It's time to ban cars from Manhattan? • Hacker News Board

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#201

Post by andybp85 » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 1:56 PM UTC

CydeWeys wrote: post #187

andybp85 wrote: post #38

This sounds like it would suck big time for musicians and the like who have to transport gear to bars and whatnot, which I've done plenty of times since high school (I live just outside the city in NJ). Having to carry all my gear like 10 NYC blocks (or more) after having to pay tens of dollars to park in a garage (what would availability even be?) would definitely make me think twice about trying to get gigs there.…

I see plenty of musicians humping their instruments on the subway. It's not that hard to carry a guitar or two, some pedals, a pack of cymbals, etc. The venues are already equipped with the big stuff (pianos/drum kits/PAs) because it would be absurd to expect every band to lug in an entire PA setup or drum kit when they know damn well that most musicians are taking the subway and using roughly the same kinda stuff. W…

Depends on the venue; I've played things like coffee shops that required us and the people putting the show on to bring everything inc. drums and a PA system.

That's also specific to musicians, like I said there's a bunch of things that have these same types of requirements. Catering comes to mind off the top of my head, and they have to worry about temperature control for their products as a safety concern. I've never seen a caterer on a subway lol.

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#202

Post by CydeWeys » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 1:58 PM UTC

geofft wrote: post #133

speedplane wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> why would I need to own a car if public transit served my every need and I could take a zipcar/car2go/taxi for those rare, rare cases when I needed my own vehicle? Many kids growing up in NYC rarely get to leave the city. They don't get to go upstate, see real nature and open spaces, go camping, hike a big mountain, swim in a natural lake, or experience the things that a large city cannot offer. Many never get a dr…

Can't you take Metro-North for a bit and then rent a car outside NYC (and its surcharges and taxes)? Is it really faster to drive a rental car from NYC than to take a train out, especially on a Friday evening? Also, one reasonable approach to this particular problem is to permit cars on West Side Highway and FDR Drive but not otherwise in Manhattan. You can go around the city core but not through it.

Ideally, the West Hide Highway and FDR would be torn up, buried, etc. They're ruining almost the entire waterfront for most of Lower Manhattan.

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#203

Post by danharaj » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 2:00 PM UTC

missosoup wrote: post #193

CydeWeys wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, you definitely don't have exceptions for taxis. Why are you saying that we wouldn't survive without taxis?? I almost never take them except to the airport, and I'm easily willing to give that up if it means I don't have to tangle with horrible congested car traffic on a daily basis. Do you live in Manhattan? What makes you so sure we couldn't survive without taxis, given that we have the densest subway network in…

> What makes you so sure we couldn't survive without taxis, given that we have the densest subway network in the United States, even more bus lines than that, and Citibike? lmao imagine high paid consultants politicians and tv celebrities on Citibike.

They take the subway, tho

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#204

Post by sasaf5 » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 2:00 PM UTC

izacus wrote: post #146

acd wrote: post #52

I think cars should be banned from most densely populated city centers in general. There is a word describing it "Pedestrianization" Reasoning: Cars pollute the air which makes the people living and walking in the city centers sick. Cars pollute with noise. Cars cause pedestrian and bicycle accidents. Its nice for peoples health to be able to walk and run in open areas. Streets which previously was used by cars can b…

My home city (capital of the country) did exactly that and it brought a huge amount of life and new businesses to the city center. Not to mention that tourism exploded as well - the city center is now a very pleasant place to go out and grab a coffee next to a river or on a street with no loud and smelly traffic to be seen (picture during summer: https://files.stocky.ai/uploads/2019/01/image-Preseren-squar... ) Of co…

> "We won't be able to move furniture!"

Also frequently used to justify buying a big SUV, just to learn that the average piece of furniture doesn't fit in the average SUV.

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#205

Post by smileysteve » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 2:00 PM UTC

grepthisab wrote: post #163

Yes, it is time to ban personal transport vehicles from Manhattan. Leave buses and delivery vehicles since everything is stocked by them, and work vehicles like police perhaps. The problem is this will never get implemented on any non geologic timescale. We need a clear vision like this, but also a non-racist version of Robert Moses to just make it all happen.

