NYC Roads

[dgolub]

Speed is low most places in Manhattan when most people are driving, lessening the severity of most offenses.  The avenues are timed to what, 28 mph?  And good luck racing down the FDR for very long.  The Henry Hudson is the only place that traffic really flies, and a lot of that is New Jersey/Westchester traffic.

Yes, until you get in a cab with some idiot driver who decides to go 50 MPH down Broadway on the Upper West Side and you hold on for dear life and pray that he doesn't kill any pedestrians.

Unfortunately, those days are over. Last time I took a cab, they drove like an 80 year old woman

You might have just had an atypical cab driver.  Most of them are still pretty aggressive.

[D-Dey65]

You might have just had an atypical cab driver.  Most of them are still pretty aggressive.

No, the pixelated cabbies in Crazy Taxi are just "aggressive." A lot of the cab drivers I've ended up with are borderline maniacs. But I still paid them because they got me where I wanted to go. As I've said in previous posts, I still feel safer on the subway, even with all the panhandlers, peddlers, hobos and freaks.

[Pete from Boston]

The subway also doesn't take you several avenues out of the way to pad the fare until you say "Go the right way, please," then backhandedly try to lay the blame on a fictional misunderstanding of how you wanted to go.

[route17fan]

Probably NYCDOT spot replacements.  NYSDOT Region 11 only does large capital projects.

I know this is old - but part of it was just waiting for bid information regarding signage in NYC by NYSDOT and this was as relevant as I could get; a project for some NYC area signage but no detailed plans - no plans at all, just proposal books.

https://www.dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/const-contract-docs?p_d_id=D263133

[dgolub]

The subway also doesn't take you several avenues out of the way to pad the fare until you say "Go the right way, please," then backhandedly try to lay the blame on a fictional misunderstanding of how you wanted to go.

Of course, there's no reason to.  It's the same fare whether you're going just a few blocks or all the way from Riverdale to Far Rockaway.

[Pete from Boston]

The subway also doesn't take you several avenues out of the way to pad the fare until you say "Go the right way, please," then backhandedly try to lay the blame on a fictional misunderstanding of how you wanted to go.

Of course, there's no reason to.  It's the same fare whether you're going just a few blocks or all the way from Riverdale to Far Rockaway.

You're missing my point, which is that I've had plenty of cab drivers require the scenario I described. 

[dgolub]

The subway also doesn't take you several avenues out of the way to pad the fare until you say "Go the right way, please," then backhandedly try to lay the blame on a fictional misunderstanding of how you wanted to go.

Of course, there's no reason to.  It's the same fare whether you're going just a few blocks or all the way from Riverdale to Far Rockaway.

You're missing my point, which is that I've had plenty of cab drivers require the scenario I described.

Yeah, I also had one who told me his meter was broken and then tried to rip me off.  Not sure whether it was really broken or if he just rebooted it.  Let it suffice to say that he didn't get any tip.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

The subway also doesn't take you several avenues out of the way to pad the fare until you say "Go the right way, please," then backhandedly try to lay the blame on a fictional misunderstanding of how you wanted to go.

Of course, there's no reason to.  It's the same fare whether you're going just a few blocks or all the way from Riverdale to Far Rockaway.

You're missing my point, which is that I've had plenty of cab drivers require the scenario I described.

Yeah, I also had one who told me his meter was broken and then tried to rip me off.  Not sure whether it was really broken or if he just rebooted it.  Let it suffice to say that he didn't get any tip.

Don't forget how they always say the card reader is broken, but it always miraculously fixes itself when you threaten to call 311.

[Mergingtraffic]

Original non-reflective button copy dating to the late 1960s, with the bottom replaced recently. I-95 SB. Cross Bronx Expressway. Bronx, NYC. by mergingtraffic, on Flickr

Some NYC Road sign eye candy!

[Pete from Boston]

The subway also doesn't take you several avenues out of the way to pad the fare until you say "Go the right way, please," then backhandedly try to lay the blame on a fictional misunderstanding of how you wanted to go.

Of course, there's no reason to.  It's the same fare whether you're going just a few blocks or all the way from Riverdale to Far Rockaway.

You're missing my point, which is that I've had plenty of cab drivers require the scenario I described.

Yeah, I also had one who told me his meter was broken and then tried to rip me off.  Not sure whether it was really broken or if he just rebooted it.  Let it suffice to say that he didn't get any tip.

Not too long ago I had a cabdriver get all hesitant when I told him that I wanted to go someplace where he was clearly not going to be able to pick up a return fare.  He then told me very early in the trip that his card reader did not work and he was not accepting credit cards.  I made him pull over and let me out at that point without paying him a dime.  I reminded him that people are ditching cabs altogether over things like this.

It's important to remember that at any time these guys could probably call in your credit card number to their office where there shouldn't be any trouble taking the card. 

[Mergingtraffic]

I drove down the FDR and all the button copy signs SB by the Triboro are gone due to the construction project. Further down, all the I-495 button copy signs are gone due except the "exit now" sign.


Anybody know when the button copy on the FDR were put up?  The last highway in NYC with button copy and a without a blanket sign replacement project.

