Car-free Times Square, NY

cjcp
cjcp Posts: 13,345
edited May 2009 in Commuting chat
Interesting:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8066590.stm
FCN 2-4.

"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."

Comments

  • AndyManc
    AndyManc Posts: 1,393
    All city centres should be the same, park and rides on the perimeter.

    Manchester council exhibited plans the close a main artery into the centre (Oxford Rd.) a few years ago though nothing has come of it.

    Lets hope New York is the first of many.





    .
    Specialized Hardrock Pro/Trek FX 7.3 Hybrid/Specialized Enduro/Specialized Tri-Cross Sport
    URBAN_MANC.png
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    If it's notorious for its traffic jams, where is the traffic that usually uses it going to end up?

    Somewhere else, still causing traffic jams.

    Doing things like this don't remove traffic from a city, they just relocate it. I wonder if they're still allowing cyclists through...

    I agree, it is interesting. Were they not doing the same thing on Oxford street, albeit just for the weekend?
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • AndyManc
    AndyManc Posts: 1,393
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    If it's notorious for its traffic jams, where is the traffic that usually uses it going to end up?

    Somewhere else, still causing traffic jams.

    If they can't get direct access using a private vehicle they won't bother or they will use public transport instead (most of the general public are too lazy to walk or cycle).

    A lot of car use is unnecessary, cars are often used as 'something to do', if it's made impossible or too much hassle cars will disappear off the roads.



    .
    Specialized Hardrock Pro/Trek FX 7.3 Hybrid/Specialized Enduro/Specialized Tri-Cross Sport
    URBAN_MANC.png
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    Guess what ? Swindon is about to close one of its park and rides at the end of this month :(
  • laughingboy
    laughingboy Posts: 248
    edited May 2009
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    ...where is the traffic that usually uses it going to end up?

    Somewhere else, still causing traffic jams.
    Isn't Parkinson's Law in operation? "The demand upon a resource tends to expand to match the supply of the resource."

    In my view it is pointless to theorise about the effects of closing, say, Times Square to traffic. The only way to see what happens is to close it for a decent period. For example, closing the North side of Trafalgar Sq seems to have had no significant deleterious effects on traffic in the area.
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Laughingboy - to complete your quote:
    wikipedia wrote:
    "Parkinson's Law" could be generalized further still as:

    The demand upon a resource tends to expand to match the supply of the resource.

    An extension is often added to this, stating that:

    the reverse is not true.

    :D

    I don't think closing roads causes traffic to go away, but as you rightly say, only time will tell. Oh and traf. sq. seems to me to just be one massive traffic jam, but then I've only been in London 5 years so may not remember what it was like before.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • mattybain
    mattybain Posts: 115
    AndyManc wrote:
    All city centres should be the same, park and rides on the perimeter.

    Manchester council exhibited plans the close a main artery into the centre (Oxford Rd.) a few years ago though nothing has come of it.

    Lets hope New York is the first of many.

    .

    That's really interesting, having just been to Holland and Sweden I was only thinking this morning wouldn't it be great if Manchester closed off some of it's squares to traffic. I was dreaming of European style cafe culture and basking in the sun drinking beer in Albert Square.

    Seriously though, would be nice to have some more traffic free zones in Manchester, Corporation street and Market St are great.
    26km each way commute on a Decathlon Comp 1 2006 Road Bike

    2009 Communting Totals - Car 112 miles Bike 2,765 miles
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    mattybain wrote:
    I was dreaming of European style cafe culture and basking in the sun drinking beer in Albert Square.

    phil.jpg

    DON'T TRY IT
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    So, How do I load up my car with cheap guitar equipment on 48th street then.....like, I have only done it once - so, clearly it is a deep concern of mine!

    Fingers crossed NYC!!
  • Stone Glider
    Stone Glider Posts: 1,227
    JW: Is it Swindon where the "Safety Officer" has decided to reduce cycling casualties by reducing cyclists? Reminds me of that series of cartoons of different ways of designing a child's swing.
    The older I get the faster I was
  • laughingboy
    laughingboy Posts: 248
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Laughingboy - to complete your quote:
    wikipedia wrote:
    "Parkinson's Law" could be generalized further still as:

    The demand upon a resource tends to expand to match the supply of the resource.

    An extension is often added to this, stating that:

    the reverse is not true.

    :D

    Yes, that was a spectacular piece of twattery/selective quotation from me. Apologies.

Categories