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Baclava

(12,047 posts) Tue May 26, 2020, 02:21 PM May 2020

Will more city people use cars over mass transit? 'New Yorkers Opt For Cars Over Public Transport'

Traffic Increases Again As New Yorkers Opt For Cars Over Public Transport Due To Pandemic

NEW YORK - In normal times, David Martinez takes the A train from his home in East New York, Brooklyn to his job as a doorman at a Midtown building.

After the coronavirus crisis erupted he eventually ditched the A train for an Acura.

"I feel safer. I'm driving alone there's nobody in the car with me," Martinez said. "In the subway, you're getting exposed to everybody else that's in there. there's no social distancing there. I gotta protect myself, my family and also my tenants," Martinez said

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2020/05/14/new-yorkers-opt-for-cars-over-public-transport-in-coronavirus-times-

6 replies

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Will more city people use cars over mass transit? 'New Yorkers Opt For Cars Over Public Transport' (Original Post) Baclava May 2020 OP

For awhile they should jimfields33 May 2020 #1

We should also return to suburban planning and other stupid shit. Alex4Martinez May 2020 #2

the commons are contaminated 0rganism May 2020 #3

I'm going in to my Manhattan office tomorrow... MANative May 2020 #4

That's what I expect many will do, thx Baclava May 2020 #5

Cars make sense, while traffic is light and parking is available. JustABozoOnThisBus May 2020 #6

jimfields33

(16,048 posts)

1. For awhile they should

Reply to Baclava (Original post)

Tue May 26, 2020, 02:24 PM

May 2020

Getting into a metro anything is not a wise choice. But some will take the risk.

Alex4Martinez

(2,198 posts)

2. We should also return to suburban planning and other stupid shit.

Reply to Baclava (Original post)

Tue May 26, 2020, 02:25 PM

May 2020

I'm kidding of course but see a lot of this talk:

"Transit doesn't pay for itself and now it should just die because nobody wants to be on a bus with dirty people"

Literally.

Locally, I'm a strong voice for public transit, it should be free and cars should be discouraged.

Transit oriented development, denser more walkable communities are the better way.

Naturally, transit opponents have a new talking point.

Having lived in NYC lower east side for 8+ years, I know better. Cars suck there, people will use the subways.

0rganism

(23,977 posts)

3. the commons are contaminated

Reply to Baclava (Original post)

Tue May 26, 2020, 02:27 PM

May 2020

when we have a verified safe vaccine, confidence will return. until then, it should be a little easier to maintain social distance on mass-transit systems.

MANative

(4,113 posts)

4. I'm going in to my Manhattan office tomorrow...

Reply to Baclava (Original post)

Tue May 26, 2020, 02:43 PM

May 2020

for the first time since March 12th. Space planning and site inspection for health/safety mitigation and cleaning out my office in prep for permanent work-from-home. I've used MetroNorth since 1999. This will be the first time that I'm driving in to my workplace in that entire 21 years. I expect that I'll go in once a month, maybe, but won't use the train until we're well into Phase 4, at the earliest.

Baclava

(12,047 posts)

5. That's what I expect many will do, thx

Reply to MANative (Reply #4)

Tue May 26, 2020, 02:50 PM

May 2020

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,375 posts)

6. Cars make sense, while traffic is light and parking is available.

Reply to Baclava (Original post)

Tue May 26, 2020, 03:01 PM

May 2020

Last edited Tue May 26, 2020, 03:49 PM - Edit history (1)

Once the number of occupied humanware assets* returns to near normal, mass transit starts to look good.

* I mean "human capital stock", the approved term for fleshware component of the economy.

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