Streetsblog New York City

The other day I noted that one of the most destructive pieces of misinformation floating around the New York State Assembly is this line from Assembly Member Richard Brodsky's congestion pricing report:

The City has no plan to improve mass transit prior to the implementation of congestion pricing. This is a serious if not fatal defect in the proposal in the opinion of both supporters and opponents of congestion pricing.

Brodsky's claim is incorrect. New York City and the MTA plan to make extensive bus and ferry service improvements prior to the start of any congestion pricing system. The service expansion would be paid for by the $500 million federal grant that New York City has applied for.

Some of the details I reported in my story, however, were not entirely correct either. I reported that the City requested $306 million for 400 new buses in its grant application to the federal government. Actually, the City requested $258 million for 367 new buses on 36 routes in 22 neighborhoods as well as additional funds for the ferry and ferry improvements. The City also requested $98 million for the creation of a Bus Rapid Transit system, according to sources at the New York City Dept. of Transportation.

Below, and also for download, is a map and a list detailing exactly where all of these buses improvements would be made if the state legislature approves Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan ahead of Monday's US DOT grant application deadline.

This is the second essay from Alex Marshall. As a journalist and author Alex has written extensively on transportation issues, he is a senior fellow at the Regional Plan Association where he edits the bi-weekly Spotlight on the Region newsletter.

A guy on a Segway rolled by me the other day on 15th street to the east side of Union Square. I can't remember whether he was wearing a helmet, but I do remember his pursed lips and worried eyes. He seemed to fear a judgmental gaze or remark, and to be preemptively avoiding that by staring straight ahead.

Whatever the actual reason for it, his tense expression metaphorically indicated to me the somewhat beleaguered place Segways occupy on our streets and sidewalks. Although tiny in actual number, in mind-share the Segway has occupied a lot of space due to the successful publicity blow-out before the machines were introduced in late 2001.

As part of this juggernaut, its inventor Dean Kamen spent many millions getting them approved for sidewalk use in most places, but he hit a snag in New York State and in the city particularly, where he found sidewalks and streets more contested ground. Here cycling and pedestrian advocates have managed to keep it in limbo legally, neither completely denied but definitely not completely permitted. That hasn't stopped the police from trying them out though. The Segway made news recently because the NYPD bought ten of them for officers to use in Central Park and other areas.

From a practical standpoint, the Segway's current legal status might be okay. But as a precedent, the hostility against the Segway from the "street" community troubles me. I'm reminded that one discriminated or beleaguered minority is supposedly more likely to discriminate against another minority rather than embrace them. There's not enough room for all of us, seems to be the view of many cycling and pedestrian advocates.

This is a pity, for it's not the right approach to the use of streets. Rather than enshrining particular devices, there should be an attitude of "Everyone into the pool" when it comes to streets. With some exceptions at either end of the scale, generally streets within urban areas should accommodate all types of traffic. Urban designer and writer Michael Sorkin, in a class of his I spoke at CUNY, talked of the streets of Bangladesh and how they contained animals, cyclists, cars and other traffic, all moving along at about 12 mph, absent any particular rules or regulations.