Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City • Hacker News Board

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#111

Post by ves » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:07 PM UTC

rdiddly wrote: post #54

Scoundreller wrote: post #10

> The city’s Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday that it’s seen a 50 percent increase in bike traffic on bridges connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn and Queens compared to last March. It's also been regularly 5-10C warmer than average each day so far in March: https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/new-york/10007/march-weath... Almost entirely above freezing means no snow either. And bridges are the first pla…

Not sure what to make of your last line. If someone has a bridge somewhere on their trip path, for most people it's somewhere in the middle, and distant from the start point where the decision of how to travel takes place. Their street being ice-free is probably more meaningful than the bridge's being ice-free.

Bridges bottleneck many more paths than random streets, though, so while they aren’t special for any particular trip, they are special over all trips.

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#112

Post by jeffadotio » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:09 PM UTC

> it was uncertain whether New Yorkers who aren’t used to cycling on the city’s inconsistent network of bike lanes —which are frequently clogged by parked or idling cars and trucks — would take the mayor’s advice

The notion that New Yorkers use bike lanes is funny. I live on a major Manhattan avenue with a bike lane and there is at least three times as much bicycle traffic on the sidewalk right next to it. Even motorized scooters are more commonly seen on sidewalks than the road. When I lived in Brooklyn I learned to peek my head around the corners of pedestrian bridges because motorists and cyclists will speed around them recklessly. The food delivery gig industry has put this behavior into high gear. It’s illegal, but New York laws are more like guidelines.

From my fire escape I can see a vacant lot that is used to store stolen bicycles while they are advertised on craigslist. I guess I wouldn’t have to go far if I decided to buy a bike.

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#113

Post by JulianMorrison » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:15 PM UTC

Humans: We can't do all the green things! It's expensive! Who cares if the planet is overheating!

A WILD CORONAVIRUS APPEARS

Humans: Okay lets do all the green things.

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#114

Post by cochne » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:17 PM UTC

jeffadotio wrote: post #112

> it was uncertain whether New Yorkers who aren’t used to cycling on the city’s inconsistent network of bike lanes —which are frequently clogged by parked or idling cars and trucks — would take the mayor’s advice The notion that New Yorkers use bike lanes is funny. I live on a major Manhattan avenue with a bike lane and there is at least three times as much bicycle traffic on the sidewalk right next to it. Even motor…

Which avenue is that? Whenever I am cycling I see most people in the bike lane if there is one available.

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#115

Post by gshdg » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:18 PM UTC

polynomial wrote: post #86

Scoundreller wrote: post #46

What I really want to know is if there's been a stairwell boom. Stairwells usually have the freshest air because they have to be at a positive pressure. And people with respiratory diseases will be taking the elevator. Possibly before they even feel other symptoms. Not sure how often stairwells are cleaned though.

> Not sure how often stairwells are cleaned though. 'Never' would be my wild guess.

Based on dead roach observations, this sounds about right.

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#116

Post by jjeaff » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:19 PM UTC

Hokusai wrote: post #104

drocer88 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FYI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesozoic#Climate The climate of the Cretaceous is less certain and more widely disputed. Probably, higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are thought to have almost eliminated the north-south temperature gradient: temperatures were about the same across the planet, and about 10°C higher than today.

> about 10°C higher than today That is astonishing. Imaging how much energy takes to warm your home 10°C, how much more will take warm a museum or a stadium. Now apply that to the entire planet. Storms in the Cretaceous were probably no fun with so much extra energy.

I could be wrong, but a more homogenous temp across the globe seems like it would result in milder storms. Since temperature gradients account for a lot of storm activity.

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#117

Post by bfdm » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:19 PM UTC

jeffadotio wrote: post #112

> it was uncertain whether New Yorkers who aren’t used to cycling on the city’s inconsistent network of bike lanes —which are frequently clogged by parked or idling cars and trucks — would take the mayor’s advice The notion that New Yorkers use bike lanes is funny. I live on a major Manhattan avenue with a bike lane and there is at least three times as much bicycle traffic on the sidewalk right next to it. Even motor…

There needs to be consistent and safe bike lanes first, including sharp enforcement against drivers who don't honour them.

I made the same decision years ago at University. I'd much rather risk a ticket or minor pedestrian accident by riding on the sidewalk than risk my life comingling with cars who don't give a shit.

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#118

Post by aldoushuxley001 » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:23 PM UTC

throwaway5752 wrote: post #49

peteradio wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is the wrong interpretation. It is a shift in the date of the turn on curve, not a bump in the plateau of 5-10C, that would be end of days bro.

"that would be end of days bro." That is why climate scientists have been trying to change the phrasing to "Climate emergency". It is not a shift in seasonal changes, summers will get warmer, also.

I prefer: climate alarmists vs climate realists

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#119

Post by thawaway1837 » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:25 PM UTC

Scoundreller wrote: post #10

> The city’s Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday that it’s seen a 50 percent increase in bike traffic on bridges connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn and Queens compared to last March. It's also been regularly 5-10C warmer than average each day so far in March: https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/new-york/10007/march-weath... Almost entirely above freezing means no snow either. And bridges are the first pla…

True, but I suspect the effect of so many fewer people venturing out is probably canceling out a lot of that effect.

Re: Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

#120

Post by jeffadotio » Sat, Mar 14, 2020, 8:26 PM UTC

cochne wrote: post #114

jeffadotio wrote: post #112

> it was uncertain whether New Yorkers who aren’t used to cycling on the city’s inconsistent network of bike lanes —which are frequently clogged by parked or idling cars and trucks — would take the mayor’s advice The notion that New Yorkers use bike lanes is funny. I live on a major Manhattan avenue with a bike lane and there is at least three times as much bicycle traffic on the sidewalk right next to it. Even motor…

Which avenue is that? Whenever I am cycling I see most people in the bike lane if there is one available.

I removed that level of specificity out of an abundance of caution. I still use the internet by the rules of the 90s, except that I no longer ask my parents for permission to visit AOL keyword “kids”.