Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Some other things we could do to reduce traffic and improve transit; most without State approval

• Make all the major crosstown thoroughfares (Canal, Houston, 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, 57th Street, 72nd Street, 79th Street, 86th Street, 96th Street, 106th Street, 116th Street, 125th Street, 145th Street, 181st Street, and finally, Dyckman Street) accessible to pedestrians, bicycles and buses (BRT) only.

• Do the same for every third or fourth avenue (First Avenue, Lexington Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Broadway, Ninth Avenue).

• Make all deliveries requiring trucks larger than a van take place between 6PM and 6AM.

• Do the same for major thoroughfares in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx.

• Establish a dedicated force of 2,500 police to enforce the traffic laws, dedicate half of the increased fines collected to mass transit; the other half would pay for the increased enforcement.

• Eliminate at least half of the parking placards now in circulation.

• Double the parking tax; dedicate the increased revenues to mass transit.

• Triple the street parking fees; dedicate the increased revenues to mass transit.

• Impose a $1,000 per year tax surcharge on passenger vehicles registered within the city that get less than 25 mpg/city.

• Eliminate city sales tax on bicycles and bike equipment.

• Make the fine for traveling over 30mph in the city $20.00 for every mile per hour above 30—and strictly enforce it.

• Ban "schooling" behavior of cabs—hundreds at a time travel up Church/Sixth Ave en masse or down Columbus while people elsewhere can't find one. Cabbies income would rise, streets would be calmed.

• Get the cross-harbor tunnel built—we've been waiting since 1915!

And there's so much more that can be done—please post your ideas!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You need to also allow taxis and certain classes of delivery trucks to use crosstown streets as well. There's just too much commerce that needs to move that way, and people are still going to need taxis even with better buses. But eliminating the parking placards is an idea long overdue.

Anonymous said...

Automated / Automatic traffic cameras. The revenue would pay for installation and upkeep in about ten minutes; the rest to mass transit.

Anonymous said...

Remember that the most important thing to do would be to change the subway system completely; the reason many people drive cars is because they can't deal with the inefficiency of public transport. The NY subway is about the worst I've ever been in, and I'm ashamed whenever I bring any of my out-of-town friends (people that have experienced Paris and London) into the subway.

Silkylock said...

I'm a concerned consumer and what we call; a NY strap hanger. My concerns are about the transit system, the raises in prices and the service. You may have already sited these concerns; are already on board to move forward in plans for the near future. If you can consider how your plans will effect the consumer; then you will be open to this sugguestion. Noticing in the upper parts of NY there really isn't too many problem with there transit system. I suguest using the same schedualing system as the upstate transit system. knowing that our options are more flexible; because we have both trains and subways. So closing the transit system down at 1:30am from Mon-Thurs and allowing hourly shuttle buses to fill in the gaps of the overnight workers will allow the mta to save money and pursue construction projects without interuption. continuing regular service for the weekends ending in Sundays@ 1:30am will allow to New Yorker to enjoy there normal weekend routines. I for one as consumer would rather pay the price by ajusting my schedual; than pay out of pocket for an unsure; unsanitary and unsecure transit system. Just think what it would do for the stress level; crime level; and social aspect of family and community. We will be force to invest in our own communities. stay close to home. Bring back those values that sence of family the youth of today are so starving for.
Respectfully
gks1 concerned consumer (NYC STRAPHANGER)