Will Cars Rule the Roads in Post-Pandemic New York?

[brooklynite]

New York Times

Under pressure from advocates for open spaces and the restaurant industry, the city has temporarily excluded cars from more than 70 miles of open streets for social distancing, biking and outdoor dining.

“The longstanding tension between those who see cars as evil and those who see cars as essential has been heightened by the pandemic because usable outdoor space is more crucial than ever,” said Jerold S. Kayden, a Harvard University professor of urban planning and design.

City officials have not presented any overall vision or comprehensive plan for redesigning the streets to accommodate more uses and have said they are waiting to see emerging traffic patterns as more people return to work and schools open for some in-person learning.

For now, they have taken a more piecemeal approach, including adding batches of open streets every few weeks and announcing five new busways to speed up service by taking cars off busy arteries. They have also expanded temporary outdoor dining to help restaurants, and Mayor Bill de Blasio said the dining setups would return after the winter.

Hard to imagine that a Mayor with ambitions to be a national voice for progressive policies could be so uninterested in grabbing the opportunity to re-think NYC in the interests of the Outer Borough working class.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. If so, there goes the Congestion Pricing tax concept.

Less cars = less revenue.

[getagrip_already]

2. congestion pricing was never about revenue.....

It was always just traffic management. The revenue is just a tasty side treat.

not that any part of commuting by car into nyc is cheap even at normal times. The bridges average $6 each way (some just charge in one direction, but that's what it works out to). $60/week just in tolls is not something most working stiffs will choose to afford. Then there is parking, which even at monthly lease rates is the cost of an average apartment in rural areas. Plus street specific tolls, and congestion uplifts.

Hopefully covid is proving you don't have to go into a city to work. If we make the right moves, cities can become much more liveable.

Cuomo said a while ago that nys was $2B in the hole from a budget standpoint. The last thing they need is an ever high infection rate. They will save more by keeping people well than then they will gain letting them drive into the city for revenue.

[democrattotheend]

3. If I have to go into the city in the foreseeable future, I will probably drive

Normally I hate driving in NYC and prefer taking public transportation, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable taking public transit just yet. They are doing a decent job of cleaning the subway cars overnight, but it's impossible to social distance on the subway, and my husband said it's gotten a little dangerous because there have been big spikes in crime as fewer people have been riding and the police have been taking a more hands-off approach. I feel bad, because I believe in public transit and would normally prefer it, but right now I just wouldn't feel safe, and I know other people feel the same way.

[LeftInTX]

4. No

It will go back to normal