Group members: Hugh Shin, Kyle Arnolds, Justin Bischof, Jun Huang, Herrick Lam

History of NYC transportation (Jun Huang):

• Timeline of public transportation:
  • The earliest form of public transportation is the ferry, dating back to 1642
    • 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.
  • In 1827, the first omnibus (horse-drawn carriages that ran on metal tracks) was introduced. However, much of this technology were initially reserved for the wealthier classes. By 1855, 593 omnibuses traveled on 27 Manhattan routes. Ground transportation became a lot more efficient and this became the first mass public transit.
  • 1883: opening of Brooklyn Bridge + cable-powered railway enabled ground transportation between the 2 boroughs
  • Elevated railway service began in 1870. First subway operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in 1904
• Private transportation
  • Automobiles weren’t first introduced in NYC, but it’s growing popularity certainly attributed to New Yorkers. In November of 1900, there were roughly 500 automobiles in all of NYS. But 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.
  • As a result, NYC (and the entire country) began investing in private transportation
    • Building highways (Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 – $26 billion)
    • Robert Moses suggests building the Belt Parkway in 1930 and also the I-278 (which then led to the construction of the Gowanus expressway)
• The beginning of congestion
  • As transportation was separated into many different categories (like buses, trains, bikes, personal automobiles, and even taxis), the transportation system developed many complications.
  • The early 1900s was a prosperous (and problematic) era. Total population grew by ~1.3 million between 1900-1910 and 1920-1930. The growth between 1910 and 1920 were just shy of a million. Over these 3 decades, the population grew more than the rest of the century combined. In fact, the population grew by nearly 3x between 1900 and 1930 than it did for the rest of the century. At that time, mass transit was still developing. It was nowhere near ready to accommodate the mass influx of immigrants. So congestion isn’t really a modern problem. Since the 1900s, it has been building up to the congestion that we experience today.
  • • So why is congestion such a huge problem in NYC? There are plenty of cities out there with dense population. Tokyo’s current population is 9.2 million as of 2015 while NYC only has a population of 8.5 million. The answer lies within technology. In other countries, their mass transit systems are much more advanced and sustainable because they were built using much more modern technology. In Tokyo, Japan, for instance, their first subway system wasn’t established until 1927. It is much easier for their upgrade their tracks and subway cars than it is improve than some century old tracks.

Studying other Case Studies and Recurring Problems of Traffic Congestion [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/

Proposed Plan [Herrick L]

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

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

Improve the comfortability of public transportation/Prevent overcrowding

• People generally view public transportation as being stuck in a crowded space with a lot of people crammed together
• The overcrowding in public transportation makes taking subways and buses very unappealing and unattractive to potential riders
• By preventing the overcrowding, people can enjoy taking public transportation which incentivizes them to take it more often
• They should create a system where the subway car or bus knows when it’s at max capacity based on weight and close the doors automatically when it reaches that weight limit
• This way people know which cars aren’t as crowded and they can enter cars that don’t have a lot of people creating an equal spread of people on subways
• Nothing is worse than finding out that the subway car directly next to yours is nearly empty

Build elevated roads throughout the city for public transportation

• Another way to alleviate congestion is to build new roads and there is an ample amount of space in the sky
• I’m proposing building elevated roads that provides more space for public transportation
• This way, there will be two “floors” for traffic to run through because more space equals less traffic

Not a short-term plan

• These plans that I’m proposing are not short-term solutions but rather for the long-term
• To implement these plans, the city would have to do extensive planning and construction that will likely take decades to accomplish

Implementing these plans in outer boroughs first to test if it works

• Before implementing these plans, the government should test them out on the outer boroughs before hitting the main parts of the city.
• They should test them out on smaller neighborhoods and gradually move into the bigger neighborhoods and eventually into the center of Manhattan

Potential Obstacles Accompanying Our Proposed Solution (Justin Bischof)

Pushback from car/other private transportation companies

-Car companies, as well as private transportation companies (e.g. Uber/Lyft) will obviously be upset if the city were to introduce a cap on cars/congestion pricing

-DeBlasio actually attempted (and failed) to place a cap on the number of for-hire vehicles available through the city (source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/nyregion/new-york-city-council-uber-limit.html)

-The number of these vehicles have surged throughout recent years and now another proposal for changing the legislation surrounding these vehicle is coming

How do we solve this issue?

