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Traffic Congestion: Sponsored by Your Local Media
Going through my morning headline round-up I clicked on ABC Channel 7's story, Should There be Tolls in Manhattan? While my eye was being drawn to the giant, red "Lukoil: We Love Cars" ad banner (What genius came up with, "Traffic: Sponsored by Lukoil?"), an animated little Gen Y hipster wearing a Toyota.com t-shirt jumped out in front of the text urging me to click him to hear more about Toyota's gargantuan new FJ Cruiser. The automobile and oil industry ad assault was so aggressive, I never even got around to reading the news story about how New York City is losing billions of dollars every year due to overwhelming gridlock. Is anyone still wondering why traffic reduction is a tough sell?
December 5, 2006
Safe Routes to Schools Study Complete
Walking to school is a healthy way for many kids to get their daily dose of exercise. Unfortunately many parents are rightfully concerned about their children's safety on the city's streets because of aggressive driver and lack of good pedestrian safety infrastructure. Everyday in front of many city schools you see parents dropping kids off in front of schools even though most live well within walking distance.
November 30, 2006
NASCAR Parade Rolls Through Midtown This Morning
The top 10 NASCAR drivers drove a "victory lap" around Midtown Manhattan this morning as a part of "Championship Week." While Streetsblog would like to interpret this as an elaborate promotion for the creation of a congestion relief zone, it seems more likely that this is more about selling spaghetti sauce, laundry detergent and mayonnaise and getting a new race track built on Staten Island.
November 29, 2006
Eyes on the Street: Occupied Territory
Here is a vehicle up in the Bronx that is too large for its driveway. So its owner just takes the sidewalk.
November 21, 2006
“Freak Accident” That Seems to be Happening Regularly
Has it come to this, a car can be driven down a sidewalk for an entire crowded city block, injuring four pedestrians, one of them critically, without the driver getting a ticket or even a photo appearing in the next day's newspapers?
November 14, 2006
Traffic: A Social Problem Not a Design Problem
Before the commenters begin giving DOT its well-deserved pounding in response to my previous post, I offer this provocative excerpt from David Engwicht's book, "Mental Speed Bumps: The Smarter Way to Tame Traffic."
November 9, 2006
Borderline Behavior
Be careful not to be run over by Madonna as she careens about town to promote her new children's book. From yesterday's Post:
November 8, 2006