Scott Dodd's Blog
Look Ma, no cars!
August 11, 2008
Posted by Scott Dodd in Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil
Just check out all that open pavement, with not a car in sight. And right in the middle of Manhattan, no less. Ain’t it beautiful?
New York’s experiment with car-free streets -- closing down a well-traveled route through the heart of the city on a Saturday morning for pedestrians, bikers and others to enjoy -- was a smashing success, by most accounts. Nothing is without critics, of course (especially in New York), but the weather was perfect, the streets were packed, and for once, it seemed that those on foot and those on two wheels had little problem co-existing. (Amazing how the conflict disappears when traffic of the four-wheeled variety is out of the picture, isn’t it?)
Read the coverage of Summer Streets in the New York Times, Associated Press, Village Voice and Gothamist, among others (or see Streetsblog’s extensive roundup).
For my part, the day started with a “feeder ride” led by Transportation Alternatives from the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial on Riverside Drive. We followed the 90th Street bike lane, cruised across Central Park, then entered 72nd Street and the beginning of the seven-mile car-free route to the Brooklyn Bridge. Along the way, I pedaled down Park Avenue, got to bike across the Grand Central Viaduct (which usually only takes car traffic through the historic terminal), and enjoy the streets of midtown, the Village and Chinatown before crossing over to Brooklyn. By the time we had lunch on the waterfront and biked back across the Manhattan Bridge, Summer Streets was closing down, so we headed over to the west side of the island and followed the bike path up to Riverside Park, coming full circle.
Here are my photos chronicling the day:
Sunday morning, I was nursing my tired legs with coffee and a crepe at my favorite neighborhood café when I came across this story in the Times’ Sunday Styles. It explores the growing conflict between cyclists and other road warriors, which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago.
Although it’s not fun to read about a biker getting pummeled for daring to curse at a car that nearly ran him over, as the Times story leads off with, it was also hard for me to feel too down about the state of cycling after Summer Streets. Yeah, the problem is real, and we all need to work harder to respect everyone’s safety and rights to the road. But right now, I’m feeling good about our prospects.
I guess miles of open pavement will do that to a guy.
Summer Streets continues for the next two Saturdays in New York City. Learn more here.
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Comments
Christopher Mims — Aug 12 2008 01:03 PM
Freaking awesome. If I hadn't already moved my office to Brooklyn, in part on account of disgust with my commute, I'd take advantage of this...
Dan Troutman — Aug 14 2008 10:36 AM
Looks more like China or some other nation where people are too POOR to use faster more efficient modes of transportation to me. All we need now are livestock roaming the streets. :)
Scott @ NRDC — Aug 14 2008 08:29 PM
Hey Dan, I get that you're trying to be funny (hence, the smiley-faced emoticon), but just for the sake of argument, exactly what would be a more efficient mode of transporation?
I travel about 6 miles to work every day in Manhattan. According to Google maps, it would take me about 18 minutes to drive that distance ... and we all know that's probably a best-case scenario in New York rush-hour traffic. Plus, that doesn't take into account the time it would take to find a parking space and everything else that goes into driving in an urban area.
Ride the City (which is essentially Google maps for bikes, a great resource) estimates the same trip would take me 21-31 minutes by bike, which is right on the money. (It usually takes me about 25, which I guess makes me an average-speed biker.) I don't have to worry about parking, because I take my bike right up to my office with me.
I also don't have to worry about the price of gas, tolls or any of the other costs associated with driving, and I don't need a gym membership because I get my exercise on the daily commute. Plus, there are none of those pesky fossil fuel emissions that are helping to cook the planet and cost all of humanity untold gazillions.
I can do the same analysis for public transportation or just about any other option. So what's that more efficient mode of transportation you were talking about again? :)
Dan Troutman — Aug 15 2008 10:13 AM
Actually as a physicist I'm toying with the concept of high-speed mag-lev "pods" that would travel at 300mph plus. Americans like their privacy and aren't too keen on the idea of sitting next to people they don't know. My vision of the future involves high voltage, room-temperature super-conductors, carbon fiber and other developing technologies to indeed fabricate a modern 21st century high-speed transportation model. (Sorry I haven't invented teleportation yet.)
Since time is money in the big cities, I'm not convinced that heavy, lumbering battery powered "cars" are the way to go. Only high-voltage electricity can supply the necessary power to revolutionize personal transport. The increased electricity would be generated by a combination of wind turbines AND nuclear power plants (since they are the only way to guarantee RELIABLE power for such a high-speed transporation grid.)
I can't go into more specifics until I hear back from my patent lawyer.
I'm surprised that the Ivy league schools aren't pressing their students to develop new transporation "systems" for America as graduate work, etc. (I can't be the only one thinking about this approach.)
The "Jetsons" aren't that far off any more. :)
I'm a firm believer that the next transportation revolution has to offer increased SPEED. The "I gotta get me one of those!" mentality is a powerful tool.
Sorry, but the idea of pedaling around at under 25mph in the elements isn't appealing or practical for most Americans especially in the 21st century. It's time to get serious about high-speed personal travel.
Dan Troutman — Aug 15 2008 10:21 AM
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. How does making that 6 mile commute in 1 min 45 sec in all weather sound to you? (Assumes average speed of 250 mph to account for acceleration and deceleration)
I know a lot of frustrated commuters would cut off body parts to get to work in under 5 minutes! :)
Scott @ NRDC — Aug 15 2008 11:13 AM
OK, now that, I'm down with. Let me know when you're ready for test pilots!