Incentivizing Public Transport and Introducing Alternatives to Alleviate Traffic Congestion

[Part 1: History of NYC’s transportation system and why traffic congestion is caused (Jun)]

History of NYC Public Transportation

• The earliest form of public transportation is the ferry, dating back to 1642
  • Transported residents from Manhattan to Brooklyn
  • NJ ferry in 1661
  • Harlem ferry in 1667
  • Staten Island ferry in 1712
• 1814: The Fulton Ferry became the first steamship service connecting both Fulton streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It reduced travel time to only 14 minutes.
• By 1855, 593 omnibuses (horse drawn carriages that ran on metal tracks) traveled on 27 Manhattan routes
• 1883: opening of Brooklyn Bridge + cable-powered railway
• Elevated railway service began in 1870
• First subway operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in 1904
  
• “in November 1900 there were still no more than 500 horseless carriages in all New York State”
• But after the first auto show in the Madison Square Garden, automobile popularity skyrocketed
• Within a decade, 300,000 automobiles were in the U.S.
• NYC (and the entire country) began investing in private transportation

Sources

RObert Fulton: https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-steamboats-4057901
History of MTA/IRT: http://web.mta.info/nyct/facts/ffhist.htm

https://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/look-new-york-city-cars-totally-took-over.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=100&v=aohXOpKtns0
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-introduced-nation-auto-expos-car-sales-surged-article-1.2862811

 

[Part 2: Look at other case studies and identify further recurring problems of traffic congestion and other cities’ approach to the issue. (Hugh)]

https://www.geotab.com/blog/reduce-traffic-congestion/

Adaptive traffic signals: government is testing traffic timing by analyzing the amount of time cars idle at signals and flow of traffic during different times of the day and year. Better analysis can result in better-timed traffic signals.

Smart cars: significant decrease in accidents, and overall control of traffic could make ‘traffic blocks’ move around more effectively. Groups of cars can all be sped up or slowed down autonomously

Pedestrian and housing analysis: by analyzing pedestrian traffic patterns and congestion, housing contractors can get a better understanding of where to build new housing to alleviate traffic congestion.

Drones replacing cars: this is for tasks where human presence is not required. Already being done by Dominos Pizza (smart car drives to customer, customer can put in code and receive pizza from car door that opens).  

https://www.smartcitiesworld.net/special-reports/special-reports/cities-in-a-jam-reducing-urban-traffic-congestion

HOV policy in Indonesia: regulation so each car is required to have at least 3 passengers to avoid single-occupancy cars. Tests indicated that without this policy, speed of cars during rush hours were significantly slower.

Traffic signal AI: *note this isn’t in the article, my idea*, many basic AI models are based on a program trying out every possible outcome at an incredible speed. Make a mistake at step 1, repeat, get through step 1, 2, make mistake at step 3, repeat, and keep going until it seems the AI accomplishes the perfect solution seemingly on its first try. Similar mechanics could be implemented into real-time, reactive traffic signals.

Stockholm and its congestion tax: what’s important in this aspect is not the tax, but the holistic approach. The city recognizes congestion is a multilateral problem and also tackles future housing design, adding additional ferry lines, new traffic management center, and other solutions.

https://www.businessinsider.com/cities-going-car-free-ban-2017-8 

Banning of cars: many of these plans aren’t simply getting rid of cars, but they’re implementing other means of transportation. By identifying areas of heavy traffic, they have designed faster walking methods and technology and such areas. The core idea is that it should be easier to walk than to take public transportation. 

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140611-can-we-ever-end-traffic-jams

Can a city be car-free?

