Journey to the Big Apple
August 13, 2009
Getting Around Town
New York is the only city in America where the majority of households do not own a car, and even though many do (even Jerry Seinfeld, George and Kramer all owned cars on TV) they are far less reliant on them for day-to-day living. It's the idea that this type of thing is acceptable and common that intrigues me. For all the stigma that plagues American transit systems, on the New York subway you might find yourself next to a Wall Street trader or a homeless man playing a harmonica for money or a tourist from Russia. There is no first class, business class - its all coach. Whether you sit or you stand has a little to do with luck and a little to do with timing.
Of course, subways aren't the only means of transportation in New York. Taxis and buses are everywhere. I saw fewer bicycles than I expected, although my understanding is that bicycle ridership is growing. Surely there is much I didn't see, but here are a few transportation-related observations.
New York Without Subways
Urbanists throughout blogosphere have been excited this week over the predictions that Michael Frumin made about what New York would look like if people drove cars instead of using the subway. Of course, his picture isn't really realistic. The same number of people wouldn't come to Manhattan every day nor would gigantic parking garages blanket entire neighborhoods. Instead, New York would probably look more like Dallas or Houston, which are both huge metro areas designed under the assumption that everyone will drive their own car. Having lived in Dallas and visited Houston more than once, I can honestly say that I'm thankful there are cities designed very much unlike them.
The Airport Route
My flight landed at Laguardia a little before 10am. I'd seen horror stories posted online about getting from the airport to Midtown. There is no subway station near Laguardia and the only connections are local buses that go into Queens and one that crosses over into Harlem and Morningside Heights. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a shot.
(from flickr user Kramchang)
I boarded the bus at exactly 10am, rode to the Astoria Blvd subway station and arrived in Midtown at 10:45am. For two bucks, it was a great value and not particularly inconvenient. I had a similar experience on the trip back. I agree with those who think it would have been useful to run an express bus to Astoria rather than a local bus - perhaps similar to the B30 bus that runs from the Baltimore-Washington airport to the end of Washington's transit system. I probably would have been willing to pay a premium fare for it - but what exists now isn't terrible. At least I don't have any complaints about the two times that I used it.
Metrocard Waste
I wasn't particularly impressed with the fare collection system on buses and subways. By the end of the weekend I was carrying three Metrocards in my wallet. I bought the 1-day unlimited pass each day (I would have preferred a 3-day unlimited pass if it existed), but it wasn't clear whether or not I could refill the card I already had, so it turned out to be easier to just buy a new one. There certainly has to be a better way of collecting fares.
(from flickr user Magitisa)
What a lot of waste.
Other posts in the Journey to the Big Apple series:
Part One: Trip Preview
Part Two: America’s Greatest Urban Place
Part Four: Taste of New York
Part Five: Closing Observations
New York is the only city in America where the majority of households do not own a car, and even though many do (even Jerry Seinfeld, George and Kramer all owned cars on TV) they are far less reliant on them for day-to-day living. It's the idea that this type of thing is acceptable and common that intrigues me. For all the stigma that plagues American transit systems, on the New York subway you might find yourself next to a Wall Street trader or a homeless man playing a harmonica for money or a tourist from Russia. There is no first class, business class - its all coach. Whether you sit or you stand has a little to do with luck and a little to do with timing.
Of course, subways aren't the only means of transportation in New York. Taxis and buses are everywhere. I saw fewer bicycles than I expected, although my understanding is that bicycle ridership is growing. Surely there is much I didn't see, but here are a few transportation-related observations.
New York Without Subways
Urbanists throughout blogosphere have been excited this week over the predictions that Michael Frumin made about what New York would look like if people drove cars instead of using the subway. Of course, his picture isn't really realistic. The same number of people wouldn't come to Manhattan every day nor would gigantic parking garages blanket entire neighborhoods. Instead, New York would probably look more like Dallas or Houston, which are both huge metro areas designed under the assumption that everyone will drive their own car. Having lived in Dallas and visited Houston more than once, I can honestly say that I'm thankful there are cities designed very much unlike them.
The Airport Route
My flight landed at Laguardia a little before 10am. I'd seen horror stories posted online about getting from the airport to Midtown. There is no subway station near Laguardia and the only connections are local buses that go into Queens and one that crosses over into Harlem and Morningside Heights. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a shot.
(from flickr user Kramchang)I boarded the bus at exactly 10am, rode to the Astoria Blvd subway station and arrived in Midtown at 10:45am. For two bucks, it was a great value and not particularly inconvenient. I had a similar experience on the trip back. I agree with those who think it would have been useful to run an express bus to Astoria rather than a local bus - perhaps similar to the B30 bus that runs from the Baltimore-Washington airport to the end of Washington's transit system. I probably would have been willing to pay a premium fare for it - but what exists now isn't terrible. At least I don't have any complaints about the two times that I used it.
Metrocard Waste
I wasn't particularly impressed with the fare collection system on buses and subways. By the end of the weekend I was carrying three Metrocards in my wallet. I bought the 1-day unlimited pass each day (I would have preferred a 3-day unlimited pass if it existed), but it wasn't clear whether or not I could refill the card I already had, so it turned out to be easier to just buy a new one. There certainly has to be a better way of collecting fares.
(from flickr user Magitisa)What a lot of waste.
Other posts in the Journey to the Big Apple series:
Part One: Trip Preview
Part Two: America’s Greatest Urban Place
Part Four: Taste of New York
Part Five: Closing Observations
