Scariest split second of my life.

The Dutch have the right idea on this (TDHTRIOT). Timers in America are another way of telling those without cars that they are second class citizens.

All it does is replace the flashing red hand with a clock. With a flashing hand, you have no idea how long its been flashing and how many flashes are left. The clock lets you make an informed decision on whether to cross or not. In DC, theres always a timer, even during the walk phase. As such, from half a block away, I see I have 22 seconds left and can speed up or slow down so I dont waste time or effort.

And this goes for all transportation inovations. How many cities right now are doing studies and pilots on sharrows? Why cant we communicate from one city to another to avoid this waste of resources?

Look at the subway countdowns. Theyre all over Europe, theyve been in DC for many, many years….but NYC needs to run a pilot and testing phase because it may not work. We need to stop drawing arbitrary lines. Why is one study good for the NYC metro area…but not for the east coast?

As to whether it’s a good idea, I can’t comment, precisely because I haven’t seen any studies. Maybe in another life I’d be an expert in pedestrian traffic control devices. The mayor and his deputies aren’t experts either, and thus scientific management demands some evidence.

Dont use the highways as a red herring. Pedestrian countdowns are akin to bollards, subway countdowns or street trees, not razing buildings for a new street.

By this logic, we should also gut our downtown with superhighways and parking garages, and pave soho. More information may not always be a good thing; it’s not a given that this is a good idea.

And anyway, if I were an executive manager, I’d prefer my department heads could cite science for every line-item project. JSK running a trial program only means when it comes time for the request, she’ll be able to articulate precisely why it’s /worth/ it.

I’ve heard that usually FDNY will actually smash through car windows to get to a blocked hydrant. Did they not do that this time? If not, why not? Professional courtesy?

If a driver kills someone while speeding, why isn’t that a crime? Imagine if the “rule of two” were applied to other crimes: I could shoot you, and so long as I wasn’t also in possession of stolen goods, tough luck making it stick.

Whats wrong with saying “if it works in w,x,y,z, itll work here”.

Moreover, the contractors almost always get paid to go away after failing. Like public employees who don’t work, the rules, interpretations and court cases have all been set up to protect them, not the public. At least with the bus information system projects, NYCT didn’t pay for what we didn’t get. I consider that a major contracting victory.

Kind of makes it seem unexpected that Metrocard and EZ Pass actually worked. Apparently, this sort of thing is not easy.

A Post photographer trying to take a picture of the placard was forced to move away by cops.

Score another round for the Blue Wall of Silence! What does Deputy Inspector Alles have to say about that?