The Long, Ugly Road to a Federal Transportation Plan
Come September 30, Congress has to have a plan in hand to fund the nation's trains, buses, bikes, bridges and roads -- or pass an extension of the 2005 federal bill, locking in the same spending patterns that have nurtured Americans' addiction to the automobile. But the odds are that you haven't heard much about how the process works. What has to happen in order for Congress to meet that September deadline? Let's break it down a bit.
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Niccolo Machiavelli
This minor case blatant pandering in the cause of Bill Thompson's failed campaign aside, you have to ask yourself, does Tish James have greater potential to carry your banner politically. I think she does. She made Eric happy with her anti-Atlantic Yards thing and has balanced a complicated equation many times in her career. Personally, for city-wide women, I like Melissa Mark-Verito a whole lot more. They are both young and committed and will be around for a while. Hopefully, for my money, by the time it matters, both BRT and Atlantic Yards will be a fact of political life in Brooklyn and we will be wondering why anyone opposed either.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Rhywun
Well, we've already burned all our bridges by loading up most of the riverfronts with luxury condos... might as well go all the way.
in response to Today's Headlines
Lauri Schindler
This is the kind of discussion that takes place when we don't talk about the "big picture." It takes introducing these ideas to the general public so that they know enough about the subject that BRT, CP and/or tolling, curbside management, bike lanes, are exciting ideas and sound like solutions, not dirty words. Having this discussion with the merchants is a real opportunity. And may I add that I'm no wonk, but I am a true believer.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
gecko
Any climate plan that does not address automobiles as the prime example of excessive consumption of the rich to include a diversified transportation plan is probably not worth much.
in response to How About a Climate Plan That Reduces Car Dependence?
Cap'n Transit
Well, Eric, we can't depend on her to get an increase to transit aid in the city budget, and we can't depend on her to stand up for bus passengers, so what makes her pro-transit?
I do give her credit for not saying that bus lanes would be an unmitigated disaster, and for talking to Ben. What more does she deserve?
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Eric McClure
Aren't you guys being a little harsh on a pro-transit council member who supported congestion pricing, frequently takes the subway to City Hall, and returned Ben's call?
Just sayin'.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Quïnn Hue
@dporpentine I feel your pain, I took this bus from Williamsburg all the way to Avenue X. That bus is hell on wheels, and I'm not sure why they aren't any bus priority lanes and then I look at this and my questions have been answered.
in response to Brooklyn Bus Stop Draws Bigger Crowd Than Thompson Anti-BRT "Rally"
glenn
This shows the power of concentrated advocacy on a specific achievable goal. Great work everyone!
in response to Safer, More Livable Streets for the East Side -- The Campaign Heats Up
AlexB
I have to agree with J, the plans do not call for the removal of parking, only the removal of a travel lane. This question has already been answered, so what's the big deal?
However, if the bus lane is going to have parking on the right and the other travel lane to the left, it can never be physically separated. Cars can go in and out of that lane all the time. Do you really expect me to believe that the drivers on Nostrand Ave aren't going to use this lane? I've been on that street many times and it's a free-for-all. The police can't protect this non-separated lane for miles and miles.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
AlexB
i really hope the end result is not a bike+bus lane. i do not want to have to bike behind or in front of a bus.
in response to Safer, More Livable Streets for the East Side -- The Campaign Heats Up
Kaja
What's the cost/benefit of a higher Kosciuszko, and attendant BQE accidents & congestion (& pollution), versus the improbable but real future possibility of heavy industrial on the Newtown Creek?
America will be in some form auto-dependant for the forseeable future. Even if in Sunnyside of 2060 a thousand factories bloom, this bridge will seem sensible given what we knew today.
in response to Today's Headlines
Rhywun
I wasn't aware the Kosciuszko replacement is lower... that seems like a poor decision. You never know when manufacturing might come back to NYC some day....
in response to Today's Headlines
Kaja
Are the twin primary obstacles to justice not the cops and the DA?
in response to Even When the Killer Driver Is Drunk, Obstacles to Justice Abound
Centers and Squares
Interesting study. I've certainly noticed in the last few years that any stretch of straight road in the city seems to compel people to drive far too fast. Cambridge, where I live, is doing a lot with traffic calming alterations to streets - as a driver at times I grumble as I weave in and out of the "bulbs" that stick out into the roadway but if it's going to get some speedsters to slow down it's a good thing.
Liz
in response to The Perils of Cul-de-Sac Development
John
Interesting. Berkshire Hathaway also owns GEICO insurance. I was picking up my son from school one day. I was in the school zone and a car with a GEICO logo blew my doors off, but slowed down enough to give me the finger and to show me with his beet-red face and screaming that he didn't appreciate me slowing him down. I contacted GEICO about this and was told flat out school zones are speed traps and revenue generators. They do nothing for safety. The driver did nothing wrong. And he closed with a philosophical musing about people today not minding their own business.
