estimated 150,000 placards out there. Even if this were reduced by half, through enforcement of already existing No Permit Zone laws and placard restrictions, traffic congestion and parking problems would be immensely reduced; not to mention - better air pollution conditions, and the increased revenue from greater mass transit ridership, and of course $46-million a year, to pay for greater and better mass transit, in regained parking meter revenue. 3. Finally, of primary importance - The increased quality of life, with placard abuse gone, is obviously priceless. Which comes first, nixing illegal placard abuse or congestion pricing? To me, it's a no-brainer. One also needs to ask the Mayor: With congestion pricing - Will 150,000 government employees using parking placards be exempted, or not? If placard abusers are exempted from congestion pricing, then NYC will be doubly screwed - another reason to take care of placard abuse first. Lifelong Downtown Manhattan Resident About the film -it appears to be an efficient mass transit system that is working.

“The city has got to clean up its act before it it introduces congestion pricing,” said former city Transportation Commissioner Sam Schwartz (wcbs 6/19/2007).

I share the same idea, that if illegal placard abuse goes away, then congestion pricing becomes a moot point.
How so?:
1. NYC has already lost $250-million in parking meter revenue alone since 9/11 [Schaller report 2006 - NYC loses $46-million a year due to illegal placard abuse].
2. According to Marcia Kramer’s wcbstv.com story (6/19/2007), there are an estimated 150,000 placards out there. Even if this were reduced by half, through enforcement of already existing No Permit Zone laws and placard restrictions, traffic congestion and parking problems would be immensely reduced; not to mention – better air pollution conditions, and the increased revenue from greater mass transit ridership, and of course $46-million a year, to pay for greater and better mass transit, in regained parking meter revenue.
3. Finally, of primary importance – The increased quality of life, with placard abuse gone, is obviously priceless.

Which comes first, nixing illegal placard abuse or congestion pricing? To me, it’s a no-brainer.

One also needs to ask the Mayor: With congestion pricing – Will 150,000 government employees using parking placards be exempted, or not? If placard abusers are exempted from congestion pricing, then NYC will be doubly screwed – another reason to take care of placard abuse first.

Lifelong Downtown Manhattan Resident

]]> By: Chris Rall http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33652 Chris Rall Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:45:04 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33652 Living in a region where virtually all transit riders are low income folks and students, my response was, this looks like a pretty nice transit system that serves a lot of people of all income levels. Imagine if they were all driving around up on the streets, each in their own cars. Sure, it looks crowded, but nobody looks exasperated. Living in a region where virtually all transit riders are low income folks and students, my response was, this looks like a pretty nice transit system that serves a lot of people of all income levels. Imagine if they were all driving around up on the streets, each in their own cars. Sure, it looks crowded, but nobody looks exasperated.

]]> By: rhubarbpie http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33646 rhubarbpie Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:02:11 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33646 Let me try that again, from the middle of my above post: ...That's the message that this video conveys, and it's one that is clearly resounding with people, like it or not. (Not to mention that the mayor discounted the crowding on the subway a week or two ago: "It's New York," he said. "What do you expect?" or some such nonsense. Let me try that again, from the middle of my above post: …That’s the message that this video conveys, and it’s one that is clearly resounding with people, like it or not. (Not to mention that the mayor discounted the crowding on the subway a week or two ago: “It’s New York,” he said. “What do you expect?” or some such nonsense.

]]> By: rhubarbpie http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33645 rhubarbpie Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:59:43 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33645 Obvious response to this ad: subways are too crowded already, and you want to make them more crowded?!!!! That's the effective message that this ad work. Obvious response to this ad: subways are too crowded already, and you want to make them more crowded?!!!! That’s the effective message that this ad work.

]]> By: howiehedd http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33641 howiehedd Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:24:30 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33641 I got the first comment in on youtube. Lets see some more! I got the first comment in on youtube.

Lets see some more!

]]> By: Clarence http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33626 Clarence Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:22:54 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33626 Am I wrong or did they chose the Mayor's subway stop to film this? Almost all the footage looks like it was shot on the same platform at 77nd Street on the Lex Line? Is that where he boards? The video is way too long in making its point. 30 seconds or 1 minute would have done it. Am I wrong or did they chose the Mayor’s subway stop to film this? Almost all the footage looks like it was shot on the same platform at 77nd Street on the Lex Line? Is that where he boards?

The video is way too long in making its point. 30 seconds or 1 minute would have done it.

]]> By: Charlie D. http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/comment-page-1/#comment-33625 Charlie D. Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:49:44 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/10/mccaffrey-the-subway-is-crowded-lets-keep-it-that-way/#comment-33625 Wow, look, people using the subway. And it's crowded. Shocking. Why didn't he put video of what's happening with all the cars on the streets ABOVE the subway? I would assume they are all flowing freely and easily, unlike these poor cattle below. Wow, look, people using the subway. And it’s crowded. Shocking.

Why didn’t he put video of what’s happening with all the cars on the streets ABOVE the subway? I would assume they are all flowing freely and easily, unlike these poor cattle below.

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