With the region in recovery from Hurricane Sandy, New Yorkers are starting to return to their offices, despite the fact that city subways and commuter rail lines are not at full capacity. For many, that has meant biking or walking, while others are taking the “bus bridge” between Brooklyn and Manhattan. While the MTA and NYCDOT are doing their best to get New Yorkers where they need to go, commuters are facing serious challenges getting to work. These troubles lay bare the importance of public transportation, safe walking infrastructure, and safe cycling infrastructure to tri-state area commuters, drivers included. Here are a few of the scenes.
The line for the Brooklyn-Manhattan bus at the Barclays Center was long. Very long (this isn’t all of it):
Brooklyn commuters wait in line for the bus to Manhattan at the Barclays Center | Photo: Daniel Rojo/Architecture League of New York
Congestion on Brooklyn’s Vanderbilt Avenue was bad this morning:
Congestion on Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn | Photo: Ryan Lynch/Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Traffic in Downtown Brooklyn:
Traffic in Downtown Brooklyn | Photo: Michael Cairl
BrooklynSpoke estimated that cyclist traffic appeared to be about three or four times the Manhattan Bridge standard today. Transportation Alternatives has been out helping bike commuters:
Photo: @cranksgivingnyc
@transportationalternatives, still killin it on the manhattan bridge #bikesandy instagr.am/p/RfN6q5HW3q/
— Cranksgiving (@cranksgivingnyc) November 1, 2012
On Prince Street, there were virtually no cars, just bikes and pedestrians:
Prince Street bike lane | Photo: Ryan Lynch/Tri-State Transportation Campaign
And something we thought we’d never see…the New Jersey Turnpike appeared to be empty:
A photo from this morning shows the New Jersey Turnpike virtually empty.
Mobilize the school buses. The Tri State Area has over 3000 large school buses. That can form a high capacity BRT system. Run them through the Lincoln Tunnel, and over East River Bridges and down Bus Lanes.
[...] for many Brooklyn residents unwilling to wait hours for the ‘bus bridge’ – linking the Atlantic Ave. transit hub with midtown Manhattan – or spend hours in gridlocked [...]