Allan Rosen is a former director of MTA NYCT Bus Planning with three decades of experience in transportation and a Master's Degree in Urban Planning.
Photo by Erica ShermanTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: What is a transit advocate? Is it someone who always proposes mass transit solutions to all transportation problems? No, it isn’t. Mass transit solutions are not always the appropriate solution for every transportation problem. Mass transit only works well when there are
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach are prominently featured in a new series of MTA public service announcements denouncing texting while walking, cycling, and riding the city’s buses. I doubt it if the MTA realizes how ironic some of the locations that were chosen are. The
The Fulton Transit Center. Source: WikipediaTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: In answer to the question posed in the headline, it is because they don’t care enough, since they do not place themselves in the position of passengers who are making decisions. Customer service is just not a high priority. It
A familiar sight: Next bus please! Source: afagen | FlickrTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Ever since I started riding buses more than 50 years ago, I noticed that service is erratic. I never knew the extent of the problem until I analyzed our origin and destination data as part of the study
In an image from the 1950s, the Rockaway Beach Rail Line used to run from Rockaway to Rego Park. Source: The Forum NewsgroupTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Now that Queens College has released its year-long study [https://www.dropbox.com/s/ju0mwarj00z0ehp/Rockaway%20Beach%20Branch%20Community%20Impact%20Study.pdf?dl=0]
allan rosen
The famed Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, which connects Queens and Manhattan. Source: WikipediaTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: In Part 1 [/commute-meaningfully-improve-traffic-safety-part-1-2/], we asked if the real purpose for the new 25 MPH speed limit is increased safety or increased revenue. If the city is as concerned with increased safety as much
Source: NYC.gov/DOTTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: The 25 mile per hour (MPH) default speed limit is now the law [/reminder-citywide-25-mph-speed-limit-takes-effect-tomorrow/]. What proponents of this legislation fail to realize is that with a 30 MPH speed limit, the average speed limit on city streets is only 20 MPH or less.
Source: changeschanging / FlickrTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Last week, a one-and-a-quarter-mile afternoon trip took my friend one hour and 20 minutes using two buses. He waited 28 minutes for the B68 and another 30 minutes for the B82 in Coney Island. Three B68s came at once, and he just missed the
The MTA’s East Side Access plan. Source: mta.infoTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: The big news headlines this week were that subway ridership reached a new record level [http://www.mta.info/news-subway-new-york-city-transit-ridership-record-breaking/2014/10/22/more-6-million-customers-ride] on September 23rd, with more than 6.1 million paying swipes, and the
Source: WikipediaTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: New Yorkers must wait until 2023 for the completion of East Side Access, a project that will improve LIRR access to Manhattan, free up trackage at Penn Station to improve rail service to the Northeast Bronx, but degrade LIRR service for Brooklynites. It is a
1501 voorhies ave
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Sheepshead Bay has been the victim of over-development. Development itself is not a bad thing. In fact, it is good for the economy. However, when development occurs, the infrastructure must also be improved. Block after block, the neighborhood has seen one-family homes replaced by six-family condos.
Click to enlargeTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: In parts 1 [/commute-need-better-bus-service-part-1-3/] and 2 [/commute-need-better-bus-service-part-2-3/], we specifically discussed routing deficiencies in Brooklyn and hinted at similar deficiencies in Staten Island and Queens that are even more severe. This week, we will discuss… Routing Problems In Borough Park And Bensonhurst Go Back To