tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28324876827329776862024-03-05T13:01:52.039-05:00The Ego Trip ExpressInsights and observations on Urbanism, Futurism, Design, Marketing, Science, and TechnologyThe Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-87941194217814343372017-07-08T11:05:00.001-04:002017-07-08T11:18:59.801-04:00"Plan To Rebuild Penn Station" by Atelier & Co.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There's a nice recap on <a href="http://gothamist.com/2017/05/26/rebuild_penn_station.php" target="_blank">Gothamist </a>on the <a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/" target="_blank">"Plan To Rebuild Penn Station"</a> by Richard Cameron, the principle designer at <a href="http://www.atelierandcompany.com/" target="_blank">Atelier & Co.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/lead_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A chalk pastel conceptual drawing of a rebuilt Penn Station by Richard Cameron. (Atelier & Company)" border="0" src="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/lead_large.jpg" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="620" height="377" title="A chalk pastel conceptual drawing of a rebuilt Penn Station by Richard Cameron. (Atelier & Company)" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A chalk pastel conceptual drawing of a rebuilt Penn Station by Richard Cameron, Atelier & Company. Image c/o <a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/master-plan.html">http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/master-plan.html</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/03%20exterior_2017-05-23_rev05-signage_one-penn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/03%20exterior_2017-05-23_rev05-signage_one-penn.jpg" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image c/o <a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/">http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/02%20main%20waiting_2017-05-23_rev03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/02%20main%20waiting_2017-05-23_rev03.jpg" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="800" height="505" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image c/o <a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/">http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/01%20concourse_2017-05-22_rev01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/01%20concourse_2017-05-22_rev01.jpg" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="800" height="507" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image c/o <a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/">http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/atelierandcopennstation1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/images/atelierandcopennstation1.jpg" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="620" height="640" width="521" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image c/o <a href="http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/master-plan.html">http://www.rebuildpennstation.org/master-plan.html</a></td></tr>
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I would also love to see the old Penn Station return, but I think any restoration plans need to take into account that a restored station needs to pay for itself, lest history repeat itself. The old <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad" target="_blank">Pennsylvania Railroad</a> (PRR) company couldn't monetize the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad" target="_blank">original station</a> enough. Some have attributed this to it's principal architect, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Follen_McKim" target="_blank">Charles Follen McKim</a> (of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKim,_Mead_%26_White" target="_blank">McKim, Mead, & White</a> fame), who was allegedly a die-hard Classicist who thought high-rises were "anti-urban". Against PRR President Alexander Cassatt's initial wishes, McKim made sure that the final structure couldn't support a skyscraper that PRR could lease out, because such a structure would 'mar' the classical proportions of his building. While the original Penn had a lovely arcade inside that housed a few elegant shops, the the air rights of this low-rise but massive building could never be utilized for office or hotel space. Nor was there any room available for retail space on the street level outside.</div>
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By contrast the old New York Central Railroad's Grand Central Terminal complex was designed from the outset to allow for future high rises, such as the Helmsley Building and the MetLife Building, as well as accommodate street level retail space. And some would argue that GCT was better engineered to handle massive crowds and provide quick egress to/from curb to platform.</div>
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The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-60928709709300078662017-05-01T07:10:00.000-04:002017-05-01T07:10:26.062-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://nyti.ms/2qnqf60" target="_blank">Key to Improving Subway Service in New York? Modern Signals</a></div>
