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Make your stroll interesting: WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show is embarking on a crowdsourcing project and is asking listeners to count the number of SUVs on their streets. Why? "We’re trying to find out just how much gas-guzzling SUV use there is throughout the New York area, with all the talk of environmental sustainability in the city."
You can submit the number of SUVs you see here, detailing "1) your neighborhood, 2) your block (street and cross street) 3) the number of SUVs parked 4) the total number of cars parked." Or you can tag your pictures with "blsuv" on Flickr. Submissions will be accepted until next Thursday, when the results will be discussed and analyzed with an expert next week. And only count once!
We'll be doing this, but keeping comments about the bad parking jobs to ourselves.
Photograph of a Lady Ryderz SUV Club Hummer in Greenwich Village by Triborough on Flickr
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If you want people to stop driving SUV, increase the gas tax. I'd actually argue that given the road 'quality' in NYC and the lack of parking skills, SUVs with brush guards are the optimal cars for the city.
What a great idea!
We count the SUVs on our street all the time. It's amazing how many there are here in Greenpoint. They far outnumber the cars. And a lot of them are things like Escalades and the like. HUGE monsters.
Why are there so many SUV's in poor areas?
I'm kidding, I'm Kidding!
doesn't anyone want a subaru forester anymore? it's got to be a denali or escalade or lincoln navigator.
or one of those hybrid SUV/pickup truck, no, not a crew cab but a SUV with it's rear chopped.
I don't understand why people are always putting down SUV owners. Driving in the city is so dangerous, being in an SUV feels like you're protected.
how about the number of minivans? in my neighborhood (WaHi), it's ALL minivans!
In Crown Heights, they are all over the place! It's ridiculous.
In Tribeca they are all over the place,
In Hell's Kitchen they are all over the place,
In BPC they are all over the place.
because SUVs are dangerous (too high), guzzle gas, take up too much space and generally the drivers are complete assbags with no regard for others...reason enough?
[4] wrote:
Except that you're actually not any safer, but driving one and feeling like you are leads to a false sense of security and (as a result) driving more aggressively. Being in a big car is no substitute for paying attention to what's around you and driving accordingly.(That's more about SUVs in general than SUVs in NY in particular, but it's equally applicable.)
NYC needs to be more like European cities, where most people drive smaller cars.
Maybe if all the high profile celebs start driving Smart cars (www.smart.com) or something similar, all the sheep will sell their SUV's and follow along.
#4, I guess you just don't get it. SUV-ownership is the height of arrogance and selfishness. It says, "I don't care about your air, your earth, or your safety."
As a bike commuter, the blindspots on SUV's are the biggest danger on the roads that I encounter everyday. #4, ride a bike and then tell me that SUV's make the roads safer.
At the least they should not allow them to park near a street corner; they block pedestrian's views and make crossing even more dangerous.
By the way, good job by Gothamist to use a picture with a Chase in the background.
That's actually a good point, #12 - it makes entering an intersection more dangerous for drivers, too (and, presumably, cyclists.)
In Bay Ridge it is those stupid luxury SUV's - Lexus, Mercs, BMW. Why buy such a retarded variant of a "nice" car? It says to the world "I have a lot of money, but no taste."
I drive an SUV and I love every gas guzzling, air polluting minute of it. Almost any car can guzzle as much gas as an SUV depending on how its driven. On the other hand we could just get rid of cars all together.
i'm all for the spirit, but this seems like a mypoic distinction to me. why not count the cars getting below a certain mileage? many smaller SUVs (such as rav4 or cr-v) get better mileage than mid-sized cars. my pickup with topper (which most would include in their SUV count) gets 31mpg average... i track it). that's much better than the subaru outbacks and foresters people buy in order to avoid the SUV stereotype.
I drive a smaller compact ricer (Integra) and I honestly couldn't fathom driving anything bigger than a touring sedan. The optimal car for the city is something that's quick and can fit in a variety of parking spaces.
That said, I don't have a problem with what people choose to drive in town as long as you're responsible while behind the wheel of it.
Also, when I'm touring around Manhattan behind the wheel, I notice more sedans and regular old cars than SUV's. Maybe I hang out in the wrong sections of town.
The outer boroughs are a bit different though depending on neighborhood.
-Ph
Can we talk about all the limousine riders who drive into the city with one person in a gas-guzzling Town Car or limo?
Surely you know the types. The ones who say your usage of fuel is too much as they hit the heliport to go to the Hamptons?
#16 is 100% correct. Some small SUV's best cars in gas mileage. If the problem really is mileage, maybe we should look at some of the 1985 Oldsmobiles that are still out there too. My guess is he doesn't give a rip about gas mileage and is more interested in slamming SUV owners and perpetuating stereotypes.
many smaller SUVs (such as rav4 or cr-v) get better mileage than mid-sized cars. my pickup with topper (which most would include in their SUV count) gets 31mpg average... i track it). that's much better than the subaru outbacks and foresters people buy in order to avoid the SUV stereotype.
I have a 2006 Forester ... technically is is classified as an SUV, though most people don't think of it as one.