This was my second very bad dealing with that insurance company. The first was when a GEICO customer hit me and the claims adjuster called a "fat mouthed liar".
Of course I'm sort of ranting here and this has little to do with rail. I guess my point being I don't think this move by Buffett is all that significant and I doubt it'll do anything to improve rail service in North America.
in response to Buffett's Bet on Rail: What Does It Mean for Transport and Energy?
John
This whole concept that we can't evaluate, monitor, or expect a certain level of competence out of people in cars is getting out of hand. We'll happily toss a 19 year-old who has consensual relations with a 17 year-old in prison and then forever label him a "child predator", but that same 19 year-old can get behind the wheel of a car and kill people and suddenly it's not his fault and we live in an Orwellian society.
This happened about 20 years ago when I was living in Atlanta. The woman I was dating was hit by an underage drunk driver (she was 19 or 20). She was clearly drunk. When the police arrived she claimed that while waiting for the police she went into a bar and had a few drinks to calm her nerves. She was then allowed to drive away. I questioned the police officer about this stating she wasn't old enough to drink, no one witnessed her leaving the scene, if she had left the scene that's a crime, no officer went to the bar in question asking if she had been in there, and why as a driver who could barely stand up straight allowed to drive away. He shrugged and walked off.
in response to Even When the Killer Driver Is Drunk, Obstacles to Justice Abound
Geck
Yes. This could be big. Let's get it right.
in response to Safer, More Livable Streets for the East Side -- The Campaign Heats Up
Moser
You guys haven't been around the political process very long if you think bitching, whining, posturing and pointing fingers in total disregard for the facts isn't just a day at the office for 99% of elected officials.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Larry Littlefield
Just came across this:
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/bicycle-ticket-could-cost-santa-ana-student-400/41971/
"The new semester had just begun. Oswald Muniz Sanchez was riding his bike to biology class at Santa Ana College, earphones in both ears, listening to the dulcet tones of National Public Radio."
"Sanchez saw no cars at the intersection of Washington and Freeman streets, so he buzzed through the stop sign, as cyclists so often do. That’s when he saw the Santa Ana policeman, half-way up the side street."
"How are you going to hear someone honking at you with earphones on? the officer asked. I heard you, Sanchez said. What music were you listening to? the officer asked. It was just the news, Sanchez said. If you were in your car, would you have stopped? Yes, Sanchez said. Are you going to give me a warning? No, the offficer said. I’m going to cite you for running a stop sign."
in response to Today's Headlines
Benjamin Kabak
I wonder if Leticia James is aware of the fact that more than 67 percent of her constituent households don't own cars and that nearly 70 percent of them commute daily via mass transit. You would hope that's a fact that she would perhaps, you know, research in deciding whether to support her positions.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Charles Siegel
Livable streets advocates should be out there saying that the way to reduce the cost of replacing the Kosciuszko Bridge is by eliminating the huge expansion of capacity, from six lanes to nine lanes.
From the article:
Whatever design is chosen, the new bridge will have nine lanes, up from the current six; have a less-steep incline now that there’s no longer a need to accommodate large boat traffic on the Newtown Creek; a bike and pedestrian lane; and a boat launch.
The federal government will pay for 80 percent of the replacement project, leaving $200 million to be picked up by the state. The four-year construction will begin in 2013.
It’s not a moment too soon. The span is perpetually gridlocked — a result of antiquated design and nonexistent shoulders. In addition, the support beams and roadways are deteriorating. Two weeks ago, the bridge was partially closed due to joint failure.
So the New Kosciuszko is on the fast track, right?
Um, not so fast. Last month, Gov. Paterson said that his own Transportation Department’s five-year, $25.8-billion capital package plan is too pricey. He did not mention the Kosciuszko Bridge specifically, but said the agency would face massive budget cuts.
“This plan … [is] simply unaffordable given New York’s current fiscal condition,” Paterson said in October. “If the Legislature does not work with me to address the budget deficit, it will become increasingly difficult to enact a necessary and affordable road and bridge plan for New York.”
I know it is hard to spell Kosciuszko, but that is not a good reason for NY livable streets advocates to ignore this unaffordable expansion of road capacity. They should build a bridge with six lanes plus shoulders and a bike/ped path, rather than increasing capacity to nine lanes.
in response to Today's Headlines
J
I'm also amused that so many of these commercial districts came into existence because they are along a transit route, yet many continue to oppose making it easier for customers to access the stores. That said, I think a lot of business understand this and support transit improvements. However, approval just doesn't make a good news story: "Bus Improvements Liked". or "Local Business to Mayor: Better Buses Good".