The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-85008149145845641662016-01-09T10:19:00.003-05:002016-01-09T10:21:19.095-05:00The unpopular birth of the Jamaica Avenue ‘EL’<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Great article about the evolution of rapid transit in Queens, NY during the "Dual Contracts" era. Thanks to Chris R16/R2730 for posting this article on <a href="http://www.subchat.com/read.asp?Id=1380317" target="_blank">Subchat.com</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqWeRapVxBae8V1OlnfWnrsYeJCrKbuY7bdKFGkONSGsUKMuBMGfBuUWR1sEfiufCBrLquECUfY1samo_gMtI2FmmeoiHRruqMHJsmfrUWUhHxajToaKBvbMty1Jj9ck7N4rnDEvAl0I/s1600/26p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="(Top) The EL train being built in March, 1916 at Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue. (Bottom) The wide open skies of Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue before the EL Train was built. The building at right still stands at that location. Courtesy of The Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society and Times Newsweekly." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqWeRapVxBae8V1OlnfWnrsYeJCrKbuY7bdKFGkONSGsUKMuBMGfBuUWR1sEfiufCBrLquECUfY1samo_gMtI2FmmeoiHRruqMHJsmfrUWUhHxajToaKBvbMty1Jj9ck7N4rnDEvAl0I/s1600/26p1.jpg" title="(Top) The EL train being built in March, 1916 at Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue. (Bottom) The wide open skies of Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue before the EL Train was built. The building at right still stands at that location. Courtesy of The Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society and Times Newsweekly." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">(Top) The EL train being built in March, 1916 at Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue. (Bottom) The wide open skies of Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue before the EL Train was built. The building at right still stands at that location. Courtesy of The Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society and Times Newsweekly.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.timesnewsweekly.com/news/2016-01-07/Local_News/The_unpopular_birth_of_the_Jamaica_Avenue_EL.html">The unpopular birth of the Jamaica Avenue ‘EL’</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Those in favor of the elevated line were not against the counterproposal of a subway, but felt the need for better transit was too great to pass up on the BRT’s offer. “Why this agitation for a subway along Jamaica Avenue and against an elevated extension over the same route? Surely the residents of this section cannot hope for the former, whereas there is a possibility of securing the latter in a short time, thereby affording a much-needed relief in our transit facilities,” one supporter of the BRT proposal said."</blockquote>
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The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-19164965330497709222015-03-22T09:00:00.000-04:002018-02-17T12:24:09.132-05:00The City, the Suburbs, and Affordable Housing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsCO2CWt5kjcGEVXE9CjfcNq5epGqOHt4zpsJyslNjP_pd-uD2s4ucvjXQjO6WJwsh1cp7UkLrHQoE9xCxlftccWT_a5WEDv6-JGRGLtapovgyUEZ8LIPkKv2fZqpHJzJpwn2QR49dS0/s1600/43847493+-+Welcome+to+Yonkers.jpg" width="375" /><br />
<a href="http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2015/03/8563578/experts-urge-de-blasio-expand-his-housing-horizons" target="_blank">Capital New York put out a great article</a> about 'expert' opinions on Mayor de Blasio's affordable housing plans.<br />
<blockquote>
"And so he's calling for the creation of 80,000 affordable units and 160,000 market-rate ones, or 24,000 units a year over ten years. He also hopes to preserve another 120,000 units of affordable housing."</blockquote>
But the article cites critics who say that his focus is too limited to the city proper.<br />
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"But (Christopher Jones, Vice President for Research at the Regional Plan Association) and others argue that by focusing so exclusively on the five boroughs, and failing to acknowledge the regional nature of housing and jobs, of the economy writ large, the city is short-shrifting its residents, some of whom might be more than willing to move to some nice, transit-oriented development in the burbs, were the cost differential persuasive."</blockquote>
There is, of course, some push back from the 'burbs'. <br />
<blockquote>
"'You can't just ask localities in the region to bear the brunt of an overflow housing demand in New York City,' said Jerilyn Perine, executive director of the Citizens Housing and Planning Council. 'It has to be part of a strategy that's going to help them solve some of their problems as well.'"</blockquote>