> vehicles like police perhaps

Policing itself changes significantly when much of the population isn't in a car. And police may be able to see crime in action rather than reaction.

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#206

Post by geofft » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 2:04 PM UTC

ThomPete wrote: post #192

geofft wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work in Manhattan and live in Brooklyn, and my office overlooks the Holland Tunnel (connection to New Jersey). Roads are a backlogged mess every evening, where "evening" on Friday seems to start at noon. Traffic cops are in a half-dozen intersections around the Holland Tunnel entrance manually restricting flow and more importantly rerouting cars to keep all the possible entrance routes roughly balanced. The vast ma…

You are confusing anecdotes with the bigger system. Holland tunnel is a problem once in a while not all the time.

Holland Tunnel is a problem every day. I can see it every day.

My taxi story is an anecdote, sure, but it goes to show there isn't reliable NJ/Brooklyn transportation via Manhattan streets. If I had been going towards the airport I would have missed my flight. Or put another way - right now on Google Maps, getting from where I am in Brooklyn to EWR would be faster via Staten Island than via Manhattan. If the argument is that X is reliable, examples of X being unreliable once in a while are in fact evidence against it and not just anecdotes.

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#207

Post by Spooky23 » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 2:04 PM UTC

DailyHN wrote: post #158

souterrain wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s mind boggling how much affordable parking there is in Manhattan. I was doing some work in Staten Island and had an appointment in Manhattan later in the day, leaving via NJ, so I drove and was able to find parking for less than $50 in the financial district. This should have been impossible, and I should have been forced to leave my car where it was, take a bus to St. George, and get on the ferry.

$50 for parking is affordable?

Yes, because when you factor in the cost of transit and the schedules its either cheaper or the same to drive in dollar terms or way cheaper in terms of time.

Everyone gushes about how awesome transit is, but that’s only true for a few areas of Manhattan and Brooklyn. If you need to take a trip that isn’t in the happy path, a car is way better.

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#208

Post by humanrebar » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 2:06 PM UTC

CydeWeys wrote: post #170

throwaway122378 wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Throw in taxis, Uber, lyft and you have all your cars again. A city like Manhattan would not make it without taxis

No, you definitely don't have exceptions for taxis. Why are you saying that we wouldn't survive without taxis?? I almost never take them except to the airport, and I'm easily willing to give that up if it means I don't have to tangle with horrible congested car traffic on a daily basis. Do you live in Manhattan? What makes you so sure we couldn't survive without taxis, given that we have the densest subway network in…

> I almost never take them except to the airport...

And you probably have functioning limbs, respiratory system, eyes, etc.

> ...the densest subway network in the United States...

Manhattan is not very accessible. The stations do not have elevators in most cases. The platforms are narrow and often dangerously crowded at peak hours.

As an experiment, I suggest you push a bad of flour around in a stroller for a week or two. Be sure to have a bag with at least a diaper, wipes, and a bottle with you.

After the experiment, imagine doing it after recovering from a recent surgery.

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#209

Post by ThomPete » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 2:11 PM UTC

geofft wrote: post #206

ThomPete wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are confusing anecdotes with the bigger system. Holland tunnel is a problem once in a while not all the time.

Holland Tunnel is a problem every day. I can see it every day. My taxi story is an anecdote, sure, but it goes to show there isn't reliable NJ/Brooklyn transportation via Manhattan streets. If I had been going towards the airport I would have missed my flight. Or put another way - right now on Google Maps, getting from where I am in Brooklyn to EWR would be faster via Staten Island than via Manhattan. If the argument…

Your own definition of a problem perhaps not mine or the millions who use it every year. Its faster to go around now because manhattan takes some of the traffic, if it didnt do that what do you think will happen with that traffic.

Re: It's time to ban cars from Manhattan?

#210

Post by humanrebar » Sun, Oct 06, 2019, 2:12 PM UTC

Isinlor wrote: post #75

afarrell wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does someone do if they twist their ankle badly and are on crutches for a month?

You could use "electric mobility scooter"; In Netherlands they are widely available for people with the need. https://www.google.com/search?q=electric+mobility+scooter+di...

It might work if NYC got better at hauling garbage, clearing snow, and ticketing people for blocking sidewalks in other ways (tables, signs, delivery trucks, etc.).