Puerto Rico recently opened a very modern light rail line extending mostly from the San Juan suburbs to the financial and business districts, but it does not extend to Old San Juan, Condado (a South Beach-type district), or the Isla Verde district (where the airport is).

You are correct our car traffic is much lighter than most neighborhoods. When the Island was reborn as Roosevelt Island and the residential buildings went up there were NO cars allowed on Main Street unless they were of employees of the two remaining hospitals, maintenance, or delivery vehicles.

Over time gradually more cars were allowed past the Motorgate Garage that sits on the RI side of the Roosevelt Island Bridge but the fact that there is LIMITED on-street parking has kept the traffic reasonable although during business hours it is becomming more constant and during hospital shift changes it always picks up. Most cars obey the State Law imposed Pedestrian Yield signs although many car-free residents would love to see speed bumps installed to enusre nobody picks up their speed to much.

And yes the promenades surrounding the Island are completely car free except for public safety and the occasional car making biking and walking a pleasure.

So our "model" is create one central parking area at the only vehicular entrance to the island and then limit the available parking spots to virtually none per capita.

- Eric

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_carfree_places

It looks like the car-free islands with the highest populations are Venice (pop. 70,000), Cheung Chau (30,000) and Lamma (6,000) in Hong Kong, and Spetses (3,916) and Hydra (2,719) in the Aegean. Has anyone been to any of these places? (I'm guessing that some have been to VVenice, at least.)

Given the restrictions on cars, residents appear to rely upon walking and mass transportation more than on cars or taxis than in any other part of New York City. As a result, it is a safer and more comfortable environment for pedestrians. On the streets, cars are required to yield at non-signal-controlled pedestrian crossings, just as you see on Main Streets in small towns. To my eyes, there is more informal chat among people who cross paths on the street there than you see in Manhattan, which I attribute to the people not being inside cars. Those are the aspects of RI that I would like to see fostered in Manhattan, perhaps other parts of New York City.

I've never tried to travel to RI by mass transit during rush hour. Your question suggests that you view the tram and the subway service to be inadequate. I used to live near the 23rd/Ely stop of the E/F, so I know how packed those trains can be for passengers on the last stop before (or after) Manhattan.

The line I use most often now is the 6, and it is as full as full can be during rush hour. And there is certainly plenty of development occurring on the UES. So the problems RI is facing with development may not be unique.

I think people may be quicker to recognize the need for improved mass transit to handle the residents in all of the new developments if they do not have the ability to "opt out" by using a car or taxi. That's why I propose restricting them as you do on RI.

Jamaica, on the other hand, is a tragedy. A once viable train service has been abandoned, and the single main road that goes through the center of towns and villages is clogged and about to be widened (taking the narrow sidewalks with it). In Negril, there are jitneys for Jamaicans but deemed too dangerous for foreigners, who are essentially forced to use private (and exorbitant) taxis.