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That Department of Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall. Not only does she have to pay her hubby's DC rent (Senator Schumer rents from Representative George Miller), she has to explain to the City Council that they are wrong when thinking traffic is bad. amNew York reports that at a hearing, Commissioner Weinshall said, "You have SUVs, you got these minivans. I think the cars are getting bigger and there is a perception there is more traffic. We think it is still manageable. Remember even as more people are driving more people are taking mass transportation." Lady, bigger cars still make for problems! Didn't you read the Times article about drivers idling outside private schools?
According to the DOT, 980,000 vehicles entered Manhattan daily in 2000, but in 2005, the number is 943,000. Given the number of people in Manhattan who drive, we'd like to revisit the counting methodology. Weinshall did say that traffic due to construction could make it seem like it was more crowded, which is another duh, because, for starters, Houston has been torn up for a while and Lower Manhattan is a mess.
Why the hearing? The City Council wants to propose new "performance goals" for the DOT, "such as cutting commute times and easing traffic congestion." Which Commissioner Weinshall is opposed to. Well, we assume she wants to do those things, but probably without timelines and, God forbid, deadlines to do those things. And if you want another glimpse at how backwards the DOT can be, check out this post on Streetsblog: When the DOT wants to inspect an intersection, they drive through and don't get out, so they have no idea how pedestrians or bus riders or anything else deal with it.
Photograph at the Manhattan Bridge by Danny L on Flickr
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"Given the number of people in Manhattan who drive, we'd like to revisit the counting methodology."
Perception versus reality. Since when did Jen Chung ever believed anything the government says? Since when has Gothamist reader believed anything the government says? Someone actually comes up with a number and you just want to shoot it down. Do you have a better number? Or do you just whine and bitch like a little girl?
Oh shoot! Here comes the naysayers!
I can't hear you!!
Anon-
Do you take what Iris says as immediately and always
credible without any reflection or research on your part? Is it true that democracy requires that we never question our "leaders"?
I encourage you to read and participate in the the elucidating discussion over at Streetsblog.
I hope IDriveToWork shows up again. He was funny.
Hey Ben, I'm Baaaaackkkk!!!
I just want to let you to know I'm one of the 943,000 that did not have to suffer the cold this morning ;-) Got my remote starter to warm up the car (new diesels are great!), heated seats, climate control, XM radio, iPod, Bluetooth phone, hardly anyone on the road... lovely commute.
Thank you for thinking about me!
Hey Ben, I'm Baaaaackkkk!!! Actually I never left.
I just want to let you to know I'm one of the 943,000 that did not have to suffer the cold this morning ;-) Got my remote starter to warm up the car (new diesels are great!), heated seats, climate control, XM radio, iPod, Bluetooth phone, hardly anyone on the road... lovely commute.
Thank you for thinking about me!
did you listen to the iPod, XM radio and talk on the phone simultaneously?
"did you listen to the iPod, XM radio and talk on the phone simultaneously?"
No. The Bluetooth is integrated with the stereo system. It takes over the audio speakers. Front center speaker becomes the phone speaker. The rest are muted.
I didn't have to suffer this morning either. I wore a coat.
i drive to work: your car sounds wonderful, but can it drive into your office in Manhattan? otherwise, how did you completely avoid the cold?
I never said I completely avoid the the cold.
But to answer your question, depending on where I'm going, the garage is either in the basement of the same building or less than 1/2 block away. Today it was the same building so I did avoid the wind chill part of the cold.
I really think that they should start taxing people who drive in Manhattan, like London does.
The most difficult hurdle to overcome would obviously be how to implement the toll, but it would ultimately do so much good.
I drive to work:
I was warm on my way to work today too!
But I spent next to nothing to travel (unlike you), I got exercise (unlike you), was able to really experience our fine City (unlike you, trapped in a reality-distorting glass and steel bubble), didn't threaten anybody's safety, didn't pollute the air (contributing to asthma and global warming) and used very little energy (reducing reliance on increasingly tenuous energy sources from people who hate us).
I rode a bike. Sometimes I walk, sometimes I take the train.
Hey mike, you also weren't a pecker with stoopid gadgets that make up for what's missing in the, er, pecker area. so that should warm your heart all the way to work, too.
Question for i drive to work: If you had to pay a $10 congestion charge every day you drove into Manhattan below 60th st., would you still drive to work? If not, how would you change your commute?
Hi Mike,
I spent nothing traveling to work as well. I either bill my clients or get reimbursed. I choose to exercise when I want to by going to my local gym, use my home systems or jog in the local park and not have to deal with crazy cyclists. I enjoy the fine city when I choose to and today I choose not to. As a biker, you threaten all the pedestrians and vehicles who must be mindful of your random weaving. Don't you use energy resources when you take the train? Unless you have superhuman power to conjure up some electricity to power the trains...
As for my "stoopid gadgets"... seems like there are plenty cyclists and pedastrians walking around the city with iPods and talking on phones and not paying attention to the Do Not Walk signs. I don't hit them. Of course if I did, it would be their fault for crossing the intersection when I have the green light.
By your comparison of gadgets and peckers.... I guess you are saying 100% hipsters have pecker issues ;-)
"Question for i drive to work: If you had to pay a $10 congestion charge every day you drove into Manhattan below 60th st., would you still drive to work? If not, how would you change your commute?"
I would still drive. I'd bill it to the clients or get reimbursed. $10/day is nothing to my clients. Maybe if you increased it to $100/day they might clear their throat.
There are days I would take public transportation especially when the weather is nice and I want to enjoy views of the Palisades over the Hudson or when the business is slow and I don't need to save time.
Mike,
You say you don't threaten anyone's safety by riding your bike to work. What about your own? I would say it is more than a little risky to ride a bike in Manhattan with temperatures well below freezing.
just sayin':
There are these amazing things called clothes. You might have heard of 'em. They keep you warm 'n stuff.
I don't know why anyone keeps ebtertaining this "i love to drive to work" guy. It's pretty obvious that he's a complete a-hole who has somehow justified his own douchebaginess with reasone concerning how important he is to his clients and blah blah.
Despite sounding like a jerk, "i drive to work" essentially proves that the city shound institute congestion pricing. Many of the people who drive to work do so because parking is paid for (or passed onto clients), so an extra 5-10 bucks per day would mean nothing to them (or their clients) whereas that money could be used to maintain the roads the drivers complain about. It would hopefully also discourage some people from driving during peak times. Pretty much a win-win.
"It's pretty obvious that he's a complete a-hole who has somehow justified his own douchebaginess with reasone concerning how important he is to his clients and blah blah."
Man... all of you guys need to relax. All I've been saying is I drive to work. Are you trying to discourage me by attacking me, my car, my "stoopid gadgets", my pecker, my clients, my exercise routines, my enjoyment of the city? I'm not trying to reason how important I am to my client. I'm just answering a question as to what happens if the city charged me extra $10 a day to drive. If I'm important enough, they will pay. In fact, a group of my colleagues fly in from West Coast weekly, business class mind you, get put up in some classy hotels, meals, transportation, entertainment all paid for. Now why don't you complain about that? There are easily 100,000 consultants like that in the city this very minute.