The article ends without any concrete plans from these critics on how to help the suburbs help the city, apart from a obscure reference to the 1898 creation of the "City of Greater New York", when the four counties surrounding the island of Manhattan were incorporated into one metropolis. Suggesting that the city should further annex/incorporate the remaining counties would be difficult to say the least, when you consider the suburbs' deep-seated, old-school disdain for the city and urban life in general.<br />
<br />
Plus, in those surrounding municipalities you have local bureaucrats and plutocrats who have no intention of losing their salaries, titles, and influence at the local level. After all, why would we need to keep multiple, municipal police and fire departments—each run by their own salaried commisioner and bureaucracy—when they could all be consolidated under the NYPD and FDNY, each with their one commisioner? Good luck convincing those who benefit from these local bureaucracies to give it all up.<br />
<br />
To that end, I would argue that it would easier and more efficient to consolidate all the city and suburban <i>transit</i>. It's time to get rid of all the disparate ticket/fare prices for the LIRR, Metro-North, PATH, NJ Transit, and regional bus companies and run everything on a MetroCard swipe, including <i>free transfers</i> between city and suburban transit. Basically, a single MetroCard swipe could take you from Poughkeepsie, NY to Trenton, NJ and from New Haven, CT to Montauk, NY via bus and rail. It would not only make the surrounding region an affordable alternative to the city, but also decrease suburban car-dependency and increase transit ridership, while spurring both the revival of old, pre-war, railroad suburbs like Yonkers and spur the construction of new transit-oriented developments.<br />
<br />
The de Blasio administration's plans to create more affordable housing and increase density should still be pursued, but they are not an end to itself. Especially in light of all the opposition and <a href="http://egotripexpress.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-tale-worthy-of-kafka-new-york-citys.html">hardships they cause</a>.</div>
The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-27630902066818543692015-02-13T16:53:00.001-05:002015-02-13T16:55:31.782-05:00The Big Apple Moving Up the Charts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.mnn.com/family/protection-safety/stories/the-most-populous-city-on-earth-is-also-the-safest" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://media.mnn.com/editorial/new-york-night.jpg" height="364" width="644" /></a><br />
<a href="http://safecities.economist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/EIU_Safe_Cities_Index_2015_white_paper-1.pdf" target="_blank">The Economist magazine's Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranked the world's fifty major cities</a> by their crime rate. And New York City made it into the <a href="http://www.mnn.com/family/protection-safety/stories/the-most-populous-city-on-earth-is-also-the-safest#ixzz3RfCQmTFt" target="_blank">top ten as reported by the Mother Nature Network</a>.<br />
<blockquote>
Perhaps the biggest surprise, to some, is New York City’s rank on the EIU index. The Big Apple sits in the 10th spot. <br />
<a name='more'></a>The city is certainly more dangerous than Tokyo. However, New York has had a huge drop in crime recently. There were more than 2,000 murders annually in the five boroughs during the crack epidemic of the 1990s. That number has now dropped to fewer than 400 per year. There is a massive police presence in areas frequented by tourists, and gang activity has been reigned in to a large extent.<br />
<br />
Here are the top 10 safest cities, according to EIU:<br />
1. Tokyo<br />
2. Singapore<br />
3. Osaka, Japan<br />
4. Stockholm<br />
5. Amsterdam<br />
6. Sydney<br />
7. Zurich<br />
8. Toronto<br />
9. Melbourne, Australia<br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: orange;">
10. New York City</span></span></blockquote>
Lately, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11410795/New-York-Citys-new-record-11-days-of-no-murders.html" target="_blank">the Big Apple has had a streak of homicide-free days</a>. Eleven days so far. Some have attributed it to the bone-chilling temperatures of late. </div>
The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-19679930312619292132015-02-07T19:16:00.000-05:002015-02-13T16:59:46.912-05:00Five Borough Ferries Speeding to 1st Avenue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mayor de Blasio <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/nyregion/mayor-de-blasio-moves-to-expand-ferry-service-in-new-york-city.html" target="_blank">announced that he'd like to expand ferry service throughout the five boroughs</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/nyregion/mayor-de-blasio-moves-to-expand-ferry-service-in-new-york-city.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoQ8Tz7_OTg-ze0JvC_4PkBwcrQY11cVqdyVB9REDMyIbuk93xHEN3puAU4hH9_YNBqbRsC8D8EV0SCag0sp5PvE4XM9g_Y7o05nE2GzIEtQ4KP7ZcuaFQrpN2-QuGIIZsH472z36fK8/s1600/020315ferrymap.jpg" height="699" width="640" /></a><br />
