Motorists battle efforts to make New York more pedestrian-friendly

[marmar]

from OnTheCommons.org:




A Battle Rages in the Streets of New York
New bike lanes and pedestrian plazas mean safer streets and a more livable city-- but some motorists object

By Jay Walljasper



On Broadway: the pedestrian plazas created by New York City transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan are popular with New Yorkers and tourists alike. (Credit: Photo by Greenlagirl under a Creative Commons license from flickr.com.)


A controversy over the commons has erupted in the streets of New York. At issue are the streets themselves, which in principle belong to everyone. But some New York drivers don’t want to start sharing them with pedestrians and bikes.

New York is America’s least auto-dependent city—more than half of all households do not even own a car (75 percent don’t in Manhattan). And the city is nearly flat as a pancake.

So New York ought to be a paradise for biking and walking. Well, except for the traffic, which is world-famous for being treacherous.

Yet over the past four years, the city’s death rate from traffic accidents has dropped to its lowest level since cars invaded the streets a century ago—and that includes the lives of motorists as well as bike riders and pedestrians. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://onthecommons.org/battle-rages-streets-new-york

[Historic NY]

1. I don't know about the whole city....

but some areas are fine for weekend bicyclists and others a horror for drivers. They have taken out many lanes on the West side that it snarls traffic trying to leave the city. Sitting in traffic for hours does nothing to improve air quality or sound quality. I don't think Bloomburg and his tax the drivers campaign works if he neglects the infrastructure that support the city. Its expensive to go to the city if you live outside in the burbs. The bridge & tunnel tolls, parking fees, coupled to high prices doesn't help. So I go rarely.

[KittyWampus]

2. I drive to Babylon and take the train. If you live in the suburbs, you should be taking the train.

It's cheaper than the gas, tolls and parking, too.

[Historic NY]

4. Well if only that was easy...I have to drive to the train too...

:shrug: we pay an MTA tax up here in Orange County for something we rarely use.

[Dappleganger]

3. NYC should be a park-and-ride city for the most part.

Nothing but taxis, limos and delivery trucks should be allowed.