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Some angry Hasids, upset with new bike lanes in their neighborhood, are fighting back by signing up. They illegally erected a 4’x8’ detour sign on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to detour traffic along an alternate path to the BQE. The sign was put up on private property but the Department of Transportation didn’t find it kosher. DOT states that only the city can post detour signs. Undeterred, the Hasidics will hand out unofficial literature once the sign is removed. Some believe the issue here stems from the reserved Hasidics seeing many cycling cuties pedaling past, interferring with their traditionally reserved lifestyle. We should all be respectful of our neighbors, but all should be aware that neighborhoods are made up of diverse peoples. Nobody and no one group should take the law into their own hands because of their different views with others.▼
IMPORTANT NOTE: This piece was written today about an older New York City news headline. NYCo site delays prevented its publication before now. In an effort to entertain and educate this blog’s devoted viewers, 100’s of older headlines will be posted in chronological order until this blog is discussing current events again. Though some stories may no longer be as relevant as they once were, they remain interesting news items worthy of mention and viewer comments.
[This is a copyrighted editorial, originally published on http://www.NEWYORKCITYonline.com/NYC-Online/blog.php. We invite you to post your comments and reply to others. This piece may be duplicated or printed with permission.]
Shortly after Mayor Bloomberg ordered city agencies to make $1.5 billion in cuts, the Department of Transportation approved raises and promotions for four dozen of its very top managers. DOT spokesman Seth Solomon said, “A lot of these were not just raises. These were promotions and expansions of duties. So people are doing more work.” Wow! The DOT can give New Yorkers a "rough ride" even without a train or bus!IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog is a quick comment on an older New York City news headline. Unforeseen NYCo site development delays prevented it’s publication before now. For readership continuity, 100’s of older headlines are to be posted in chronological order until this blog is current. Though some of the stories may no longer be as relevant as they once were, they remain interesting news items worthy of this site’s mention and viewer comments.
[This is a copyrighted editorial, originally published on http://www.NEWYORKCITYonline.com/NYC-Online/blog.php. We invite you to post your comments and reply to others! This piece may be duplicated or printed with permission.]
The Department of Transportation’s bicycle rack design winner was chosen. It’s circular with a horizontal bar going across it. Admittedly, it’s a simple and pleasant shape. The city will install 1,250 racks a year over the next three years at a cost of $275 each. Seems like a good idea for New York bicyle riders to secure their bikes. Now that bikes will be under lock and key, it's time to lockup bike thieves in greater numbers.IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog is a quick comment on an older New York City news headline. Unforeseen NYCo website development delays prevented it’s publication before now. For readership continuity, 100’s of older headlines are to be posted in chronological order until this blog is current. Though some of the stories may no longer be as relevant as they once were, they remain interesting news items worthy of this site’s mention and viewer comments.
[This is a copyrighted editorial, originally published on http://www.NEWYORKCITYonline.com/NYC-Online/blog.php. We invite you to post your comments and reply to others! This piece may be duplicated or printed with permission.]
How many years does it take to review traffic outside our schools? Well, there’s a study in Queens that’s ongoing for seven years! The Department of Transportation took responsibility for an important pedestrian and traffic study back in 2001. It had funding of $2.5 million. To date, only 10% of new schools have been studied. According to New York Councilman Eric Gioia, at this pace, it’ll take another twenty years for DOT to complete their research! He correctly states that traffic patterns and population vary over extended periods of time. Long-term studies have "little to no value" to resolve any immediate dangers for our children. "Little to no value?" Kind of like the DOT and city government personnel who permit things like this to take place during their stewardship.
Street surfaces typically last 15-20 years in NYC. For many of our thoroughfares, time is up. New York City streets are on the bumpy road to hell. If you’re a city driver, you’ve undoubtedly felt this sad truth on your backside already. In fact, only 66.4% of our streets were rated “good” in the fiscal year ending June 30th. That’s downhill from 79.8% in 2003. The Department of Transportation expects to pave 1,000 “lane miles” this year. That's up from 950 miles last year, but we need more repairs than that to improve the situation here. For the foreseeable future, we’re all in for a really rough ride. Buy yourself a good seat donut and better shocks.
Believe it or not, the city is considering a plan to increase parking meter rates to as much as $15.00 an hour; all in an effort to reduce traffic. Metered parking in midtown now costs $2.00 an hour for cars and $9.00 an hour for trucks. Muni-Meters currently cost $2.00 an hour, $5.00 for two hours and $9.00 for three hours. Nevertheless, outside consultants and city planners are looking for still more. What a surprise!
A significantly higher parking rate would unfairly target moderate and lower income drivers. It’s one thing for private garages and parking lots to charge high fees. It’s the driver’s choice to park in these lots. However, it’s quite another thing for public parking meters to be setup with exorbitant rates. In so doing, they’ll create private parking spots for the rich by making these spots financially prohibitive to the general public of generally lesser means.
We know “Free Parking” is easier to find on a Monopoly board than in midtown Manhattan any day of the week. A reasonable meter fee is acceptable. With $15.00 meters on city sidewalks though, finding cars nearby valued under $10,000 will become a rarity … kind of like finding a parking spot now while circling around and around. We urge the Department of Transportation and other city officials to come up with a more creative plan to reduce traffic. Maybe we can reduce the fleet size of city vehicles as a start?
Twenty toilets in a silver-bullet shaped building were setup the other day in Madison Square Park. The general consensus of neighborhood residents was that these outhouses were unwelcome. The Department of Transportation is admittedly moving forward slowly with this project … unlike others where they speed to get things done? They should be in operation by year’s end. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to perform the ceremonial first flush when he returns from China. The name of the city attendant to perform the less glamorous first plunging is yet to be announced.
The city’s Department of Transportation has a test program underway. It plans to install compasses outside of train stations. This, for the purpose of guiding subway riders to their destinations once they hit the streets and become pedestrians. While some of us do take a moment or so to regain our bearings, we somehow manage to find our way on the surface without any navigation aids. On occasion (men generally excluded), we even ask for directions.
This compass idea seems a bit off course to me. I have another idea. Why not install clocks in the sidewalks? With those in place, riders will know if they’re going to make it to where they’re going on time … or if they’ll be late because of yet another transit service delay!
Let’s not waste revenue on nice but unnecessary devices. None of us want the fare to go north again in the near future, do we?
