1) https://gothamist.com/news/essex-crossing-traffic-nightmare-will-likely-hold-people-hostage-years
Up until very recently this area was contiguous blocks of publicly owned land (https://images.app.goo.gl/Wa4HS2caVzVzxMBt7). The City could have easily and with minimal cost widened these streets any time it wanted to for decades. This would have made things safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians (Vision Zero = Zero Vision). Yet instead we went ahead with a plan which anyone with half a brain would know was going to vastly increase an already existing problem which has not only dealt a blow to the quality of life to all the residents of the neighborhood but greatly increased the risk of injury or death to both pedestrians and cyclists.
2) https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0191124-qmj5mh6yare2dkd4drjyzqnd6i-story.html
I've been driving in New York for over 40 years. For most of that time period there was never a problem with congestion on 14th St, 23rd St or any of the major cross-town streets. In fact the entire purpose of these streets was to take traffic away from the smaller sidestreets and make them safer. That is until DOT decided to cause congestion on these streets on purpose by cutting them down to one lane in each direction and turning them into parking lots. Then to "solve" the problem they created the "solution" is to ban cars altogether and make it a bus route. Over the last several months I have spoken with several small business owners on 14th St who have all said there businesses have been seriously impacted and they have doubts they will be able to remain in business.
As an aside, I have seen a number of articles claiming there isn't a problem on side streets with congestion as a result of these changes, but I personally have experienced how terrible things have gotten. A week ago on Saturday night at 8PM it took 45 minutes to get from 1st Avenue and 20th St to 8th Avenue and 24th St (a trip which should be 15 minutes during rush hour).
3) I could easily add dozens more examples of congestion being caused on purpose by NYC and DOT.
So my question is:
What is the economic benefit to NYC, it's businesses or it's residents of causing all this congestion on purpose? Also, what's with the mixed signals on congestion (i.e. "Congestion in Midtown is so bad that we have to cap the number of 'for hire' licenses we allow and instute a tax on anyone who dares enter Manhattan below 60th St" but at the same time "We are upzoning Midtown East to add a couple million more square feet of office space")
Up until very recently this area was contiguous blocks of publicly owned land (https://images.app.goo.gl/Wa4HS2caVzVzxMBt7). The City could have easily and with minimal cost widened these streets any time it wanted to for decades. This would have made things safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians (Vision Zero = Zero Vision). Yet instead we went ahead with a plan which anyone with half a brain would know was going to vastly increase an already existing problem which has not only dealt a blow to the quality of life to all the residents of the neighborhood but greatly increased the risk of injury or death to both pedestrians and cyclists.
2) https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0191124-qmj5mh6yare2dkd4drjyzqnd6i-story.html
I've been driving in New York for over 40 years. For most of that time period there was never a problem with congestion on 14th St, 23rd St or any of the major cross-town streets. In fact the entire purpose of these streets was to take traffic away from the smaller sidestreets and make them safer. That is until DOT decided to cause congestion on these streets on purpose by cutting them down to one lane in each direction and turning them into parking lots. Then to "solve" the problem they created the "solution" is to ban cars altogether and make it a bus route. Over the last several months I have spoken with several small business owners on 14th St who have all said there businesses have been seriously impacted and they have doubts they will be able to remain in business.
As an aside, I have seen a number of articles claiming there isn't a problem on side streets with congestion as a result of these changes, but I personally have experienced how terrible things have gotten. A week ago on Saturday night at 8PM it took 45 minutes to get from 1st Avenue and 20th St to 8th Avenue and 24th St (a trip which should be 15 minutes during rush hour).
3) I could easily add dozens more examples of congestion being caused on purpose by NYC and DOT.
So my question is:
What is the economic benefit to NYC, it's businesses or it's residents of causing all this congestion on purpose? Also, what's with the mixed signals on congestion (i.e. "Congestion in Midtown is so bad that we have to cap the number of 'for hire' licenses we allow and instute a tax on anyone who dares enter Manhattan below 60th St" but at the same time "We are upzoning Midtown East to add a couple million more square feet of office space")