-The city can incentivize companies to manufacture eco-friendly and autonomous vehicles; these vehicles would help with both lowering emissions and reducing congestion

-Oslo, Norway is a perfect example.  Here, nearly a third of the cars are electric and there is a trend of replacing normal gas cars with electric cars like Teslas.

-The government incentivizes people to buy electric cars.  Citizens get free parking, access to the HOV lane (less traffic), no registration fees, tax deductions, no tolls, etc.

-On the business side, companies like Tesla don’t have to pay a sales tax

-Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSjYra7cYqY

-In London, the Ultra Low Emission Discount (ULED) provided free access to congestion pricing zones to any drivers using vehicles that met certain strict efficiency standards

Greater Reliance on Outdated/Ineffective Public Transportation

-Like Herrick mentioned, the city will need to upgrade its current public transportation if we were to incentivize it

-Redesign stations to get people on and off faster

-Modernize the signal system

-Add, replace, and upgrade subway cars

-Implement a new fare collection system

-More regularly scheduled and predictable patterns of bus/train times

-Efficient or even autonomous buses

-Quick look at Tokyo and how they do public transportation the right way:

-Separately owned and operated rail systems that are interconnected; this lowers the pressure of publicly owned and operated systems (MTA)

-Seamless transfers through geniusly designed stations

-Fares depend where you are going and how fast you want to get there

-Schedules are planned ahead of time and trains tend to stick to those schedules

Cost

-Drones and new technology will be costly to integrate, but the benefits will outweigh the costs

-Congestion pricing will help fund maintenance and expansion of the new technologies/public transportation

-In the long run, money saved from negating pollution from transportation in NYC could actually fund the incentives for owning electric/fuel-efficient vehicles

*Need to figure out specific numbers based on other cities and their own plans

Public Outcry

-Ultimately, a city without private transportation would place on pressure disabled and elderly citizens

-Some residents, especially in the outer boroughs still live nearly a 30 minute walk from the nearest station

-Construction can interfere with daily routine and take a long time to complete

-People will complain about any fare increase or tax or congestion pricing so long as it affects their wallets

Ultimate benefits of a future that is not reliant on cars (Kyle Arnolds)

• 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

Distribution of Work:

After class on the 19th, we divided the member responsibilities as evenly as possible. Kay will be addressing and researching the broad issue of water sustainability, while Olha will be focusing on NYC-specific water resiliency. Caitlin will be creating the powerpoint based on this research, sourcing images, and creating infographics using graphic design software. Robert will be researching the Rain(a)way tiles themselves and calculating the cost of implementation. Pabvitraa will be in charge of creating a feasible policy solution. So far, we have been working steadily in pursuit of these individual goals.

Analysis of the Issue (Globally and Locally)

GLOBAL

The Global Sustainability and Resilience Program (GSRP) seeks to support the development of inclusive, resilient networks in local communities facing global change. By providing a platform for sharing lessons, mapping knowledge, and linking people and ideas, GSRP and it’s affiliated programs empower policymakers, practitioners, and community members to participate in the global dialogue on sustainability and resilience. Given the scarcity of water in many parts of the world, we must use wastewater to meet the needs of millions of people. In Singapore, they import over half its water from neighboring Malaysia, water security is a top priority. Singapore has built rainwater collection plants and technology initiatives to treat sewage water  and purify it for reuse.