Also, are these still there?
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6802338,-74.0048035,3a,75y,125.8h,82.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sr87nM4MuRpJppA9fwJqGwA!2e0!7i3328!8i1664

[mariethefoxy]

my guess is late 60s early 70s on the button copy signs. The FDR appears to be the last highway to get the replacement signs, the button copy elsewhere in the city has been eliminated. Last weekend I drove the Belt Parkway from the Southern State to the Verezano and there was one button copy sign left, it was one of the advance signs for Exit 4, but other than that, its all newer signs and some of them actually appear to be carbon copy remakes of the previous signs.

also there is a TON of construction going on between Exits 11 and 14 with the drawbridge replacement.

[dgolub]

I drove down the FDR and all the button copy signs SB by the Triboro are gone due to the construction project. Further down, all the I-495 button copy signs are gone due except the "exit now" sign.


Anybody know when the button copy on the FDR were put up?  The last highway in NYC with button copy and a without a blanket sign replacement project.

Also, are these still there?
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6802338,-74.0048035,3a,75y,125.8h,82.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sr87nM4MuRpJppA9fwJqGwA!2e0!7i3328!8i1664

Are you talking about north of the bridge on the Harlem River Drive or south of the bridge on the FDR?  I was on there southbound coming off the bridge this past Sunday, so if there were sign replacements, they were very recent.

[ARMOURERERIC]

FWIW, a chase scene early in "007- live and let die" is on the lower FDR and still shows black on white signage, so that is I guess about 1973.

[storm2k]

FWIW, a chase scene early in "007- live and let die" is on the lower FDR and still shows black on white signage, so that is I guess about 1973.

It came out in 1973. It was probably filmed in 72.

[D-Dey65]

Hey, I have another question; The southbound frontage road along Grand Central Parkway between 65th Avenue and 67th Road looks like it was originally designed for two-way traffic as a four-lane divided highway. Is this just speculation on my part?

[mariethefoxy]

looks to me like more of a service road of a service road, trying to separate the thru traffic on the service road from the residential traffic

[Mergingtraffic]

I drove down the FDR and all the button copy signs SB by the Triboro are gone due to the construction project. Further down, all the I-495 button copy signs are gone due except the "exit now" sign.


Anybody know when the button copy on the FDR were put up?  The last highway in NYC with button copy and a without a blanket sign replacement project.

Also, are these still there?
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6802338,-74.0048035,3a,75y,125.8h,82.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sr87nM4MuRpJppA9fwJqGwA!2e0!7i3328!8i1664

Are you talking about north of the bridge on the Harlem River Drive or south of the bridge on the FDR?  I was on there southbound coming off the bridge this past Sunday, so if there were sign replacements, they were very recent.

Heading SB, these are all gone due to the construction:






and the I-495 advance signage farther south are gone too except for the one I posted above.
PS. so is this one:

[J Route Z]

Anyone notice the street lights are being replaced with new LED ones?

[dgolub]

I drove down the FDR and all the button copy signs SB by the Triboro are gone due to the construction project. Further down, all the I-495 button copy signs are gone due except the "exit now" sign.


Anybody know when the button copy on the FDR were put up?  The last highway in NYC with button copy and a without a blanket sign replacement project.

Also, are these still there?
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6802338,-74.0048035,3a,75y,125.8h,82.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sr87nM4MuRpJppA9fwJqGwA!2e0!7i3328!8i1664

Are you talking about north of the bridge on the Harlem River Drive or south of the bridge on the FDR?  I was on there southbound coming off the bridge this past Sunday, so if there were sign replacements, they were very recent.

Heading SB, these are all gone due to the construction:






and the I-495 advance signage farther south are gone too except for the one I posted above.
PS. so is this one:

OK, except for the last one, all of those are technically on the Harlem River Drive, so not where I was last weekend.

[Duke87]

Hey, I have another question; The southbound frontage road along Grand Central Parkway between 65th Avenue and 67th Road looks like it was originally designed for two-way traffic as a four-lane divided highway. Is this just speculation on my part?

I doubt it ever carried two way traffic, although a look at Historic Aerials does reveal something interesting: the Jewel Ave exit off the eastbound GCP was originally at the beginning of this divided section, it was moved down to its current location when the parkway was widened in the early 60s.

Under the original configuration, the lane on the parkway side of the divider would have allowed exiting traffic to proceed at higher speed for a couple blocks before being made to slow down by intersections and such.

Seems to me that divided section is a quirky vestige of the era in roadway design where the philosophy was to keep traffic moving as fast as possible without particular regard to the safety implications of such.

Anyone notice the street lights are being replaced with new LED ones?

Yes. This is a gradual effort by the city which has been ongoing for several years.

[Alps]

Anyone notice the street lights are being replaced with new LED ones?

Yes. This is a gradual effort by the city which has been ongoing for several years.

Tell us more about your opinions on replacing existing lights with LEDs.

[Mergingtraffic]

I spotted this by the Brooklyn Bridge

and this one is still there, I thought this was replaced but nope.

[D-Dey65]

Anyone notice the street lights are being replaced with new LED ones?

Yes. This is a gradual effort by the city which has been ongoing for several years.

Tell us more about your opinions on replacing existing lights with LEDs.

Why was I given credit for a message written by J Route Z?

[Mergingtraffic]

There was a spot replacement project for various BGS around the 5 boroughs including the remaining non-reflective button copy on I-295 NB.  Are these gone yet?