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Last week, the Department of Transportation announced the various ways the city would deal with holiday season traffic or, as some call it, "hell on wheels." With the catchy, management-consulting-speak name 2006 Holiday Traffic Mitigation Plan, the plan has nine gridlock days (this Wednesday being a big one), the "Times Square Shuffle" (no crossover option for cars at 45th Street), and Central Park will reopen its drives to traffic starting today. Happy Holidays, Central Park lovers.
There are more details, but an interesting add is the "Holiday Construction Embargo," which means that any work the impedes the flow of traffic can only happen between 12:01AM to 6AM, with proper permission and permits.
Streetblogs finds the concept of traffic mitigation amusing, because "In other words: Accomodating more traffic is the mitigation for more traffic." In fact, a Streetsblog commenter adds, "I found out about this 'mitigation' the hard way this morning--when my son was almost run over on the way to school on Park Drive East by northbound traffic 8:00 am."
And Gridlock Sam says that while Wednesday is a big travel day, Tuesday is "no picnic" either, as people try to get a jump on Wednesday tomorrow.
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6am wednesday. and it will still be insane! :(
The definition of mitigation according to Dictionary.com is "to lessen in force or intensity" so therefore accomodating more traffic is indeed mitigation of a traffic jam.
they are opening up central park to even more car traffic. terrible that one of the most beautiful parts of the city gets trampled on during the holidays by automobile traffic.
Adam,
By accomodating more traffic, you are generating more traffic. More capacity creates more traffic, and the opposite is also true. Please see here.
why doesn't everybody ride bikes to thanksgiving to eat their tofurkeys?
yuch
public transportation ... fabulous idea.
i dont think public transportaiton will slove the problem. People that take the subways and buses regularly will still be riding them during the holidays. It's everyone that will be coming into the city that will be a problem. I leave from Binghamton on Wednesday afternoon, and boy am I looking forward to the ride
amazingly, if you tried to string christmas lights on a tree in central park you'd be arrested for vandalism. but if you drive a car through the park during the holidays, your acting in accordance with the mayor's plan.
merry christmas!
But WHY is there more traffic during "holiday season"? It sounds like a dumb question, but... I'm serious. I would love it if some very informed ranter would answer it. Do people just suddenly decide to DRIVE to Macy's? And if so, where do they park? I would have thought that the current normal traffic level in Manhattan is limited by parking spaces available. If the city actually wanted to "mitigate" traffic, they would get rid of on-street parking!
Yes, they drive in to midtown and park in parking garages.
fer the holidays - just triple or, better yet, quadruple the tolls and charge 'em at crossings that don't have tolls. that'll keep 'em out!
damn idiots!
What's even worse is that many of these people from Jersey or Connecticut won't even try to look for a garage, instead they camp out double-parked until they get moved. THAT'S one of the big reasons the influx of traffic creates more jams.
I drive 9 hours a day and average 40-60 hours a week in Manhattan.Call me crazy but I believe there could be a much smoother flow of traffic by clearing sidestreets aggressively and instituting restrictions on deliveries by tractor trailers. Between the delivery trucks parking on either side of a 2 lane sidestreet and the massive amount of new construction most of this city's streets are constricted into one lane. I have about 10 other suggestions and I've even gone so far as to send some to the Office of the Mayor but Mike hasn't gotten back to me yet.
Perfect example is the Central Park Drive at 72nd- they have been working on the road about a quarter into the drive for months and it chokes traffic off into one lane backing things up. No end in sight there... Ho ho ho...boo hoo hoo
i started to hate the holiday season when i was able to hear the macy's christmas music INSIDE MY APARTMENT.
that and all the damn tourists from kansas who wear ugly clothes and block the sidewalks.
bah humbug!
So I need to get from Hoboken to Chinatown (yeah, the Fung Wah) at 6pm on Thursday night. Should I make the wife drive me or take the PATH to the subway?