Comments on: Critical Transportation Reforms Sink With Pricing http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:54:00 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Eric http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-34201 Eric Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:40:24 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/#comment-34201 We could use some BIKE-lane enforcement cameras, too, in places like the Plaza Street East bike lane at Grand Army Plaza. Since the bike lane there is used more often than not as a passing lane for impatient motorists, I imagine it could rack up thousands and thousands of dollars in fines each day – money which could fund transportation improvements elsewhere. We could use some BIKE-lane enforcement cameras, too, in places like the Plaza Street East bike lane at Grand Army Plaza. Since the bike lane there is used more often than not as a passing lane for impatient motorists, I imagine it could rack up thousands and thousands of dollars in fines each day – money which could fund transportation improvements elsewhere.

]]> By: Jmc http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-34174 Jmc Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:17:05 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/#comment-34174 There was once a time when New York looked to London for solutions to its transit problem. New technology and ideas that ran counter to the status quo were helping London grow and prosper, but when these ideas were proposed in New York they were shot down by established interests, corrupt politicians, and NIMBYs. The time? 1866. The innovation? Underground railroads (subways) It wasn't until 1904 that construction started on the IRT! Let's hope we can start congestion pricing in less than 40 years. There was once a time when New York looked to London for solutions to its transit problem. New technology and ideas that ran counter to the status quo were helping London grow and prosper, but when these ideas were proposed in New York they were shot down by established interests, corrupt politicians, and NIMBYs. The time? 1866. The innovation? Underground railroads (subways)

It wasn't until 1904 that construction started on the IRT!

Let's hope we can start congestion pricing in less than 40 years.

]]> By: ddartley http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-34160 ddartley Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:18:59 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/#comment-34160 I must weigh in saying that this "edge effect" seems like a figment of a nutty imagination. "Yeah, now that CP makes it more expensive for me to drive from my outlying neighborhood or town into Midtown and park there, instead, on a workday morning, I'll drive to a trasit hub in some neighborhood I don't know in the Bronx or Brooklyn, and drive around the unfamiliar streets looking for parking." I'm sorry, but I just don't imagine more than a few dozen people trying that in a CP world. And those few dozen would have been offset by the far greater number no loger driving at all! I must weigh in saying that this "edge effect" seems like a figment of a nutty imagination.

"Yeah, now that CP makes it more expensive for me to drive from my outlying neighborhood or town into Midtown and park there, instead, on a workday morning, I'll drive to a trasit hub in some neighborhood I don't know in the Bronx or Brooklyn, and drive around the unfamiliar streets looking for parking."

I'm sorry, but I just don't imagine more than a few dozen people trying that in a CP world. And those few dozen would have been offset by the far greater number no loger driving at all!

]]> By: jmnyc http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-34157 jmnyc Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:05:39 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/#comment-34157 I love that picture of the car in the bus lane. Boy do we need these cameras. Did you know that NYC is limited by Albany to 100 traffic enforcement cameras in the entire city depsite having more than 5,000 intersections. And that restriction was just lifted last year from 50. Unbelievable. I watched Richard Brodsky on NY 1 last week and he said the reason he opposed more traffic cameras was that a political opponent could use them to determine when he was in the city and where. How out of touch are Richard? NYC pedestrians and public transit riders can't get red light, bus lane or block the box cameras b/c of your concerns about a political opponent tracking your whereabouts in NYC. What exactly are you doing in the city that makes you so afraid of other people find out about your whereabouts? I love that picture of the car in the bus lane. Boy do we need these cameras.

Did you know that NYC is limited by Albany to 100 traffic enforcement cameras in the entire city depsite having more than 5,000 intersections. And that restriction was just lifted last year from 50. Unbelievable.

I watched Richard Brodsky on NY 1 last week and he said the reason he opposed more traffic cameras was that a political opponent could use them to determine when he was in the city and where. How out of touch are Richard? NYC pedestrians and public transit riders can't get red light, bus lane or block the box cameras b/c of your concerns about a political opponent tracking your whereabouts in NYC. What exactly are you doing in the city that makes you so afraid of other people find out about your whereabouts?

]]> By: momos http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-34150 momos Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:24:31 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/#comment-34150 SPer - I second the letter writing campaign. Also, Streetsbloggers: CALL SHELDON SILVER. Yesterday his office had heard more anti- than pro- calls. Sheldon Silver: 518-455-3791 As of 12:15pm today, Elizabeth Benjamin over at The Daily Politics has very encouraging news to report: Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's office is contacting members of the Democratic majority and asking them whether they are available to return to Albany tomorrow, one downstate lawmaker reports...Gov. Eliot Spitzer called off his plans to travel to Buffalo today so he could stick around and keep negotiating. More Here: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2007/07/breakthrough.html SPer - I second the letter writing campaign. Also, Streetsbloggers: CALL SHELDON SILVER. Yesterday his office had heard more anti- than pro- calls.

Sheldon Silver: 518-455-3791

As of 12:15pm today, Elizabeth Benjamin over at The Daily Politics has very encouraging news to report:

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's office is contacting members of the Democratic majority and asking them whether they are available to return to Albany tomorrow, one downstate lawmaker reports...Gov. Eliot Spitzer called off his plans to travel to Buffalo today so he could stick around and keep negotiating.

More Here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2007/07/breakthrough.html

]]> By: SPer http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-34127 SPer Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:56:01 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/#comment-34127 I want to encourage everybody who bothers to post on this blog to write a letter to the New York Times about your disappointment that congestion pricing was killed in Albany. This morning's paper had three letters on CP: two against and one in favor, and the favorable letter was written by someone living in Washington DC! I assume that the Times publishes pro and con letters in numbers roughly representative of what's in the mail bag. So -- lets get our words out where more people can read them. I want to encourage everybody who bothers to post on this blog to write a letter to the New York Times about your disappointment that congestion pricing was killed in Albany. This morning's paper had three letters on CP: two against and one in favor, and the favorable letter was written by someone living in Washington DC! I assume that the Times publishes pro and con letters in numbers roughly representative of what's in the mail bag. So -- lets get our words out where more people can read them.

]]> By: Angus Grieve-Smith http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-34122 Angus Grieve-Smith Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:34:58 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/18/critical-transportation-reforms-sink-with-pricing/#comment-34122 Definitely a lot to be done. The Senate bill would have allowed bus lane enforcement cameras only as part of the five "BRT" pilot projects. The next bill should allow them statewide. Definitely a lot to be done.

The Senate bill would have allowed bus lane enforcement cameras only as part of the five "BRT" pilot projects. The next bill should allow them statewide.

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