![]() They're embarrassed and apologetic about the delays. ![]() Seattle residents seem to have a different attitude toward their congested roads than, say, New Yorkers or San Franciscans. ![]() Seattle's drivers spend 45 hours a year stuck on the road, plodding their way along traffic-choked corridors such as I-5, I-405 and I-90. That's not my personal tip - it's a number devised by the Texas study to factor in stalled vehicles, bad weather or construction delays. If you want to go somewhere, and your favorite mapping program says it takes 20 minutes door-to-door, double it. Here's an interesting rule about driving in Seattle. Others think it's just another bad idea hatched by city bureaucrats. The response from residents has been mixed. But officials now want to start congestion pricing on roadways such as the Embarcadero, Van Ness Avenue, Broadway and Harrison Street, according to a recent report. The city this summer announced it would begin charging a toll on Doyle Drive, a major approach to the Golden Gate Bridge. cities, its residents actually use the buses and trains. It has a first-rate mass transportation system, and unlike other major U.S. San Francisco's traffic woes aren't easily solved, either. Just try negotiating one of Lombard Street's switchbacks or ascending the 30-degree incline of one of its other roads in a car with a standard transmission. The City By the Bay is also a treacherous place to drive when there are no cars. Traffic delays cost each commuter $1,121 in lost wages, according to the Texas study. But within the city limits of San Francisco, it's virtually assured. I have no idea when that is.ĭrive anywhere in the Bay Area and your chances are pretty good that the freeway is going to turn into a parking lot at some point. And really, the only way to avoid the gridlock in Manhattan is to travel when no one else does. The only reasonable fix is congestion pricing - making motorists pay for using the roads during peak periods. More tolls? Try crossing a bridge or using a tunnel in the Big Apple, and you know that's not an option. More mass transit? New York's subways and buses are already among the best in the world. The results may stick around long after Brooklyn commuters have their easy rides back, and European tourists regain their straight shot to Roberta's.It's impossible to understate how awful the traffic has become in and around Manhattan. Let the people talk loudly and have big, zealous opinions. So with less than two and half years until hell replaces the L, let the transportation ideas flow from the woodwork. "Paris-Plages" proved a popular hit, and from there the city grew the project to into a radical scheme to ban cars on a seemingly vital four-lane riverside highway-maybe forever. In 2002, the City of Lights converted a stretch of road along the River Seine to a temporary beach. ![]() The city has shied away from solidifying temporary anti-congestion rules before, but should look to Paris as an example of turning transit pain to gain. Researchers at NYU's Rudin Center for Transportation recommend solutions like partnerships with rideshare companies, lots of high-speed bus service more trains on complementary subway lines, ferries, gondolas, and even a scooter sharing network.Įven once the L train's back in action, these ideas could help make New York a friendlier place for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit riders. ![]()
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