NYC Roads

[thenetwork]

The sign on the toll plaza said you could purchase 40 crossings for $10.00. 

Nowadays, $10.00 wont even let you make ONE crossing.

[TheDon102]

Any news on the BQE? Or has the Coronavirus shattered any plans to resolve the issue this decade?

[Verlanka]

The sign on the toll plaza said you could purchase 40 crossings for $10.00. 

Nowadays, $10.00 wont even let you make ONE crossing.

I had no idea you could even purchase crossings, even back in the 40s.

[fmendes]

The plan for the kew gardens interchange I think will help to streamline traffic flow a big improvement will be the exit to Jackie Robinson parkway westwill be off the gcp mainline instead of the exit off of the vanwyck expressway connector And for the plans go on YouTube and search up "kew gardens final"  and there's a video made by Richard klassen

[Plutonic Panda]

Any news on the BQE? Or has the Coronavirus shattered any plans to resolve the issue this decade?

I think any real plan to dig tunnels as a replacement if at or above grade freeways HAS to come with more lanes for said road and a gradual capacity expansion of the entire network as having tunnels with traffic jam packed all the time can't be good peoples health.

[SignBridge]

Excellent video re: the Kew Gardens Interchange. The plans are very impressive. But I'm really sorry to see the ongoing demolition of the westbound Union Turnpike bridge over the GCP with its impressive arches. I've enjoyed that since I first saw it as a kid in the 1950's and I'm really sorry to see it go.

[Plutonic Panda]

Here is the video: https://youtu.be/pvmGYA-wQj4

[TheDon102]

I've heard that the state is widening the Van Wyck from the Kew Gardens interchange to JFK Airport... but I think we need to seriously have a discussion about extending the Clearview Expwy. to JFK airport. Only a tunnel would work in today's environment, but it would expand JFK capacity, and provide people with an alternative to the Van Wyck. Maybe this can happen with a new expansive infrastructure bill?

[SignBridge]

Keep dreaming........... That's not going to happen. And as others have been pointing out this week, after all the government money being spent on the Coronavirus, there might not be much funding available for new public works projects, for the next several years . That is except for projects already underway such as the Kew Gardens Interchange. 

[Alps]

I've heard that the state is widening the Van Wyck from the Kew Gardens interchange to JFK Airport... but I think we need to seriously have a discussion about extending the Clearview Expwy. to JFK airport. Only a tunnel would work in today's environment, but it would expand JFK capacity, and provide people with an alternative to the Van Wyck. Maybe this can happen with a new expansive infrastructure bill?

This isn't Fictional Highways.

[TheDon102]

I've heard that the state is widening the Van Wyck from the Kew Gardens interchange to JFK Airport... but I think we need to seriously have a discussion about extending the Clearview Expwy. to JFK airport. Only a tunnel would work in today's environment, but it would expand JFK capacity, and provide people with an alternative to the Van Wyck. Maybe this can happen with a new expansive infrastructure bill?

This isn't Fictional Highways.

I know, just throwing around ideas, but adding another lane to the Van Wyck will not ease congestion in a meaningful way. The State needs to find other alternatives, because if they don't find a solution then we would be wasting the potential of JFK International Airport.

[Alps]

I've heard that the state is widening the Van Wyck from the Kew Gardens interchange to JFK Airport... but I think we need to seriously have a discussion about extending the Clearview Expwy. to JFK airport. Only a tunnel would work in today's environment, but it would expand JFK capacity, and provide people with an alternative to the Van Wyck. Maybe this can happen with a new expansive infrastructure bill?

This isn't Fictional Highways.

I know, just throwing around ideas, but adding another lane to the Van Wyck will not ease congestion in a meaningful way. The State needs to find other alternatives, because if they don't find a solution then we would be wasting the potential of JFK International Airport.

The only way to give JFK potential beyond what it's already doing is to add runways. As bad as it is getting there, it's not wanting for traffic.

[D-Dey65]

Was there ever a plan to widen 192nd Street to four lanes in Auburndale? Because the LIRR station-bridge over the road looks like it was intended for a four-lane highway.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7614281,-73.7899031,3a,75y,76.65h,97.05t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sU-I1Phzlxqplt3LdE0855A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

[Mergingtraffic]

Anybody know if the I-495 button copy sign on the FDR SB is still there? I remember there was one left. It's the "exit now"  sign

And how about the last non-reflective button copy signs on the Bruckner section of I-95? Exit 6B keep left etc

[shadyjay]

And how about the last non-reflective button copy signs on the Bruckner section of I-95? Exit 6B keep left etc

It was still there as of March/April 2020.  Probably still there now.

