Confronting NYC's traffic congestion problems
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg last week announced plans to shut off portions of Broadway to vehicular traffic in an effort to reduce traffic congestion in the heart of the city. The “Green Light for Midtown” program, spearheaded by Department of Transportation commissioner and speaker at this year’s Congress for the New Urbanism, Janette Sadik-Khan, is set for implementation in May on an evaluative basis. If successful, it could become permanent.
In concurrence with this announcement, Streetsblog.org has concluded a four-part interview with Institution for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) director Walter Hook discussing the need for a Bus Rapid Transit network in New York City. BRT systems promise cheaper transit at a higher capacity and with more reliable schedules. To accomplish this, existing roadways are retrofitted to create lanes that give priority to busses. In the interview, Hook discusses common misconceptions of BRT, why it is necessary and why it will succeed.
***Note: Janette Sadik-Khan is set to speak at a plenary session on transportation reform the morning of June 12 at CNU 17 in Denver, Colorado.***
Photo (courtesy of The New York Times): Areas affected by the "Green Light" program include Times and Herald Squares.
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