Comments on: Today’s Headlines http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:01:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Boris http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68360 Boris Wed, 20 May 2009 15:43:59 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68360 Rhywun, What you just described is a classical Republican political strategy, used to cast Democrats as elites and getting the lower class to follow causes they have nothing to gain from. Its invention has been attributed to President Nixon. Suburban New York Democrats like Liu are really Republicans, just like our mayor is really a Democrat. Rhywun,

What you just described is a classical Republican political strategy, used to cast Democrats as elites and getting the lower class to follow causes they have nothing to gain from. Its invention has been attributed to President Nixon. Suburban New York Democrats like Liu are really Republicans, just like our mayor is really a Democrat.

]]> By: Rhywun http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68304 Rhywun Wed, 20 May 2009 02:55:23 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68304 It's astonishing how successful the political class has been at protecting their own interests by casting the young, urban transit-rider as the "elite" while completely ignoring the needs of the "lower" class (for lack of a better word), who have no other choice. I've been a member of both groups, and frankly, if I was still a poor person struggling with rent and completely unable to afford a car, I would be insulted by the slavish devotion these pols have to the supposed "working man" and his car. I've worked with plenty of folks from places with terrible transit service like South Ozone Park and none of them had a car. We see through your nonsense, Mr. Liu. It's astonishing how successful the political class has been at protecting their own interests by casting the young, urban transit-rider as the "elite" while completely ignoring the needs of the "lower" class (for lack of a better word), who have no other choice. I've been a member of both groups, and frankly, if I was still a poor person struggling with rent and completely unable to afford a car, I would be insulted by the slavish devotion these pols have to the supposed "working man" and his car. I've worked with plenty of folks from places with terrible transit service like South Ozone Park and none of them had a car. We see through your nonsense, Mr. Liu.

]]> By: dporpentine http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68293 dporpentine Tue, 19 May 2009 23:39:04 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68293 How terrible that thirteen-year-old was killed crossing the street. I'm not surprised it happened on Rogers Ave. That's one hellacious street--crying out for traffic calming from top to bottom. Or at least a cop at every corner with a radar gun. How terrible that thirteen-year-old was killed crossing the street.
I'm not surprised it happened on Rogers Ave. That's one hellacious street--crying out for traffic calming from top to bottom. Or at least a cop at every corner with a radar gun.

]]> By: Dan Berkman http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68255 Dan Berkman Tue, 19 May 2009 17:12:02 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68255 That JSK profile is both heartening and infuriating. How many times does Crowley have to quote John Liu and his faux populist rantings? Ok we get it. Some crazy rich white people are trying to turn New York into Denmark. Form reading this you'd think the big plan at DOT was to force small business owners to sell pickled herring near bike lanes. That JSK profile is both heartening and infuriating. How many times does Crowley have to quote John Liu and his faux populist rantings? Ok we get it. Some crazy rich white people are trying to turn New York into Denmark. Form reading this you'd think the big plan at DOT was to force small business owners to sell pickled herring near bike lanes.

]]> By: Angus Grieve-Smith http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68243 Angus Grieve-Smith Tue, 19 May 2009 16:17:45 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68243 From the <i>New York</i> Magazine profile of Sadik-Khan: <blockquote>The Summer Streets program shut down Park Avenue for three Saturdays last August, and was judged enough of a success that it will be replicated this year.</blockquote> Yay! From the New York Magazine profile of Sadik-Khan:

The Summer Streets program shut down Park Avenue for three Saturdays last August, and was judged enough of a success that it will be replicated this year.

Yay!

]]> By: David_K http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68232 David_K Tue, 19 May 2009 15:18:56 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68232 Interesting article in 538, regarding congestion pricing, and mollifying the complaints that congestion pricing would most affect low-income people who need to drive into Manhattan: "The problem cases are low-income workers who must occasionally drive into the city on weekdays. For such people, congestion fees would indeed constitute a new burden. But this burden could easily be eliminated by giving every low-income worker in Manhattan an annual allotment of transferable congestion vouchers. On the rare occasions when these workers needed to drive into the city, they could do so free of charge. And they could earn some extra money by selling any vouchers they didn’t need on Craigslist." Interesting article in 538, regarding congestion pricing, and mollifying the complaints that congestion pricing would most affect low-income people who need to drive into Manhattan:

"The problem cases are low-income workers who must occasionally drive into the city on weekdays. For such people, congestion fees would indeed constitute a new burden.