[crispy93]

There's a new traffic pattern coming off the Whitestone Bridge in Queens at the Cross Island. Previously, the left lane was exit only for the CIP and 678 continued through the interchange with two lanes. Now, the CIP is a standard left exit (no exit-only) and the right lane of 678 ends as it continues through the interchange.

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

There's a new traffic pattern coming off the Whitestone Bridge in Queens at the Cross Island. Previously, the left lane was exit only for the CIP and 678 continued through the interchange with two lanes. Now, the CIP is a standard left exit (no exit-only) and the right lane of 678 ends as it continues through the interchange.

Wonder if that will alleviate some congestion from people cutting over to exit at the last second (probably not)

[Alps]

Trying to figure out why these exit numbers were patched over. The same signs were there in 2007 that are still in 2019, so no help there. Old maps don't have exit numbers.
https://goo.gl/maps/2YZf7ZYNFtZxDHfW8

[M3100]

Manhattan, June 2011, near the corner of 10th Ave and 30th St.  That is a stub of the High Line bridge.

[crispy93]

Three years ago, I wrote to the city and state about the ridiculous 50 mph speed limit on the West Shore Expressway (NY 440 on Staten Island, https://goo.gl/maps/mtNT2coVn3PtFJ198). State said the city has operational jurisdiction of all pavement in the five boroughs (I hate that this is a thing in NY, same with the Palisades Parkway. "It's ours but not really"). For three years, the city has been telling me it's the state's problem no matter how many copies of NYSDOT's letter I provided.

Today, someone less robotic at NYCDOT got back to me:

We do believe that the State Department of Transportation has the ultimate call on setting the speed limit, but the City Department of Transportation does not support increasing it from 50 mph to 55 mph.

In our continuing effort to enhance safety, the City Department of Transportation actually has lowered the speed limit on many tributaries in our local network. Indeed, the uniform City speed limit now is 25 mph unless otherwise posted.

What a joke. Can't even explain their opposition to using established engineering practices on a road they don't own and don't seem to want. Turn the freeways back over to the state if you're so unwilling to care about them. And close with the stock line about vision zero, as if the two are somehow related. Very hard eye roll.

[vdeane]

They're not the only ones.  The state of Washington DOT used Vision Zero as the rationale for not increasing the speed limit on I-90 in the eastern part of the state from 70 to 75.

[cl94]

They're not the only ones.  The state of Washington DOT used Vision Zero as the rationale for not increasing the speed limit on I-90 in the eastern part of the state from 70 to 75.

Oregon DOT did something similar with keeping I-84 at 65 MPH. Took the state legislature forcing their hand for limits to increase to 70.

Re: 90 in Washington, that could definitely be 75 east of Ellensburg. No traffic, generally flat with good sightlines. I haven't done much of I-82, so would need to defer to others, but that may be a good candidate as well.

If Utah is willing to post every flipping rural Interstate aside from 70 on the east side of the San Rafael Swell at 80, Washington can post 90 across the eastern Washington wasteland at 75.

[SignBridge]

Three years ago, I wrote to the city and state about the ridiculous 50 mph speed limit on the West Shore Expressway (NY 440 on Staten Island, https://goo.gl/maps/mtNT2coVn3PtFJ198). State said the city has operational jurisdiction of all pavement in the five boroughs (I hate that this is a thing in NY, same with the Palisades Parkway. "It's ours but not really"). For three years, the city has been telling me it's the state's problem no matter how many copies of NYSDOT's letter I provided.

Today, someone less robotic at NYCDOT got back to me:

We do believe that the State Department of Transportation has the ultimate call on setting the speed limit, but the City Department of Transportation does not support increasing it from 50 mph to 55 mph.

In our continuing effort to enhance safety, the City Department of Transportation actually has lowered the speed limit on many tributaries in our local network. Indeed, the uniform City speed limit now is 25 mph unless otherwise posted.

What a joke. Can't even explain their opposition to using established engineering practices on a road they don't own and don't seem to want. Turn the freeways back over to the state if you're so unwilling to care about them. And close with the stock line about vision zero, as if the two are somehow related. Very hard eye roll.

I think what this may really be about is New York City wanting to reap more fines from speeding tickets. Radar enforcement using unmarked cars by the NY City Police Dept. is common on NYC highways and has been for at least sixty years that I can remember, since I was a kid. Though given the 85th percentile speed of traffic on roads like the West Shore Expwy, I'm not sure how fast you have to be going to actually get a ticket.

[seicer]

Why would you want to go that fast through New York City anyways? It's such a short duration of a freeway that actually is "free flowing," and you aren't saving any time going 55 MPH versus 50 MPH (which no one does either of in light traffic). This seems to be more of a rant about someone wanting to barrel down any stretch of New York City roadway at any unsafe speed.

[SignBridge]

Not true. 50mph is not a realistic speed limit for many NYC highways.