US

New York ranked high in water quality tests, which had much to do with its source water derived from the Catskill/Delaware and Croton watersheds, and so pristine as to not require filtration. The country’s water is disinfected at the world’s largest UV disinfection facility, which is also acknowledged as one of the best.The lagging resiliency rating is tied to vulnerability to weather events, evidenced by the destruction wrought by Superstorm Sandy. Scientists estimate that New York would incur at least $500 million in storm- and flood-related damage over the next half-century without any action, but thankfully that’s not the case. The East Side Coastal Resiliency project, a collaborative of government agencies, business leaders, and private investors, is among the initiatives created to fortify infrastructure and protect essential services in anticipation of more superstorms.

NYC-specific water resiliency

Sea levels rising globally is not pleasant news for the inhabitants of New York City, which is surrounded by water. Its 520 miles of shoreline border the ocean, rivers, inlets, and bays making it prone to several types of flooding. Firstly, there’s a threat of coastal flooding which is caused by storm surges. Second, there’s a threat of tidal flooding which is caused by normal and regular variations in the lunar cycle. And thirdly there’s a threat of Inland flooding which can be caused by short heavy rainfall, or long-term moderate rainfall. Rainfall data from gauges at Central Park, JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports, the stations with the longest data record in NYC show some of the heaviest rainfall events in the city’s history occurred in just the last three decades. NYC is dense, heavily paved, and built on landfill in what were once wetland areas. That limits the ground’s capacity to absorb or drain water and causes problems. There’s also a threat of riverine flooding but it mostly affects NY state, less so NYC.

New York flood maps are determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, better known as FEMA. It assessed the flood risk and projected that roughly 400,000 New Yorkers, 71,500 buildings, and 532 million square feet of floor area are located within the 1 percent annual chance floodplain (because there is a 1 percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year). According to the maps, the Lower Manhattan waterfront is at high risk of flooding, including neighborhoods like the South Street Seaport, Tribeca, Battery Park City, and the eastern and western waterfronts through Upper Manhattan. Significant portions of Staten Island, along with the western and eastern waterfront, are at risk. In Brooklyn, the South Brooklyn waterfront shows the most risk, including Red Hook, Brighton Beach, and Howard Beach. In Queens, the Rockaways rate as the highest risk for flooding.

Why should you care?

Flooding can cause:

•      Disruption of critical infrastructure systems:

o   transportation,

o   energy,

o   telecommunications

o   wastewater treatment plants

•      Water pollution and release of other contaminants
•      Loss of income for individuals and of revenue for businesses
•      Disruption of communities and social networks
•      Degradation or loss of natural resources
•      Aggravation of existing health conditions
•      Loss of life, injury, and illness

Case Study of Netherlands

Benefits of the Ebb tiles are:

• Transports rainwater
• • Wheelchair-friendly and easy to drive on
• • Perfect to combine with our Flood-tiles (all varieties)
• • Creates awareness
• • Easily applicable because of standard tile-size
• • Low maintenance

Benefits of the Rain(a)way  tiles are:

• Stores and infiltrates rainwater
• • A contributor to the solution to rainwater issues.
• • Makes your project unique
• • Easy to combine with our Ebb-tiles
• • Creates awareness, high visibility
• • Easy application because of standard tile

Contrast: The X1 Tile

With the X1 system, you choose for a smart, practical, sustainable and innovative solution for your outside terrace. Besides this you are helping the environment with collecting water.

The system needed 2 years to develop before it was ready to go on market. Multiple testing and redesigning makes the X1 tile sustainable on multiple aspects. E.g. on the subject of water management. Heavy rainfall is increasing in this time of climate change. Tests done by TCKT and Tile System X show that the X1 system in average can take up to 65 Ltr of water per m2/minute by draining with the draining zone. The water is taken in the specially designed buffer zones. The buffer zone drains the water directly into the surface that’s below.

Cost of Concrete tile: 17.50 euros.

Info on average draining system prices (French Drains): “Installing drainage runs most homeowners between $1,856 and $5,183 with an average cost of $3,479. Small, simpler solutions could be as low as $800 and more complicated projects could get as expensive as $8,000. French drains, for example, average $20 to $30 per linear foot or between $1,000 and $1,500 in exterior applications and $45 to $60 per linear foot or $5,000 to $6,000 for internal ones.”