But this burden could easily be eliminated by giving every low-income worker in Manhattan an annual allotment of transferable congestion vouchers. On the rare occasions when these workers needed to drive into the city, they could do so free of charge. And they could earn some extra money by selling any vouchers they didn’t need on Craigslist."

]]> By: Rhywun http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68226 Rhywun Tue, 19 May 2009 14:49:03 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68226 RE: Fare Evasion Is Up on Bx12 SBS Route The anecdotes imply that there's little to no enforcement of the fare, yet the tone of the article is the same tired old excuse that New York is full of criminals who can't possibly be expected to act in the civilized manner seen in other cities around the world. So... which is it? RE: Fare Evasion Is Up on Bx12 SBS Route

The anecdotes imply that there's little to no enforcement of the fare, yet the tone of the article is the same tired old excuse that New York is full of criminals who can't possibly be expected to act in the civilized manner seen in other cities around the world. So... which is it?

]]> By: Omri http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68225 Omri Tue, 19 May 2009 14:38:37 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68225 Sure would be sweet if the MTA & MBTA could agree to use the same RFID card set and interoperate. Same card around NYC and Boston, with Acela in between. Sure would be sweet if the MTA & MBTA could agree to use the same RFID card set and interoperate. Same card around NYC and Boston, with Acela in between.

]]> By: rufustfyrfly http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68224 rufustfyrfly Tue, 19 May 2009 14:37:20 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68224 <i>Other cities with a pre-pay system had the foresight to replace their open-air bus shelters with enclosed...kiosks</i> Would the fare income gained by building such shelters actually pay for their construction and maintenance? It's possible, certainly, but I would be surprised if the MTA didn't at least consider that calculation. They'd also take up a lot of limited sidewalk space (not that I'd be averse to some sidewalk widening, though). Also: "<i>shuckers and jivers</i>"? Seriously? <i>This</i> belongs in the antebellum South. Other cities with a pre-pay system had the foresight to replace their open-air bus shelters with enclosed...kiosks

Would the fare income gained by building such shelters actually pay for their construction and maintenance? It's possible, certainly, but I would be surprised if the MTA didn't at least consider that calculation. They'd also take up a lot of limited sidewalk space (not that I'd be averse to some sidewalk widening, though).

Also:
"shuckers and jivers"?
Seriously? This belongs in the antebellum South.

]]> By: Think_twice http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68222 Think_twice Tue, 19 May 2009 14:29:24 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68222 Oh and none of this so-last-century magnetic-strip card nonsense, when they can have touchless/smart cards instead. Oh and none of this so-last-century magnetic-strip card nonsense, when they can have touchless/smart cards instead.

]]> By: Think_twice http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/19/todays-headlines-651/comment-page-1/#comment-68221 Think_twice Tue, 19 May 2009 14:19:09 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6190#comment-68221 Re: The DN article about SBS fare beaters Honor systems are for the antebellum South and feudal Japan. What else is there to expect from an entitled riding public of shuckers and jivers. Other cities with a pre-pay system had the foresight to replace their open-air bus shelters with enclosed, heated/cooled, camera-monitored, comfortable kiosks that you can only enter into from the sidewalk through a turnstile. Also the only way to get on board the bus itself is directly through the kiosk, not the sidewalk. Re: The DN article about SBS fare beaters

Honor systems are for the antebellum South and feudal Japan. What else is there to expect from an entitled riding public of shuckers and jivers.

Other cities with a pre-pay system had the foresight to replace their open-air bus shelters with enclosed, heated/cooled, camera-monitored, comfortable kiosks that you can only enter into from the sidewalk through a turnstile. Also the only way to get on board the bus itself is directly through the kiosk, not the sidewalk.

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