Which brings up a point that's often overlooked. Not all SUV's are created equal. Some of them are built off truck frames and are what we usually think of when we hear the term SUV. Examples would be the Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango, Chevrolet Suburban, and both Hummer models. Other SUV's are modified passenger cars and tend to be much less bulky and significantly more fuel-efficient than their truck-based bretheren; in addition to the Forester, these include the Ford Edge (built off the Mazda 6 car platform), Toyota RAV4 (Corolla-based) and Honda CR-V (Civic-based).
speaking of Foresters ... what's with lesbians and the Subaru?
I don't care what kind of car you drive, just obey the traffic rules, don't drive like a twit and leave it running while parked or standing......
What's next people taking stock of each other's carbon footprint to feel better about their lack of success?
Yea, your single-speed bike is less efficient than my 18 speed. You have to consume more calories to do an equal amount of work. Shame on you, you must not care about the environment or all the hungry children who are going without so you can feed your selfish ass to maintain your single-speed lifestyle.
How about counting the New Yorkers that fly to Paris for the weekend? I guess jets don't pollute.
[17] wrote:
Of course, that's a rather significant assumption to make about drivers of ANY type of vehicle no matter WHERE they're driving.JMH: that's not just any Chase, either - it's the one in the old Second Avenue Deli location.
Go to the Hasedic Jewish neighborhoods, they love the SUVs. They just don't get it. Being jewish and consuming as much oil as you can while you scream about Israel, well, it's just a recipe for disaster.
Maybe if all the high profile celebs start driving Smart cars (www.smart.com) or something similar, all the sheep will sell their SUV's and follow along.
Yeah, drive your smart car to the airport to get in your private jet. Logging 250,000 miles a year by air to go to movie premieres, weekends in Europe, film festivals, appearances on Ellen, etc. is hardly eco-friendly.
ed begley jr. has a private jet?
how else he suppose to get to a premiere? by bus?
we've heard your type of argument before, sir.
Ew, Gwinny, you're right. Even worse.
czech your own reality. hasids, while possibly needing driving lessons, don't scream about israel. that's one of the reasons other jews generally don't like them. i think YOU just don't get it.
Nah, the Hasidim are into minivans, and before that it was the good 'ol station wagon. Think the big Chevrolet and Ford station wagons of 20 years ago.
My very first car (this was in 1985) was a 1971 AMC Ambassador Brougham Wagon in silver with a wood grain decal side panels. That car was a bloody tank. I miss it so.
I guess that I'm just lucky: there's enough hair on my head and my dick's big enough that I don't need an SUV to compensate.
Clearly none of you drive, or live in an upscale neighborhood. Nobody with any means parks their large, expensive car on the street; they go in garages.
I've driven in the city enough to know that the "city" mileages given by car companies do not apply to New York: I drive a car that gets 35 mpg normally, but I end up with about 10-15 mpg when I drive exclusively in the city.
too bad your penis isn't big enough to keep you from talking about it on a comment board,
too bad your penis isn't big enough to keep you from bragging about it on a comment board.
how about the number of minivans? in my neighborhood (WaHi), it's ALL minivans!
WHAT THE HELL IS WAHI????
Washington Heights, I'm guessing? I did the same double-take.
What's wrong with Chase? Just curious...
Well Drivers for the most part aren't the brightest folk in the world ! It stands to reason why a smaller ride is best with the current gas rates . Sadly, Those "Folk" continue purchasing those "Road Monsters" and paying out the ass at the pump for the right to drive them . I have about [16] of them on my block at last count . (Yes I did actually take the time to count the number one about five months ago while changing my oil ) [5] Trucks,& [11] SUV's . Posted by; "Still Not Amused"
I am gonna take this a step further and start counting black people, that's ok isn't it?
Don't bother, too hard at night
Lol, #[42] . Fuck you ! Like we can see ur crack-ass during a sunny day !
I own an SUV. I park it in a garage, so it's not impairing pedestrian visibility (thanks #34 - you're right). I bought it new with cash last year. I got one with a 5 star crash rating that isn't prone to rollovers and is built on a car frame - a Honda Element. It's certainly not a pretentious car.
Personally I wouldn't refer to it as an SUV but I'm sure the gothamist folks would think it is, since gothamist ran a screaming headline about someone getting hit by an SUV and on closer inspection I realized the car was a Honda CR-V.
I enjoy driving it on weekends. I don't care how much gas costs because I drove it about 5,000 miles in one year - less than $1000 in gas. I work hard for my money. I pay my taxes. I donate to charity. What's your problem?
Maybe it's envy. There's a reason envy was characterized as one of the seven deadly sins.
If not, it's probably righteousness. Ever see that episode of South Park called Smug Alert!?
Additionally, even if all private citizens drove a Smart car there would still be buses, cement trucks, step vans, etc. on the road. You'd still have to be worried about the incredibly unfavorable mass ratio in event of an accident.
"Additionally, even if all private citizens drove a Smart car there would still be buses, cement trucks, step vans, etc. on the road. You'd still have to be worried about the incredibly unfavorable mass ratio in event of an accident."
And Cabs-a Crown Vic will crush a Smart car. Amazingly-large sedans will destroy smaller ones and smaller SUVs too..... but noone wants to complain about that.
I guess NYers would rather bitch then learn physics!