Gothamist: Get Ready for Holiday Gridlock!

Peter Coffin

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 09:38:15 -0500

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?

gah!

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 09:20:50 -0500

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!

RicktheCabbie

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 05:04:38 -0500

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

damn cars

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 00:58:34 -0500

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!

bklynd

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 21:57:06 -0500

Yes, they drive in to midtown and park in parking garages.

l

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 20:57:33 -0500

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!

t

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:22:07 -0500

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!

greg

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:21:43 -0500

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

rightie douche

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:57:54 -0500

public transportation ... fabulous idea.

liberal biker douche

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:42:18 -0500

why doesn't everybody ride bikes to thanksgiving to eat their tofurkeys? yuch

mike

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:28:42 -0500

Adam, By accomodating more traffic, you are generating more traffic. More capacity creates more traffic, and the opposite is also true. Please see here.

g

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:22:31 -0500

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

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:22:06 -0500

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.

edEx

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:53:50 -0500

6am wednesday. and it will still be insane! :(