Congestion / Traffic Pricing

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: 59th St Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, Manhattan Bridge, NYC Driving, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Queensboro Bridge, Sam Schwartz, Williamsburg Bridge — mtohn @ 10:51 am

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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: and Triborough/RFK Bridge, Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, congestion pricing, East River Bridges, George Washington Bridge, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, NYC parking garage, NYC Traffic, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Queensboro Bridge, Sam Schwartz, Throgs Neck Bridge, Whitestone Bridge — mtohn @ 10:44 am

NYC 2nd Most Congested City

November 2, 2011

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: Congestion, NYC congestion, NYC Driving, NYC Traffic — 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: congestion pricing, Mayor Bloomberg, NYC Driving, NYC Taxi, NYC Traffic, Throgs Neck Bridge, toll, Whitestone Bridge — mtohn @ 12:44 pm

NYC vs LA Traffic

April 21, 2011

New Yorkers complain about it. LA folks say it’s the worst in the country. What’s so bad? TRAFFIC!

Anyone who has been driving in NYC knows that NYC traffic is pretty bad. In fact, NYC traffic was ranked as the 2nd worst in the country in both 2009 and 2010. When you compare NYC traffic to LA traffic, NYC was at 99% of LA’s highest level of congestion for 2010. NYC did win top honors for the ‘worst traffic corridor in the country’, whic his I-95 Southbound (New England Thruway, Bruckner/Cross Bronx Expressway).

If you live in one of the top 10 cities for congestion, you’re probably spending about one month a year just sitting in traffic.

The full article is from Gothamist and here’s the full research study, the 2010 National Traffic Scorecard.

Filed under: Congestion / Traffic Pricing,NYC Driving — Tags: LA Traffic, NYC Driving, NYC Traffic, NYC Travel — admin @ 8:32 am

Transit vs. Traffic for NYers

March 17, 2011

According to a March poll from the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, New Yorkers are more concerned with transportation than NYC traffic and congestion. They care more about the NYC buses and NYC subways than adding or taking away traffic lanes for things like fast-service buses.

Granted, only 5% of the registered voters surveyed targeted transportation as the most important issue for NYC, after education and the economy. Of that 5%, two-thirds cited ‘quality mass transit’ as the top issue, and 20% were concerned with traffic congestion.

Turns out that 54% of NYC households don’t have a vehicle, so this all makes sense.

Read the full article from Streetsblog.

Filed under: Buses,Congestion / Traffic Pricing,Getting Around NYC,NYC Driving,Subways,Taxis — Tags: NYC Driving, NYC streets, NYC Subway, NYC Taxi, NYC Traffic — admin @ 6:25 pm

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