You may have heard of Gridlock Sam "aka" Sam Schwartz.
He's the former Head of NYC Department of Transportation. Well, Sam has a plan which rethinks the way traffic is handled on the roadways, bridges and tunnels in and around New York City.
Did you know that the toll for a big semi-truck loaded with cargo which leaves JFK and travels across the Verrazano Bridge is $70? Did you know that to avoid that toll many trucks travel the streets of Brooklyn and Queens, take the Manhattan Bridge drive across city streets and through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel to avoid paying the toll?
It really makes no sense to encourage behavior which is bad for older bridges, bad for neighborhoods and causes unnecessary traffic and delays for drivers and commuters.
As Sam pointed out on Good Day New York recently: "Our policy is backwards, we're inviting people to drive thru Manhattan and avoid the highways that are built for them."
One piece of Sam's plan calls for adding tolls to the East River bridges while reducing tolls on other bridges. The idea is to make the transportation system more equitable.
Schwartz says, "$5 off the Triboro, $5 off the Throgs Neck, $5 off the Verrazano. Put them where they belong and that's Manhattan, south of 60th street."
Sam says the we'll raise $56 Billion and we can use the money to re-built the Belt Parkway.
"We have a highway that connects the Verrazano Bridge which supplies a lot of trucks to JFK airport big cargo terminal," Schwartz says. "We'd put the trucks on the highway and the cars on the city streets."
Now, that's a plan: Raise funds to improve the system, add jobs and keep trucks off the city streets and back on the highways where they belong.
I think Sam has some great ideas and I encourage the mayor and Governor Cuomo to consider his recommendations.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 10:55 PM EDT2013-06-20 02:55:03 GMT
The actor James Gandolfini, best known for his award-winning portrayal of New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano in the HBO series "The Sopranos," has died in Italy. He was 51.
The actor James Gandolfini, best known for his award-winning portrayal of New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano in the HBO series "The Sopranos," has died in Italy. He was 51.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 10:53 PM EDT2013-06-20 02:53:25 GMT
Joe Torre's daughter caught a 1-year-old boy who fell from a fire escape outside a second-floor apartment in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn Wednesday morning.
Joe Torre's daughter caught a 1-year-old boy who fell from a fire escape outside a second-floor apartment in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn Wednesday morning.
New York state and Eastman Kodak Co. have reached a deal that will keep some of the troubled company's operations in Rochester and provide $49 million for environmental cleanup at the once bustling Eastman...
New York state and Eastman Kodak Co. have reached a deal that will keep some of the troubled company's operations in Rochester and provide $49 million for environmental cleanup at the once bustling Eastman Business Park.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 6:51 PM EDT2013-06-19 22:51:22 GMT
Franklin Reyes, 17, was in court Wednesday. He is charged with the death of 4-year-old Ariel Russo.
Franklin Reyes, 17, was in court Wednesday. He is charged with the death of 4-year-old Ariel Russo. He is accused of driving without a license, then fleeing police, jumping a curb, and hitting Ariel and her grandmother as they were walking to school.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 6:13 PM EDT2013-06-19 22:13:15 GMT
More than 70 percent of New Jersey residents have seen or heard the state's "Stronger than the Storm" advertising campaign, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll.
More than 70 percent of New Jersey residents have seen or heard the state's "Stronger than the Storm" advertising campaign, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 4:30 PM EDT2013-06-19 20:30:42 GMT
The FBI has found possible human remains in a dig at the New York City house once occupied by a famous gangster. An FBI spokesman confirmed Wednesday that agents found material that they want to test as part of an investigation.
The FBI has found possible human remains in a dig at the New York City house once occupied by a famous gangster. An FBI spokesman confirmed Wednesday that agents found material that they want to test as part of an investigation.
