» Driving & Traffic News

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.

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April 27, 2012

Ferrari in NYCFerraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis all look great in the movies when you see someone driving up Madison or through NYC’s Times Square, but anyone who lives in NYC knows that just isn’t happening. Not when you have 13,000 NYC taxis, thousands of delivery trucks, buses, and private vehicles all trying to get somewhere fast.

That’s what Charles McGrath found out when he rented a Ferrari and took it for a spin in NYC. Things we learned:

  • Ferraris don’t do well with potholes and metal grates,
  • A 24 hour rental will cost you $1,100,
  • You can drive a good stretch without hitting a traffic light on Lafayette St north of Houston,

Read more about the ups and downs of driving a Ferrari in NYC.

Filed under: Driving & Traffic News,Getting Around NYC — Tags: , , — mtohn @ 4:20 pm
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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…
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March 12, 2012

Image,_Sam_SchwartzIf you haven’t heard of ‘Gridlock Sam’, columnist for the NY Daily News and national expert on transportation, you must read this NY Times article. I’ve known Sam Schwartz, aka ‘Gridlock Sam’, for nearly six years and he is the ‘go to’ person for anything concerning NYC transportation. A worldwide authority in traffic, highway, bridge, transit and parking systems, Sam was New York City’s traffic commissioner and the chief engineer for highways, bridges, ferries and other New York City infrastructure.

His firm, Sam Schwartz Engineering works internationally with small and large cities and public and private sector clients to handle the transportation logistics covering these areas: traffic plans, congestion, urban planning, bicycle planning, parking facilities, transit & rail services, community outreach, bridges, pedestrian traffic management, events and stadiums,

Remember Congestion Pricing a few years ago? Schwartz has been working on his own version of a plan, and he calculates that his system would bring an extra $1.2 billion a year to the M.T.A. — enough to raise the subways and buses back to first-world standards. The plan promises 35,000 permanent new jobs, a sharp drop in traffic, and for a majority of travelers an actual reduction in costs.

Schwartz even coined the term ‘Gridlock’ back in the 1970s.

 

 

Filed under: Driving & Traffic News,Transportation News — Tags: — mtohn @ 11:25 am
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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
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February 17, 2012

Many cities are facing the problem of too many cars and traffic congestion. According to Dennis Burns, a guest columnist for the International Parking Institute magazine, Parking Professional, here are some ideas from around the world:

  • In Singapore, prospective vehicle owners are required to obtain a Certificate of Entitlement, which can start at $48,000 in local currency for a small-size automobile.
  • Some countries are considering metered charges for private car use. A satellite/internet based system would track your car via GPS and calculate a charge for each trip on a mileage-based formula that incorporates the car’s fuel efficiency.
  • A number of European cities have begun to reduce the supply of parking spots within their cores. Read more…
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February 1, 2012

Cell_Phone_While_Driving

What if Your Phone Were Embedded in the Steering Wheel?

It used to be that once you were in your car, the only connection with the outside world was through the radio. Then came the overhead highway signs alerting us to road conditions. Now, the mobile phone and in-vehicle technology have truly made ‘Connected Cars’ the norm.

Both the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2012 had people reeling at the in-vehicle technology letting people use Facebook, buy movie tickets, download music, check the weather, book a dinner reservation, and check stock prices.

But at what cost? The access points for in-vehicle technology range from touchpads on the steering wheel to audible commands to waving your hand across the windshield. Read more…

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October 27, 2011

W_36th_St_bet_9th_&_10th_Aves_NYCIs Hell’s Kitchen going to get some new small parks? If the DOT (Department of Transportation) has its way, they’ll replace about 21 diagonal parking sports on the north side of West 36th Street, between Ninth and Tenth avenues, into a small “micropark,” according to DOT planner Andrew Lenton.

According to DNAinfo.com, DOT has done a NYC traffic study with the overall goal of reducing congestion in Hell’s Kitchen. Traffic there can ‘slow to a crawl due to buses from the Port Authority Bus terminal, loading trucks, and vehicles coming into the city from the Lincoln Tunnel.’

The DOT’s NYC traffic study has a few ideas for reducing NYC congestion including:

  • making better access to the Lincoln Tunnel,
  • moving the bus and shuttle parking to a different area,
  • improving pedestrian safety with longer time to cross that area’s Avenues.

 

Filed under: Driving & Traffic News — Tags: , — mtohn @ 7:52 am
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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…

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New York City and traffic … They’re virtually synonymous! If you drive in the city, then you most likely spend a fair amount of time stuck in traffic. Sure, you could do all your driving at 3 a.m. to totally avoid getting caught in delays, or you can just do these simple things you can do to help avoid NYC traffic.

This Guest Blog comes to us from Bernie Wagenblast, who has been involved with NYC traffic and transit for over 30 years. He was one of the original Shadow Traffic reporters in 1979 and currently is heard on weekends on 1010 WINS. Sign up for Bernie’s newsletter here.

1) Call 5-1-1- to Check the Road Conditions Before you Leave

You know about 9-1-1 and 3-1-1, but did you know there’s also a free number you can dial from your cellphone or landline to get real-time NYC traffic and transit information? The automated system, operated by the New York State Department of Transportation, lets you say the borough or roadway you want information on. Then you’ll hear alerts about Read more…

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