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But one long forgotten plan could have made this ferry plan really work.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Had the city only built the <a href="http://egotripexpress.blogspot.com/2010/05/first-avenue-subway-route-1-from-1905.html" target="_blank">1st Avenue Subway</a> as they had originally planned, then they could have easily connected all those disembarking passengers to the rest of Manhattan.<br />
<a href="http://egotripexpress.blogspot.com/2010/05/first-avenue-subway-route-1-from-1905.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://a.imageshack.us/img266/1655/no011910web.jpg" /></a></div>
The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-9766140293026554702015-01-29T15:23:00.001-05:002015-02-07T18:53:32.758-05:00A Tale Worthy of Kafka: New York City's Affordable Housing Lottery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/nyregion/long-lines-and-low-odds-for-new-yorks-subsidized-housing-lotteries.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/01/13/nyregion/LOTTERIESweb1/LOTTERIESweb1-master675.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></div>
This is a different <i>Tale of Two Cities</i>. Not the metaphorical one used by Mario Cuomo and Bill de Blasio to describe the gap between the rich and the poor. This is a story about how New York City's poor can be divided into two groups: Winners and Losers.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
This city mandates or incentivizes developers to set aside a certain number of units for low income New Yorkers. Who then—because of the sheer demand for affordable housing in NYC—can only get one of these units by applying for a lottery. Literally a game of chance. The lucky winners—sometimes a few hundred, out of tens of thousands of entries—must then endure a series of kafkaesque, bureaucratic requirements in order to <i>not</i> get disqualified. One would think these desperate people had just entered to win one of HGTVs annual 'dream house' giveaways.<br />
<br />
And this is just about the Winners. What of the Losers? What of the 1,999 out of 2,000 entrants who were not lucky. They're left to deal with the slum lords, perhaps the most heartless people in this city. It's no wonder chronic heart disease and hyper-tension is an epidemic among low income New Yorkers. Losing one's peace of mind can ultimately kill you.<br />
<br />
So how is it that the city and state consider the lottery system a "solution" as opposed to a weapon of mass <i>distraction, </i>away from the overall problem. It might be considered fair, but is it ethical?<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/nyregion/long-lines-and-low-odds-for-new-yorks-subsidized-housing-lotteries.html" target="_blank">New York Times describes the lottery system</a> as such:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Last year, a new building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, at 1133 Manhattan Avenue, drew 58,832 lottery applications for only 105 affordable units. Not far behind was the Sugar Hill Development in Upper Manhattan, which drew more than 48,000 applicants for 98 apartments.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Topping both was the drawing this month for 38 units at 59 Frost Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. With rents ranging from $640 for a studio to $1,395 for a two-bedroom, it attracted more than 80,000 applications, said Martin Dunn, whose Dunn Development Corporation built the project.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The odds for these applicants are clearly daunting — one in 2,110 — but still much better than, say, winning Lotto, where the odds are one in 23 million on a $1 play.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“It really shows how desperate the need is for affordable housing,” Mr. Dunn said.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Last year, tenants won 2,500 new apartments through 41 lotteries that drew a total of 1.5 million applications, housing officials said. The lotteries are expected to multiply under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pledge to produce 80,000 moderately priced apartments over the next 10 years, a goal that, even if reached, would still leave many lottery hopefuls empty-handed.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
Not all of the mandates and tax incentives this city could muster could ever meet the demand for affordable low and middle income housing in this city. So what might? A little over a hundred years ago the city was faced with a similar situation. At the turn of the last century, the vast majority of New Yorkers lived cheek-by-jowl in the area of Manhattan south of 14th Street. The Lower East Side alone was described by historian Clifton Hood as "more crowded than Calcutta". They all needed to be close to work because fast, reliable transportation was not available. As a result, most of these folks fell prey to slum lords. Over the course of the late 19th century, the streetcars, elevated trains, and the Brooklyn Bridge helped alleviate this somewhat by encouraging southern Manhattanites to move uptown or to the other boroughs; all of which were mostly farmland.<br />
