» NYC Driving

Gridlock Sam: Fixing NYC Traffic
April 30, 2012

We adore Sam Schwartz, aka ‘Gridlock Sam’. He’s a one man army dedicated to making NYC driving and traveling a pleasant experience, which means less traffic, happy drivers who don’t honk the horn, and a fantastic public transportation system that runs on time and gets you where you want to go.

How is he doing it? All on his own time, this owner of an internationally recognized transportation and engineer firm has designed a plan to bring peace to the roads and underground of NYC. The plan includes:

  • $5 toll on all bridges and tunnels coming into Manhattan below 60th St to spread out the congestion on the currently free bridges — Williamsburg Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Queensboro/59th St Bridge — and the currently tolled crossings — Queens Midtown Tunnel, Brooklyn Battery Tunnel,
  • $5 charge to enter Manhattan below 60th St if you haven’t used any of the tolled crossings, and
  • $1 surcharge on all taxi trips below 60th St.

During his career as NYC’s Traffic Commissioner, Sam saw it all. Read more about Sam’s career and his love for NYC.

Filed under: Congestion / Traffic Pricing,Driving & Traffic News,Taxis — Tags: , , , , , , , , — mtohn @ 10:51 am
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
City Valet
April 20, 2012

www.cityvalet.comIf you don’t want to pay for an expensive limousine or risk not getting a NYC taxi to the airport, City Valet is your answer.

City Valet has licensed, insured professional drivers who will drive you where you want to go — in your very own car. It’s great for:

  • airport drop-off and pick-up,
  • showing clients around the city,
  • bringing your car in for a service or inspection,
  • driving to your weekend or summer house,
  • running errands, Read more…
Filed under: NYC Driving,Parking & Driving Advice — Tags: , — mtohn @ 9:47 am
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
NYC Bridge & Toll Pricing Plan
March 27, 2012
NYC Bridge & Tunnel Toll Plan, Sam Schwartz

Courtesy: Wall St Journal

Sam Schwartz, aka ‘Gridlock Sam’, has been working on a new plan to ease NYC’s traffic and congestion. This isn’t the Congestion Pricing Plan from 2008. This plan is designed to encourage public transportation where it’s available by charging vehicles at congested areas, and not charge where there isn’t good public transportation. Here are the highlights of the plan:

  • Queensboro Bridge/59th St Bridge: No toll into Manhattan becomes $7 toll to reduce the congestion on the bridge. Read more…
Filed under: Bicycles,Congestion / Traffic Pricing,Driving & Traffic News — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — mtohn @ 10:44 am
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
NYC Gas Prices Skyrocket
February 21, 2012

Gas prices are up $.25 since January 1st of this year.

Ever wonder why NYC gas is more expensive in the summer? It costs more to make. 

In order to keep smog levels down, the government says that gas needs to have less butane and other cheap organic compounds that contribute to the formation of ‘ground-level ozone’, which is a major part of smog. So, you need more oil to make the gas, and oil costs more than the butane and other compounds.

Filed under: Driving & Traffic News,NYC Driving — Tags: — mtohn @ 1:13 pm
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
Manhattan Loses Gas Stations
February 15, 2012

With all the constant news reports lamenting about how congested NYC streets are with vehicles, delivery trucks, and taxis, wouldn’t you think there were be a lot of gas stations in Manhattan to fuel all those vehicles?

Our Park It! survey in 2008 found just 47 gas stations in Manhattan, and 27 of them were located above 125th Street. According to a Crain’s New York Business article, there are just 41 Manhattan gas stations still operating. Recent closures are:

  • W 13th St & 8th Ave (Lukoil) – closed September 2011
  • 1132 York Ave @ 61st St (ExxonMobil) – closed January 2011

Park It! sells a map of the NYC gas stations for just $4.85. Fits right into your car’s glove compartment.

Filed under: NYC Driving — mtohn @ 12:59 pm
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
NYC Dangerous Intersections
November 2, 2011

Park Ave & E 33rd Street is the most dangerous intersection in all of NYC for pedestrians and bicyclists, according to Transportation Alternatives new site, www.crashstat.org.