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
J
Is it just me, or is this the biggest non-issue in the world. The current design doesn't call for removing parking, except at bus stops, which are merely being extended. The overall parking loss is so minimal compared to transit gains, that it hardly warrants discussion, much less any sort of opposition. Perhaps DOT needs to go sit with electeds to make sure they understand the BRT issues, which would avoid unnecessary and premature protests.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Glenn
One more eyewitness account on Seth's death from the DN comment thread:
It is so frustrating that people dismiss INCIDENTS like this as ACCIDENTS. Clearly, there is no INTENT to kill on the part of the driver. But should be CONSEQUENCES to violating the LAW that results in someone's death. Maybe jail-time, maybe loss of license, maybe civil financial penalties to the person or organization they represent.
in response to Student Killed on Ninth Ave. Is Fourth City Pedestrian Fatality in Five Days
Glenn
It's sort of like that old quote in jounalism: "News" is what happened to your editor on the way to work.
"Problems" are what happened to City Councilmembers on their car rides to City Hall from their district office
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Dan Berkman
You've got to wonder where the tipping point is on issues like these. You'd think it would be obvious to all parties that better transit access and better streets would be GREAT for business. How long are we going to let the interests of small business owners stand in the way of badly needed transportation improvements?
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
TA
Direct link to watch from home: http://www.livestream.com/tedxeast
The event as a whole starts at 1pm. The schedule is unpublished but Paul Steely White should be on around 3pm.
in response to Transportation Alternatives' Paul Steely White Streaming Live Over the Internet!
bc
lawyers signing off on something does nothing to protect that company from a lawsuit, it's not a shield. If that were true, as you said in reverse, no company would ever be subject to a lawsuit.
in response to Garmin: Chat, Navigate and Steer -- But Don't Drive Distracted
glenn
And yeah, it's a lame excuse that she wants DOT to explain to her local area merchants why bus improvements will not hurt them and may help them.
If they balk, a few good follow-up questions might be: How many of them or their employees use the bus? How many of their customers? how many of them even live in her district or borough?
In the end, she should care more about her 70% of constituents that use mass transit over the "elite" that commute by car...
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
J:Lai
I think a small but vocal minority of local businesses throughout NYC prioritize car parking over any transit (bus, bike lane, whatever.) It's not so much because they think their customers are more likely to arrive by car, but because they themselves use the parking.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
J:Lai
This poll, to the extent it indicates anything (not much), indicates that transportation issues are a lower priority for most voters. "Livable Streets" is even lower than transportation, as almost no one even knows what that is.
This says that it is wishful thinking to believe that candidates in a city wide election are going to have a platform with a signficant focus on transportation - not enough people care.
in response to NYers Not Sold on Notion That Livable Streets Are Wrecking Economy
BicyclesOnly
I was stunned to find that the M96, long one of the slowest in Manhattan, had lept up to the median position at 5.3 miles per hour. But then I read the fine preint, adn learned that these are the average times at noon. wouldn't rush hour speeds be the more relevant metric, since more people are using the buses then?
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
B44 Needs to Move Faster
Actually Cap'n Transit I meant to say that in my post too, kudos to Tish for that. Dialogue is important. Now about that bus...
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Cap'n Transit
Or they could hear it from you, Councilmember. You're a leader, right? If you get enough information to convince you, then you don't need to endorse the merchants' specious objections.
In this district (PDF), 66.9% of households don't even own a car. You would think that would be enough to convince the merchants that they don't need parking to survive. But just in case, rational parking pricing should ensure that everyone who wants to drive to those businesses can find a spot. And since the average household income for district residents with cars is $67,426, they can afford to pay a little more to park.
I suppose we should be glad that James was even willing to talk to Ben.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
B44 Needs to Move Faster
Tish James has been a pretty decent councilmember but this is one topic people frequently whisper behind her back that she just doesn't get. Perhaps her own windshield perspective is interfering with this? Maybe Streetsblog can finally enlighten her that her participation in a rally on Nostrand was really a slap in the face to the average bus rider in her district.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
Glenn
Small local retail business are the economic lifeblood of this city and nothing hurts them more than personal automobile congestion. It delays & blocks their deliveries. It creates a noisy, dangerous and polluted atmosphere on the busiest retail strips. And automobile drivers contribute fairly little to a small businesses success (aside from owners that drive to their own shops).
In fact, the main places automobiles go is from the neighborhood to cheaper places outside that neighborhood. Instead of walking or taking mass transit to the local small business, people will drive to big box stores or suburban areas that offer more selection and better prices.
If JSK/Bloomberg could figure out how to fix truck deliveries in retail/commercial areas, that would make small businesses more successful and lower consumer prices city-wide.
in response to Tish James: We Need to Improve NYC's Most Unreliable Bus, But...
The Dynamic Mumeshantz
Kaja - surprise! - lawyers sign off on things incorrectly all the time.
