New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is looking to hire Jan Gehl, a Danish urban planning consultant and architect in order to reduce the amount of traffic around Times Square, possibly banning cars entirely from the area.
According to The New York Daily News, Bloomberg wants Gehl, whose resume includes helping several major European cities – London and Copenhagen among them – alleviate serious traffic concerns in congested areas. Gehl’s previous works have prioritized cyclists and pedestrians over vehicles in congested areas.
Bloomberg’s plan, called plaNYC, would call for Gehl to increase the number of tree-lined streets (thus decreasing parking) and possibly making a $8 toll for drivers entering Manhattan below 86th Street. The toll would go directly towards improving the city’s mass transit systems. Although the plan has met some opposition in the city, many local businesses support the initiative, which would decrease congestion and pollution and likely amplify public transportation.
No word on how this would affect New York’s numerous taxis.
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07/11, 2:02 PM
posted by:
Bush
About time…. I love NY.
07/11, 2:24 PM
posted by:
Piablo
LMAO!!
I love it. Got a problem? Just ban it!
07/11, 2:25 PM
posted by:
RicardoHead
So this guy gets paid to say “if you ban all cars, there is no traffic problem” …?????
07/11, 2:27 PM
posted by:
RicardoHead
Hey … if we ban a fuel sipping cars, then there is plenty of gas to go around, right?
.
.
Come on, Bloomberg, I just solved the fuel shortage! Pay up, you screw yorker!
07/11, 2:42 PM
posted by:
obsessedwithautos
Of course that would be the end of the iconic photos of the sea of yellow taxis on Broadway, but I like the idea of a European-esque pedestrian zone in New York. That should draw TONS of merchants.
07/11, 2:50 PM
posted by:
global_lightning
It’s been done before. Portland removed a major highway though its downtown, and other major cities have turned large areas into pedestrian only (Buenos Aires comes to mind). In urban environments, personal vehicles are the least effective mode of transportation.
07/11, 3:56 PM
posted by:
acura_el2000
funny how in that picture theres maybe 3 civilian cars.. 15 taxi’s, 10 trucks… 2 buses/ ya cars are definatley the problem. /sarcasm.
07/11, 4:31 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
If I lived in New York, I’d regularly go to 161st and river, and I’d not own a car
07/11, 6:56 PM
posted by:
0GSharK6
The problem is not civilian cars but traffic as a whole. There are so many people in NYC that those areas are damn near impossible to traverse in an efficient manner (by efficient we’re talking sitting through less than two red lights in a row).
07/11, 8:16 PM
posted by:
swamprat
Mayor Bloomberg is a piece of garbage along with his crazy policies. There isn’t a whole lot of difference in car traffic in NYC now versus 20 years ago. This is about money, power and control. I can assure you, except for traveling through the city to get to CT, I will never visit Manhattan again.
07/11, 11:10 PM
posted by:
Jason
They’re probably worried some raghead will drive a car bomb into Times Square.
07/12, 2:05 AM
posted by:
younggun
takes a genius to get eliminate a problem by eliminating the thing causing the problem. watch i’ll solve greenhouse gases…i’m just as good check it out.
Ban things that create them. Done. Pay up world!
07/12, 8:03 AM
posted by:
Z06ified
It’s pretty stupid. I drive in NYC sometimes, and I avoid Times Square because the traffic sucks. If you’re dumb enough to drive in Times Square, then you deserve to sit in the traffic. I don’t need a mayor to ban it for me to avoid it.
07/12, 8:43 AM
posted by:
sunshine1810
Michael Bloomberg thinks he is Rudy Giuliani. As a New Yorker I am appalled at Mayor Bloomberg who I used to respect but recently with his announcement of charging people to enter Manhattan and eliminating cars from Times Square are not the answer to extreme congestion into NYC. The main problem is the people and not respecting the signs. Another reason not to visit Manhattan. I never liked Manhattan but I feel that this just goes way too far.
07/12, 9:39 AM
posted by:
Mitch Bangowitz
I drive in Manhattan pretty regularly. It’s almost impossible driving in Times Square. …Well impossible to turn onto a Street from Broadway! SO MANY DAMN TOURISTS crossing the street!!!!! It is nice to drive in Times Square late at night in a covertible though.
I think we need congestion pricing…even if I don’t want to pay. Too many cars!
07/14, 12:35 PM
posted by:
BLISS
I DONT THINK THATS THEIR ONLY ALTERNATIVE…..THEY NEED TO NEGOTIATE THIS PROBLEM ON A MORE POSITIVE LEVEL.
07/14, 12:37 PM
posted by:
BLISS
I HOPE THEY DONT STOP ME WHEN AM DRIVING THROUGH IN THE WORLD’S MOST ADORABLE CAR MAKER…..MERCEDES-BENZ…AH AHHHHHHHHHHH!!