NYC Intersections Accidents

Manhattan claims 8 of the top 10 intersections for NYC accidents between motor vehicles and either pedestrians or cyclists. Read more…

Filed under: NYC Driving,Parking & Driving Advice,Transportation News — Tags: , , , , , — mtohn @ 2:01 pm
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
NYC 2nd Most Congested City

The Annual Urban Mobility Report conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute is out. The news isn’t good.

  • Average commuters endured 34 hours of delay in 2010. This is 14 hours more than in 1982, nearly 30 years ago.
  • Congestion costs the US more than $100 million, or about $750 for every commuter in the U.S.
  • “Rush Hour” is six hours of not rushing anywhere.
  • Congestion isn’t happening only at Rush Hour. About 40% of delays are happening during midday and overnight.

What are the Most Congested Cities in the U.S.?

1)   Los Angeles is still the most congested U.S. city, with nearly 522,000 cumulative hours of travel delay.
2)   NYC, with 465,000 hours of travel delay. That’s a lot of horn honking and cranky drivers. Read more…

Filed under: Congestion / Traffic Pricing,NYC Driving,Transportation News — Tags: , , , — mtohn @ 12:55 pm
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
Congestion Pricing Update 2011
September 28, 2011

Remember all the hullabaloo about Congestion Pricing a few years ago? It was Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to charge vehicles to enter Manhattan below 60th Street as an effort to reduce congestion from NYC traffic. It got voted down, and now it’s back.

There will be 22 entry points where vehicles will pay the NYC Congestion Pricing Toll.

What Will the Congestion Pricing Toll Plan Be?

The Rate is Unknown at this time.

Congestion Pricing Tolls would be in effect 24/7. Peak rates from 6am – 6pm. Lower rates on weekends and overnight.

NYC Taxis don’t have to pay a toll. But passengers will pay a $1 toll per trip. Read more…

Filed under: Congestion / Traffic Pricing,Driving & Traffic News,Parking & Driving Advice — Tags: , , , , , , , — mtohn @ 12:44 pm
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
UN General Assembly 2011
September 19, 2011

It’s that time of year again — UN General Assembly! Expect the leaders of most countries, along with their entourages of people and dark cars with tinted windows — to make driving and getting around NYC’s East Side from 40th – 60th Streets an exercise in logistics and patience.  Here’s what you can expect for NYC driving and traffic:

FDR DRIVE — Expect random freezes below 63rd St.

1st AVE — Closed from 42nd – 48th Sts. closed. Demos at nearby Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. Read more…

Filed under: NYC Driving,UN General Assembly — Tags: , , , , , , — mtohn @ 9:42 am
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
EZ Pass Users pay Cash Toll
September 14, 2011

So you have your spiffy new EZ Pass from NJ and you fly through the toll for any of these bridges or tunnels, only to get your EZ Pass statement and see that you’ve been charged the Cash toll rate.

  • Bronx – Whitestone Bridge
  • Brooklyn Battery Tunnel
  • Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge
  • Henry Hudson Bridge (No trucks permitted)
  • Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges
  • Memorial Bridge
  • Queens Midtown Tunnel
  • Triboro RFK Bridge
  • Throgs Neck Bridge
  • Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

What happened?

Because you bought your EZ Pass tag from a New Jersey Customer Service Center, you are paying the Cash toll rate  instead of the EZ Pass rate.

Yes, this is true.

The MTA, which manages the Bronx Whitestone, Throgs Neck and Triboro RFK bridges, Brooklyn-Battery and Queens-Midtown tunnels, anticipates an additional $33 million from this change in 2011.

 

Filed under: E-Z Pass,NYC Bridges & Tunnels — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — mtohn @ 11:54 am
‧•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••‧
Older Posts »
GREAT MONTHLY PARKING DEALS
from more than 600 garages. deals as low as $200/month!
Get Parking Now