This ad is bad. The problem is every driver thinks distracted driving is something all the other drivers do. We don't need to add more and more items that distract the driver.
in response to Garmin: Chat, Navigate and Steer -- But Don't Drive Distracted
Think_twice
Denver's Ambitious FasTrax Plans
It's spelled "FasTracks".
in response to Today's Headlines
Ric Tan
I'm not saying that O'Donnell is wrong, but I do think that Buffet has a lot of flexibility. I agree w/ Zane above, and he beat me to it- With the acquisition, Buffet has flexibility to add energy transmission lines which may help his alternative energy stakes and hopefully down the line- all of us. In the end, I may just like the man.
in response to Buffett's Bet on Rail: What Does It Mean for Transport and Energy?
JSD
I graduated with Seth from the University of Delaware in 2008. I never knew him personally, but I have many friends that were very close with him.
This is terribly, terribly sad. The carelessness with which some people talk about the tragic death of another is beyond depressing.
I really feel for his family and friends.
in response to Student Killed on Ninth Ave. Is Fourth City Pedestrian Fatality in Five Days
Kaja
> I any event, if Kaja is right that the lawyers "signed off on it"
Every single ad which airs is reviewed by the lawyers. There is not a single ad that's not. This happens systematically because otherwise, lawsuits like you describe would be flying in every direction. Advertising agencies have their own counsel, as do the clients, making for double review.
Driving, I spend at least 20% of my time checking mirrors and glancing into the periphery of my vision; far more when I'm making a turn. Often I turn my head to check a blindspot, taking my eyes "off the road" for far longer than Miss Garmin here does. Having a heated argument with a passenger is more dangerous.
She doesn't narrow her field of vision, she narrows her focus. Go look at an object forty feet away, and note what you can see in your periphery; then hold your finger up in front of your face, don't turn your head, and note what you can see in your periphery. Hint: THE SAME THINGS.
This is specious whining and makes us all look bad.
in response to Garmin: Chat, Navigate and Steer -- But Don't Drive Distracted
Glenn
CM Lappin's bill would be a nice step forward on the information side, but I would argue that there should be thresholds after which corrective measures need to be taken to calm or daylight the intersection. But good on CM Lappin for moving this forward.
in response to Today's Headlines
Ben Fried
The Post story is more conclusive: "Police said the Parks Department driver would not be charged."
in response to Today's Headlines
ED
I've got no problem sharing that space with wheelchairs as long as they recognize it's a bike lane and stay respectively off to the side which they generally do. People walking in the bike lane is way more annoying to me.
But WTF right does a truck that big have in a bike lane????
in response to Parks Dept. Truck Seriously Injures Wheelchair User in 8th Ave Bike Lane
drewo
Pat (#10), often in these incidents, the word "accident" might be replaced with a more accurate description - such as "carelessness" or "negligence".
We cannot just keep dismissing these incidents as only accidents.
in response to Student Killed on Ninth Ave. Is Fourth City Pedestrian Fatality in Five Days
BicyclesOnly
Ben,
What is the basis for the "no charges" description of the Chaikin coverage--the NY1 report, which may mean only "no charges yet"?
in response to Today's Headlines
cochon
i read that texting while driving increases the chance for an accident by 23 times. i wonder what the odds are for gpsing and driving.
and if someone is yelling at their significant other on their cell phone, because they are late to so an so's party and simultaneously using the gps to figure out how to get there, what then are the odds? 100 times more likely.
in response to Garmin: Chat, Navigate and Steer -- But Don't Drive Distracted
Gwin
Sarah - while that is definitely true in some parts of the city (i.e. sidewalks lacking the cutouts necessary for a wheelchair to get up on them), Hudson Street/8th Avenue is certainly not an area inhospitable to wheelchairs -- I used to live down there.
in response to Parks Dept. Truck Seriously Injures Wheelchair User in 8th Ave Bike Lane
gecko
Small vehicles are much more suitable for electronic devices like this since people can easily stop and use them safely.
GPS and with electronic communications, data processing, etc. are perfect for networked small vehicle in systems with lots of hands free-automation.
in response to Garmin: Chat, Navigate and Steer -- But Don't Drive Distracted
BicyclesOnly
I think Mark's spot on; that screenshot above would be damning in the eyes of a jury regardless of any clever arguments about how putting the distraction in the field of vision is less disruptive. And what about the fact that it has a touch screen--using that pretty much requires the driver to narrow her field of vision to the screen, so that eye and hand can coordinate. She is expected to use residual or peripheral vision during this maneuver to avoid a crash, hmmm?
In any event, if Kaja is right that the lawyers "signed off on it"--which I highly doubt--then the company can turn around sue them for malpractice, but it won't stop the products liability suits against the company.
in response to Garmin: Chat, Navigate and Steer -- But Don't Drive Distracted