The big issue with congestion is not the congestion itself, its the mountain of problems hidden beneath it that aren’t easily evident at first. Congestion occurs for deep-rooted serious issues like overpopulation, lack of housing or poor design in housing location, or inefficient traffic systems and routes. Another issue is the lack of ‘communication’. For most traffic jams, there needs to be some sort of organization to unclog the jam. But with each car having its own drivers all trying to get home first, jams become a lot worse than they could be. By creating autonomous systems of cars, traffic signals, or roads themselves, it can significantly reduce congestion. This article talks more about how traffic congestion is a problem that could very realistically be solved: https://issues.org/samuel/

Links for why problem occurs
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/nairobi-kenya-solving-traffic-congestion-increasing-capacity/1015091/

https://www.smartcitiesworld.net/news/news/la-named-as-most-traffic-clogged-city-in-the-world-1402

Links for theoretical solution
https://www.brookings.edu/research/traffic-why-its-getting-worse-what-government-can-do/
https://graduatedegrees.online.njit.edu/blog/three-strategies-to-fix-traffic-congestion/
https://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/how-cities-and-states-are-using-technology-to-reduce-traffic-congestion.html

 

[Part 3: Our group’s plan that will be implemented into NYC (Herrick)]

Give public buses their own traffic lights in addition to the normal traffic lights to make public transportation faster for people

• Very often, buses have to stop for the bus stops and for traffic lights making the ride extra long
• We can make the stops at the traffic lights go by faster by giving buses their own lights in addition to the traffic lights already in place
• This way, private cars have to wait longer while public transportation becomes faster

More frequent subways and buses

• During peak times when there is a huge influx of commuters, make sure there is a constant and frequent flow of subways and buses to meet the huge demand
• When people go to work or get off of work, there is generally a lot of people taking public transportation, and people do whatever it takes to get into the bus or subway even if it means being cramped the whole ride. This certainly makes the experience of public transportation very unappealing.
• If public transit makes it an effort to have subways and buses move a few minutes apart from each other during these times, it would make the experience much better as it assures people that they can simply take the next one without waiting a ridiculous amount of time

Change the fare system for public transportation

• Make the fares so that it is based on distance but up to a certain distance
• So, for example, if someone is only taking the bus or subway for a few stops, charge them depending on how far they go
• Apply this fare system up to a certain number of stops and then apply a single fare for any distances beyond that number
• This will be beneficial for both the long and short distance travelers
• For people who take private cars over a short distance which causes traffic, this system will allow them to take public transportation at a lower price
• For example, if a student is trying to get from Penn Station to Baruch, which is a substantial walking distance, rather than use a private car or paying for an overpriced subway ride because it’s only a few stops, they can take public transportation at a lower price based on that distance

Set Restrictions on the times the roads could be used by private cars

• Just as there is a certain time cars can be parked on a street, there should be a restriction on when private cars can travel the NYC streets
• Especially during peak times when traffic is especially heavy, this would be a great way to alleviate traffic
• Roads should be reserved for things that cannot be transported by means of public transit such as delivery trucks or garbage trucks

[Part 4: Realistic issues that may occur with our proposed plan and how to deal with them (Justin)]

If we want to rid ourselves of congestion in one of the most densely populated cities we must incentivize.

– Congestion Taxing

-Congestion pricing helps to deter drivers from entering the most crowded parts of the city, particularly those populated mostly by pedestrians.

-Can purposefully impose regulations/fees for private, on-hire transportation means (e.g. Uber/Lyft)

-Prices can fluctuate between zones and times; places with increased foot traffic (like Times Square, SoHo, etc.) can have higher rates of congestion pricing.  Meanwhile, busier times such as rush hour as well as the afternoon should elicit a higher price.

– Model Cities Abroad:

-London: Daily charge from 7:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday; daily   charge of about $14, reduced by about $1 if paid in advance
-Singapore: Charge varies by time of day, type of vehicle, and location.  Times originally extended from 7-9am to 7-10:15am to deter traffic from entering   shoulder period.

– Infrastructure

-What’s the best way to fix a problem?  Build a bridge and get over it (or a tunnel, new roads, etc.)
-How do we get cars out of the densest parts of the city?  Not having them there in the first place.
-If we can build bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure, we can incentivize drivers top bypass Manhattan; newer infrastructure also relieves some of the congestion on older things (George Washington Bridge).

