I’ve done and experienced all those things you mentioned. I hate those damned pedestrian barriers that make you walk to the middle of the block to cross the street. Anyone walking in a straight path east or west has to go almost a full block out of their way (to the crosswalk and back) just so some cars can turn the corner more easily. Great.

This is a straw-man argument (and why do bicycles keep coming up?) but I will say that the city could do very well with just public transportation, human powered vehicles, and trucks (we don’t have the infrastructure to forgo commercial trucks). I would even describe that scenario as “ideal”, but still, it’s got nothing to do with DOT Takes Steps to Improve Ped Safety Near Park Avenue Tunnel. Those other reasonable solutions you mention are great, and so is this one. Our transportation problems are big enough to require lots of solutions, and those that can be implemented without approval from Albany are particularly handy.

How many of you idealists have ever walked through midtown where the Giuliani-era barricades are there to restrict pedestrian crossings? One solution is to forbid pedestrians from crossing at 33rd and Park and force them to walk to 34th or 32nd to cross safely (or mid-block 32-33) with fewer collisions and less traffic mayhem as a result.

I’ve walked around those barricades plenty of times. You call that a solution? That’s like curing a brain tumor with a rifle.

Removing traffic lanes from inner Manhattan without restricting traffic flow into Manhattan is irresponsible since it will only make traffic worse

Dave,

Capacity reduction is one of the most powerful and effective tools that the mayor has fully at his disposal. There many examples of cities successfully removing lanes of traffic without creating more congestion. Here is a great piece of research on the subject:

http://www.contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/reading/disappearing-traffic/

Reallocating roadspace from general traffic, to improve conditions for pedestrians or cyclists or buses or on-street light rail or other high-occupancy vehicles, is often predicted to cause major traffic problems on neighbouring streets. This paper reports on two phases of research, resulting in the examination of over 70 case studies of roadspace reallocation from eleven countries, and the collation of opinions from over 200 transport professionals worldwide. The findings suggest that predictions of traffic problems are often unnecessarily alarmist, and that, given appropriate local circumstances, significant reductions in overall traffic levels can occur, with people making a far wider range of behavioural responses than has traditionally been assumed.

Removing traffic lanes from inner Manhattan without restricting traffic flow into Manhattan is irresponsible since it will only make traffic worse and we will all pay for it via slower emergency response times, more horn honking and eventually higher delivery costs.

Stop people from driving into Manhattan by restricting placards, reduce free parking through permits and toll every bridge into Manhattan to make driving into Manhattan at least as costly as taking the subway. And CP is a no-brainer…Shelly time for you to follow Joe if you don’t see that light.

How many of you attacking me has ever driven through the Park Avenue tunnel and realize how it smoothes traffic between midtown and downtown? How may of you has actually ever driven in Manhattan or been kept up all night by honking horns?

How many of you idealists have ever walked through midtown where the Giuliani-era barricades are there to restrict pedestrian crossings? One solution is to forbid pedestrians from crossing at 33rd and Park and force them to walk to 34th or 32nd to cross safely (or mid-block 32-33) with fewer collisions and less traffic mayhem as a result.

Reducing traffic lanes willy-nilly is stupidity and I am surprised that Bloomberg puts up with it. Time for another letter from me to him.

If the trial is succesful, perhaps they ought to consider closing northbound too, and just turning it over to bicycles along with the roadway around GCT. But a one-way closing I don’t get.

Besides I really don’t agree with you. 9th ave is a better street with the cycletrack and the 14th street redesign. The intersection of 23rd street, 5th ave, and broadway is going to be far superior for busses and cars.

Quite a statement from someone who has a car – and drives and parks it on New York City streets!

Steve
England August 2008

I mean that literally. I live in the area and I can’t step outside my door without being terrorized by speeding drivers. I was thinking about moving out.

Anything the city does to slow drivers down here, or discourage people from driving, will vastly improve quality of life for thousands of local residents, workers, and students, not to mention tourists.

Looking forward to seeing fewer cars on 34th St. as well.

Thank you, DOT. Bless you all!

Pedestrian bridges are not a solution for city streets. A pedestrian bridge across Park Avenue would be a band-aid that does nothing to fix the underlying problem.

I’d like to see less people driving in the city (especially those who don’t really NEED to), but this is not the way to do it.