Policy Solution

There are four different Rain(a)Way tiles so the amount of money we would invest in depends on what areas of the floodplain we would be working on first. Since there is over 525 million square feet of flood plain, we would focus first on more flood prone areas like the Rockaways, East Shore, Staten Island, lower Manhattan, and parts of Brooklyn which may benefit from the more intense ebb tiles or flood open tiles to divert rainwater. We would then focus on other less flood prone areas as funds become more available. The tiles can start being laid on the sidewalks of property owners’ home. Primarily, we would work with the Department of City Planning to secure funds for this project.  Since they are already working with communities and property owners to protect $129.1 billion of investments in the growing floodplains as part of “Flood Resilience Zoning,” the DCP has incentive to search for more resilient infrastructure and coastal defense investments like Rain(a)Way tiles. Plus, we might have some federal oversight from FEMA. We believe the implementation of these tiles should take about five years to complete, not considering unearthing already laid concrete in some areas. The tiles in the Netherlands are also not mass produced yet so any found costs if there are any, reflect small scale production. The DCP’s 2019 fiscal budget totals $45.5 million, but it does not include any funds property owners may provide, which may be possible if they receive tax abatements or subsidies from the government, or a discounted cost when ordering in bulk. While the cost of such tiles may be high, its long term benefits can last for 50 plus years. Some obstacles we may run into include hidden costs like removing concrete from some areas, people refusing to retrofit around their homes, and lack of funding.

Annotated Source List

Some of our most relevant sources include:

1. http://rainaway.nl/english/
   1. The Rain(a)way website itself describes the function and uses of the tiles that factor heavily into our policy solution. It also states the properties of the various types of tiles.
2. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/em/downloads/pdf/hazard_mitigation/nycs_risk_landscape_chapter_4.3_flooding.pdf
   1. An 18-page document on flooding in NYC that includes useful information on existing problems and proposed policy solutions. The document also elaborates on the various types of flooding, which will be invaluable in developing an appropriate policy solution of our own.
3. https://www.smart-magazine.com/rainaway-pavement-design/
   1. This was the article which started it all! It describes how to make cities ‘climate proof,’ using the Netherlands and the cities therein as an example.
4. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/sirr/downloads/pdf/Ch3_Coastal_FINAL_singles.pdf
   1. This details the risks of not addressing flooding in NYC, the vulnerability levels of coastal areas, as well as ideas to flood proof the city like using flood wall.
5. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/plans-studies/climate-resiliency/outreach-summary.pdf
   1. The DCP has already started some temporary flood proof initiatives like flood panels and have faced some obstacles which we can use to find weaknesses in our policy. It also details how they reach out to communities affected by floods.
6. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/07/nyregion/new-york-city-flood-maps-fema.html
   1. This source details the most vulnerable coastal areas in NYC and why we should care about implementing flood tiles, the main reason being that many people have properties that should be protected.
7. http://rainaway.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Product-sheets-RainaWay.pdf
   1. The Rain(a)way product sheet provides important information on the size and material the tiles are made of, which will prove useful once we begin calculating costs.

Remaining Work

We still have a bit of work to do, namely creating a few more infographics and graphs to illustrate our points, completing the powerpoint, calculating the costs of implementation, going further in depth regarding the economics of the tiles, and researching another case study. (see powepoint for pictures)

[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

How 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

Group Members: Makinoon, Vicki, Kevin, Anastasiya, Ingrid (the name of each contributor is in brackets next to their respective contribution to this report). 

