how to reduce the private vehicular traffic at the NYC bridges and tunnels?

Question

For environmental reasons and quality of living, how can we reduce the amount of private cars at the bridges and tunnels and in NYC

Answer 1

I think it's an unfixable problem, as long as the concentration of employment opportunities remains in Manhattan. The fact is, mass transit has improved at a pace that's orders of magnitude slower than the growth of the metro area. The incredible cost and political wrangling that accompanies mass transit projects means little improvement can be expected in the future. What additional mass transit we can expect will be in the form of busses and ferries, because these require the least additional infrastructure. Neither will make a dent in transriver traffic, and busses will actually add to the congestion at the bridges.

Express lanes or mass transit lanes are somewhat helpful, but the metro area has outgrown even these stopgaps. Probably the dumbest thing that could be done would be to impose additional tax or toll on travel into Manhattan: auto commuters already face high bridge tolls on most approaches, they have had a huge increase in gas prices, and their cars are torn to shreads on potholed roads. None of that has done a thing to reduce car traffic. This is a classic example of inelastic demand. The only thing an additional tax would accomplish is to drain cash out of the economy.

There are a handful of mass transit projects that could help, and should be pursued if the political stars could be aligned.

- The westside greenway shouldn't be wasted as a park. As the only remaining right of way which runs most of the length of Manhattan, it's highest use would be for rail transit.

- A new tunnel for rail transit between Manhattan and New Jersey, including a new rail line that interconnects with Path and serves areas north of Hoboken. The Path connection is important, they shouldn't repeat the mistake made with the recently completed light rail line which hubs in Jersey City, but is isolated from New York routes (what were they thinking?).

- Use of existing commuter rail and subway lines for local freight traffic between 11pm and 5am.

- A new tunnel to connect Staten Island to lower Manhattan subways.

- Hudson ferries from Fishkill and Nyack to Manhattan

- Resuscitate the plans for rebuilding Penn Station, and interconnect Penn with Grand Central.

All of these together would only hold the line on automobile traffic, not improve things. What is needed to fix it is a change in work patterns, but that's another long answer.

Answer 2

REDUCE the number of car bridges/tunnels. It is like the pants that you wear to Thanksgiving dinner. No matter how much room you give yourself for "expansion", at the end you are going wanting bigger ones. Also, make parking lots on the outskirts in Manhattan and only allow cabs and buses on the inside. I live here, and it is just ridiculus sometimes. People from outside the city decide to drive in without knowing what it is like and it just gets too crowed. Park in Jersey/Queens/CT and take the train in!!!!!!