|
“Yikes! What a Way To
Go...New York City's Travel Experience
By Miriam Medina
Introduction:
As long as man has been around, he has always found a way
to transport himself and the things that he needs, from one
location to another. Transportation is essential to trade
and travel, whether we live in big Cities or small town,
U.S.A. We entrust our livelihood, food supply and social
lives to it. The wheeled vehicle, was one of man's most
important technological developments. We are heavily
dependent on it to go
from one destination to the other.
New York State plays a critical role in the nation's economy.
This is why millions travel to New York, from other areas of
our country and the world using its transportation system to
access employment and financial opportunities.
The morning and evening rush hour is a perfect example of
this. The crowding and discomfort on the various train lines
during the rush hours is the commuter’s worst traveling
experience. Train after train will rumble and rattle its way into the
station to find a long wall of commuters lined up on the
platform ready to board it. The throng of commuters all
make a mad dash to the train, pushing and elbowing their way,
in order to get in. After a few seconds, the train doors slam shut
leaving the unfortunate ones behind. In a split-second
desperate attempt to get on that train, some frustrated passengers
rush to wedge the doors open just far enough to wriggle their way
inside quickly before the train begins to move, hoping their
arm, leg, pocket-book or brief case, doesn't remain outside. If the train is a local,
it will continue to stop and pick up more passengers along
the way, thus
intensifying the intolerable crowding. Not only is
the subway packed with ill-humored standing passengers all
crushed together like sardines in a tin can with just no
room to fall over if the train should grind to a stop; New
York's interstate, major roadways and bridges are also
jam-packed with cars, trucks, motorcycles and buses inching
their way through bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Millions of motorists dread this daily commute, while
some may be resigned to accept growing gridlock as a way of
life. One can definitely say that the amount of time that
angry and frustrated motorists spends in traffic congestion
has tripled or quadrupled over the years. Not to
mention the gas that is also consumed in running idle as
well as the damage to our environment from vehicle
emissions. Wasted fuel consumption resulting from the
congestion of traffic has put most of its commuters in a
worried state and financial turmoil, many of whom are
already struggling over ballooning home and healthcare costs.
This scenario is not only limited to the workday schedule
but is also seen throughout the summer months, when people
seek out the beaches, parks and other forms of recreational
activities as a way to relax from the hurry-scurry of the
week, yet there isn't a relaxed face in a carload. Here and
there along the highways, one can see stranded motorists
standing in the sweltering, dizzying heat, beside their car
that either had a flat tire, broke down, overheated, or ran
out of gas thus worsening the weekend congestion of pleasure
seekers. Once the road is cleared desperate motorists speed
away frantically searching for a gas station only to find
themselves once again trapped in an enormous queue of fifty
to maybe a 100 cars
inching their way to the pumps, hoping that the gas would
not run out. Not to mention the long lines at the station's
beyond nasty unsanitary bathrooms leaving the motorists in a
state of bewilderment on which of the two they should tackle
first. Mother nature or get gas?
Even the air is congested with airplanes departing and
arriving with almost near collisions over populated areas.
Everywhere there is congestion of merging traffic entering airports from main arteries, which in many instances
has caused passengers to report late for their flights.
Fliers are getting fed up with the spiraling air fares and
poor quality of service. They are totally disgusted with the
long lines at the check in, security, flight delays
and incompetence in the handling of their baggage. As
for finding your luggage...good luck! The worst part
of traveling by air, as seen recently on the news, is
the steady cancellation within a week of 3000 flights
by American Airlines, grounding airplanes with faulty wiring
or other safety hazards leaving thousands of travelers
stranded. If the frazzled flier is
dissatisfied, imagine the investors that are unhappy if
profits are down. As a last resort, many passengers turn to
surface travel to get to their destination within the
country. The railways and buses are all struggling to cope
with more travelers than their carrying capacity. All forms
of transport rely on fuel, which is being consumed at an
alarming rate. The rising price of fuel will raise fares and
create a reduction in air and surface travel, forcing many
into adjusting their current life-styles in anticipation of
the coming shortages.
The Federal Government as well as State and local
Officials are frustrated in trying to find solutions in
accommodating the increasing demands of traffic, whether on
local streets, state or national highways. Many of the roads
and bridges that were built numerous years ago have aged to
the point of needing major repairs or replacement, thus
having priority over any newly suggested road project. New
York State is urged to adopt a "fix-it_first" approach to
protect its transportation assets. The overwhelming costs of
eliminating traffic congestion at hundreds of stress areas
throughout the state will only add more of a burden to their
already financially strained budget and the taxpayer's
dilemma. Any new road projects that may be considered
usually are met with stronger than ever community opposition
bringing many of those projects to a standstill.
Almost everything we use and eat is transported by truck or
train, both of which depend on abundant supplies of cheap
diesel fuel. As gas and diesel fuel prices continue to
climb, the price of everything will increase as well. All
food supplies and products that are transported from a
distance is becoming far more expensive due to the increased
cost of transporting them. Eventually this situation will
create changes in people's eating habits and lifestyle as
well as contribute to mass unemployment..
New Yorkers as well as the entire nation love to drive their
own cars, instead of using public transportation, even
though New York is perhaps the most public transit-rich city
in the United States. Between the cost of insurance,
maintenance, tolls ,gas consumption and depreciation,
driving a car would not be necessarily cheaper, nevertheless
to a motorist a car represents a symbol of independence.
New York City's traffic congestion is already in an
intolerable condition, just imagine what an additional
50,000 or a million cars will do.
 For a better understanding
of this situation, please read the publication: "
Transportation-Trouble Ahead: Findings and
Recommendations of the New York State Advisory Panel on
Transportation Policy for 2025."
As for public transportation, not a day goes by, in which
there isn't some mention that the trains and buses are never
on time and that they are constantly breaking down, as they
normally do, leaving the transit riders distressed. Let's
face it, we are in a national crisis, where gasoline and
diesel fuel though they continue to be freely available at
least for now, is becoming more and more expensive. If
prices keep spiraling, people will not be able to drive. If
people can't drive they won't be able to work and this will
affect overall the American economy.
"Under these conditions, affluent people are
going to buy downsized hybrids and the rest of us will
probably have to fall back on public transportation as the
most energy efficient (that is, least expensive) way to get
from Point A to point B. "
It is obvious that the transportation problem in New York, is a problem that
will never find a permanent solution.
Now that we have a clear picture of the current
transportation crisis, let's take a backward glance at New
York City's public travel experience that transpired over
the last centuries, evolving inevitably to what it is today.
In order to enlighten you on this subject matter, I
have researched and compiled a list of
selected historical facts, which are documented regarding
the development and growth of public transportation and its
infrastructure. I have arranged the entries chronologically. Please note that the growth of the city
during the twentieth century has been phenomenal. Manhattan,
the most popular has always been the financial center of the United States and
this is where the greatest passenger traffic
movement originates, develops and is distributed to the
neighboring boroughs. This is where the overwhelming
congestion of vehicles and passengers are moving
everywhere and at the same time nowhere within the narrow
and confined limits of the island, thus creating
transportation problems that is becoming much more difficult
to solve. Through
this chronology you will observe how city officials keep
making every effort possible to accommodate the
demanding outcries of the populace for an
improved travel experience.
I hope, this list will prove grist for the mill of your
curious mind.
Miriam Medina
Website Administrator
thehistorybox.com
Member of Urban History Association
Member of the New York Historical Society
Member of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society
Member of the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center
Member of the American Association for State and Local
History
Member of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
Member of the National Council for History Education
Member of the Foundation For the National Archives
Table Of Contents
|