Our Sample Presentation

The issue focus of our proposal is the recovery and recycling of commercial food waste in NYC. Our research shows that food waste not only negatively impacts the environment, but also results in loss of embedded resources used to get the food from the seed to the table. Based on estimates from the USDA, food loss at retail and consumer levels corresponded to 133 billions pounds and $161 billion of food in 2010. Food waste accounts for 21-33% of US agriculture water use. So, throwing away a hamburger would be wasting water equivalent to a 90 minute shower. In terms of environmental damage, when food waste is decomposed, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in its contribution to global warming. Food waste is responsible for 11% of all landfill-generated methane emissions and +2.6% of all US greenhouse gas emissions. [Makinoon]

In 2013, Mayor Michael Bloomberg challenged restaurants to reduce food waste in our landfills by 50%. This challenge resulted in 2,500 tons of food waste being diverted from landfills. Starting in 2016, food establishments that met certain criteria are required to separate their organic waste (ie. places with a floor area greater than 15,000 square feet and are a part of a chain of 100 or more locations in NYC). Businesses have to either partner with a private carting company, self-transport, or install an on-site composting unit. There is currently a push for the Food Recovery and Recycling Act, which would require large generators of food waste to not only recycle their food scraps, but also donate viable foods to food rescue operations. [Vicki]

Our proposed policy solution is a mandate for organics and food waste recycling and recovery that would apply to all consumer-facing businesses in NYC. Taking inspiration from the proposed NYS Food Recovery and Recycling Act, our two-part legislation would encourage small businesses to either partner with local food rescue organizations or have their food waste picked up as a part of trash collection, and would seek to incorporate technology into the organic waste recycling process. [Everyone] 

Our research on similar policies both globally, and nationally, has shown that governments are developing new methods of recycling food waste through partnerships with restaurants & the implementation of new policies. Multiple U.S. states, including Vermont, California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, have set policies to turn food waste into energy, stop the overflow of landfills, and cut food waste from industrial places and residential homes. In parts of the U.S. health departments have begun setting fines from $100 to $2000 for all food waste being thrown away by restaurants. Internationally, European cities such as Milan, have focused on reusing food waste from restaurants to produce food for homeless shelters. We can use these methods as examples on which to base our policy. [Kevin]

Through our research we have seen that restaurants such as Pret and Starbucks have committed to donating all of their unsold food. Starbucks employs its own workers to drive around in a pick up car, collecting all of the food from different Starbucks locations. Pret does a similar program but they have food rescue organizations come pick up the food from them once they pack everything up. Berlin has public refrigerators where businesses and individuals can leave food, and others that need it can pick it up whenever they need to. Although this is currently being investigated on whether it is a health hazard, it is a good idea and could be an inspiration for a similar process in NYC. An important issue with our project is how do we prevent food contamination? By having an app, people can have profiles and be held somewhat accountable for the food they provide. Having designated drop off/ pick up areas would implement the fridge idea, but the online app would limit who can drop off the food. The app idea comes from Olio, which is an app that allows people to post food they don’t want and allows for others to pick it up. Our idea would eliminate the need for people to schedule exchange times/places. [Anastasiya]

On the topic of food rescue organizations and partnerships, our research shows that New York City has substantial capacity to increase its food rescue, with the NRDC finding that the city could close an additional 23% of its meal gap and highlighting the potential of health inspectors to act as points of connection between businesses and food rescue organizations. The NYC Department of Sanitation incentivises businesses to develop ways to combat food waste while donating to those who struggle with hunger, through its annual Food Waste Fair and its Microgrant Initiative. There are substantial numbers of food rescue organizations active in NYC who prioritize using edible food waste to close the hunger gap, and whose utility can be expanded under our proposed policy. [Ingrid]

Our group breakdown involved dividing the research into five primary sections, which we will combine in our presentation to make a thorough case for our policy proposal. Each member was responsible for researching and analyzing their individuals section (again, the name of the contributor is in brackets next to their respective contribution to this report), and we will come together to formulate a conclusive analysis. Our remaining work includes determining appropriate enforcement measures that will encourage widespread adoption of more sustainable food waste practices. Now that our research is complete, we will jointly conduct a cost-benefit analysis of our proposal, and identify some major effects and pitfalls of the policy. Lastly, together we intend to come up with a conclusion summarizing the need for our proposed policy. [Everyone] 

Annotated Bibliography

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