– Public Transportation

-We have to fix the MTA (easier said than done)
-People need public transport to get around, especially if we incentivize deleting cars from the public space.
-Redesign stations to get people on and off subways faster
-Modernize the signal system
-Add, replace, and upgrade subway cars (look at how Toronto has open passageways between subway cars to allow passengers to move to less crowded areas with ease
-Implement a new fare collection system

– SUPER BLOCKS

-Taking a look at Barcelona and how they deal with congestion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZORzsubQA_M

 

[Plan 5: Ultimate benefits of  future where roads are mainly public use and not for private cars (Kyle)]Ultimate benefits of a future where roads are (カイル)

• Ultimate benefits of a future where roads are (カイル)

• Better for the environment
• 1. Reduces Greenhouse Gases
     1. Transportation accounts for 29 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
     2. Heavy rail transit such as subways and metros produce on average 76% lower greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than an average single-occupancy vehicle (SOV). Light rail systems produce 62% less and bus transit produces 33% less.
        1. Reference:https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/environmental-programs/transit-environmental-sustainability/transit-role
  2. Facilitates Compact Development
     1. In Public transportation can support higher density land development, which reduces the distance and time people need to travel to reach their destinations, meaning fewer emissions from transportation. Compact development also leaves more land in the region for parks, wildlife preserves, forests and other uses such as agriculture. Finally, it reduces the need for pavement, meaning less run-off that degrades the water supply.
        1. Reference: https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/environmental-programs/transit-environmental-sustainability/transit-role

• Better for public health
• 1. Improves Air Quality
     1. Reducing overall vehicle emissions will lead to a reduction of smog in urban areas.
        1. Reference: https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/environmental-programs/transit-environmental-sustainability/transit-role
  2. Reduces Motor Vehicle Fatalities
     1. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people in the United States ages 1 to 34.
     2. Public transportation is safer and has a lower accident rate than independent vehicles.
        1. https://www.sycamoreinstitutetn.org/2017/02/21/transportation-impacts-public-health/

  
  

  1. Promotes Physical Activity
     1. Regular physical activity reduces risk of type two diabetes, some cancers, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality.
     2. Studies show that every 60 minutes spent in a car per day increases a person’s likelihood of becoming obese by 6%.
        1. https://www.sycamoreinstitutetn.org/2017/02/21/transportation-impacts-public-health/

• Better for the economy
• 1. Attracts Investment
     1. Billions of dollars have been invested in financial districts, residential communities, office buildings, and sports facilities along transit lines
  2. Saves on Infrastructure Costs
     1. Because of public transportation, municipalities spend less on paving, road building, and utility extensions. This frees up valuable government resources for education, safety, and social services
        1. http://www.voicesforpublictransit.org/content.aspx?page=issues&id=Issue1   

  Why the effort? (summary of Kyle’s part with links to source information)

– Better for the environment (reduces greenhouse gases and facilitates compact development
https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/environmental-programs/transit-environmental-sustainability/transit-role

– Better for public health (improves air quality, reduces motor vehicle fatalities, and promotes physical activity)
https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/environmental-programs/transit-environmental-sustainability/transit-role
https://www.sycamoreinstitutetn.org/2017/02/21/transportation-impacts-public-health/

– Better for the economy (attracts investment and saves on infrastructure costs)
http://www.voicesforpublictransit.org/content.aspx?page=issues&id=Issue1

A To Do (mostly for our group’s purpose)
– Talk to person 3 who is doing the actual plan being implemented (need to have group discussion)
– Person 4 needs to know what person 3 is doing to do their part effectively.
– Ultimate benefits (person 5) can really do this on their own.

How this works in a timeline:
– Person 1 and 2 will work somewhat together to identify problems (NYC will be up to Person 1).
– Person 2 will have to talk to Person 3 as a solution for other cities is the basis of our project’s solution.
– Person 3 and 4 will work closely together. You need the plan (Person 3) to know what the obstacles of that plan is (Person 4).
– Overall group discussions to make sure everyone is on the same page