Today’s Headlines

  • LaHood: We Haven’t Endorsed Transit Operating Aid Bill (Transpo Nation)
  • Obama Admits Mistakes in Spill Response, Won’t Admit Offshore Drilling Is a Mistake (NYT)
  • Charles Krauthammer Incapable of Connecting Deepwater Drilling to Oil Dependence (News)
  • NYU Study: 96 Percent of Spending in East Side Shops Comes Via Sustainable Transport (Villager)
  • MTA Ready to Roll Out a Less-Cluttered, Less-Informative Subway Map (NYT, 2nd Ave Sagas)
  • Squadron: Make Lower Manhattan Tour Buses Park in Jersey (Downtown Express)
  • Queens CB3 Also Considering Bike Lanes, Parking Meters (!) in Addition to Play Street (Queens Chron)
  • Earth to Motorists: Don’t Drive on the Hudson River Greenway (Gothamist)
  • Re-Opening of Midtown Passageway Could Relieve Above-Ground Pedestrian Crush (MTR)
  • Manhattan Times Runs a Nice Bike Commuter Profile

More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill

  • vnm

    NY Times has a debate on why we die in traffic.

  • Boris

    Daniel Drumm is on a roll. He sent me a letter a few weeks ago saying he already “has been instrumental” in installing munimeters in his commercial district and will look into DOT’s Park Smart program, which I suggested in some comment or email to him somewhere. It would be good to try to continue to encourage him with emails and phone calls.

  • Boris

    Sorry, his last name is spelled Dromm (the pun is to blame).

  • Larry Littlefield

    I believe there may also be an unused passageway along 6th Avenue from 34th Street to 42nd Street. If so, best to make Vornardo rebuilt that one too in exchange for all that FAR.

    Of course there is also a passageway along 42nd Street from 6th to 5th, inside fare control.

    Since one would miss the stoplights, I’d bet that an underground walk from Penn to 5th and 42nd would be faster than the subway, which requires two waits if one insists on taking it all the way.

  • The NYU study is such a no-brainer that it seems crazy to study, but alas, many shop keepers don’t identify with their customers, but rather with their suppliers.

  • vnm: Thanks for spotlighting the NYT roundtable on why we die in traffic. Most of the talk there is standard/lame, and some is awful (e.g., the NJ “safety” official’s equal blaming of peds, cyclists and drivers), but it’s helpful to know what’s out there.

  • Awesome! Relegating us human beings into underground mine shafts like a bunch of rats is a great way to relieve the pedestrian congestion issues around Penn Station! That way the bright sunny surface streets can still be disproportionately allocated for machines! Then, when we look down at our meager two feet while walking through the tunnel, and emerge to see the demolition derby on the streets, we’ll remember who this town is REALLY for! They should plaster the walls of the tunnel with shrines depicting how much better and deserving of dignity automobiles are.

    And why stop there? Let’s put tunnels under all of the streets with direct connections to the basements of buildings, get rid of the sidewalks, and give autos full reign over every square inch of surface-level public space! We can even turn our parks into parking lots, and build bunkers underneath for the lowly humans to mill around in. Humans will only be allowed on the surface with written permission from the CEO of General Motors, in addition to sacrificing a rabbit (or other small animal) to the Holy Goddess of the Automobile.

  • Moser

    Many shop keepers identify with themselves and their own car-commuting above all.

  • NJT rider

    Jeff: oh, I don’t know. I’d sure prefer a pedestrian tunnel between Herald Square and Penn Station when it’s raining, or really cold, or really hot, etc.

  • Larry, the east end of the Bryant Park passageway is less than a block from the west end of the Shuttle terminal and the passageways of Grand Central.

  • JJJJJ

    Jeff, please. The tunnel is an option, not a mandatory route. I know id prefer it in the snow or rain. Stick in some high speed moving walkways, and itll speed up your commtue as well. One of the things that makes the Paris subway so great is that so many stations have underground connections. That doesnt mean the street level is reserved for the car.

  • Jeff: believe it or not, many cities voluntarily build underground or elevated passageways, to help people avoid harsh weather.

  • Midtown Manhattan would be much improved by more interconnected underground passageways. It works very well in Toronto and Montreal. It doesn’t appear to make the aboveground more car-oriented; what it does do is get more people to spend more time being pedestrians downtown.