<br />
City leaders saw reality. They made a point to finance the upgrade of the transportation infrastructure, with the help of some private contractors, to build the faster and more reliable Subway system. Within a generation, families that had once lived ten or more in a room were now living in modern one to three bedroom apartments or even in a detached single family home. And all still within the boundaries of New York City (if not necessarily Manhattan south-of-14th-Street). The government laid down the transportation infrastructure first, then let the developers build the housing to meet the demand. Today a combination of transit-oriented upzoning, commercial rezoning to build more Class A office space across the five boroughs (and not just shoe-horning everything into Midtown), the expansion of the MetroCard flat-fare zone to PATH, Metro-North, and LIRR, and most of all the expansion of the subways over the existing railroad ROWs, down expressway medians, below the streets through cut-and-cover, and across the waters to New Jersey and Staten Island, could greatly alleviate today's housing crisis.</div>
The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-59954097155689523752015-01-28T12:31:00.001-05:002015-02-13T16:55:06.904-05:00With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2092936.1422318412!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/mta.jpg?enlarged" height="425" width="640" /></div>
<br />
Off all the allegations of wrongdoing laid upon current New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, there may be one—perfectly legal act—that the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/editorial-sheldon-silver-nyc-article-1.2092937" target="_blank">New York Daily News considers his greatest betrayal of his constituents' trust</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In 1999, he committed a dastardly crime against the 8 million people who live in the five boroughs — and they are still suffering the consequence.<br />
<a name='more'></a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Republican George Pataki was governor. Republican Joe Bruno was Senate majority leader. Competing for suburban votes, they sought repeal of the so-called commuter tax, a minuscule 0.45% levy on income for out-of-towners working in the city.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The tax was a farsighted legacy from the Rockefeller years that recognized that the city was essential to the economic health of the region. The Democratic-controlled Assembly, dominated by city members, had always been the bulwark against repeal.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Betraying his constituents and pandering to the suburbs, Silver this time said yes. And the accumulated losses to the city treasury now top $10 billion.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
Given all of the missed opportunities to expand or improve the city's infrastructure these last sixteen years, that $10 billion could have gone a long way. </div>
The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-8317041115204284532013-07-24T12:22:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.825-04:00Reurbanization May Change Our Long-held Preconceptions about SafetyLink: <a href="http://science.time.com/2013/07/23/in-town-versus-country-it-turns-out-that-cities-are-the-safest-places-to-live/">Reurbanization May Change Our Long-held Preconceptions about Safety</a><br/><br/> <div><img alt="" src="http://timeecocentric.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/55885268.jpg?w=360&h=240&crop=1"/></div><br/><blockquote class="link_og_blockquote"><br/><div>A generation of movies have made us think that the American city is an inherently dangerous place. But a new study shows that you’re more likely to die violently in the quiet countryside</div><br/></blockquote>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-37762552091913917372013-06-23T08:32:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.797-04:00Has America Already Hit “Peak Car”?Link: <a href="http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/06/21/has-america-already-hit-peak-car/#.UcdM1iYjGJQ.tumblr">Has America Already Hit “Peak Car”?</a><br/><br/> <p><img alt="image" height="510" src="http://dc.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/vehicle-registration.png" width="426"/></p><br/><blockquote><br/><div><br/><p>"In 1901, there were 10,000 motor vehicles in the United States.</p><br/><p>It took five years to multiply that number by 10. The next 10-fold increase took seven years, reaching one million vehicles by 1913. Just eight years later, it was 10 million.</p><br/><p>From there, it took 47 years to get to the next milestone: America became a 100 million-car nation in 1968. Automobiles were everywhere…” <a href="http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/06/21/has-america-already-hit-peak-car/#.UcdM1iYjGJQ.tumblr">READ MORE</a></p><br/></div><br/></blockquote>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-12577580865553872002013-06-17T07:24:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.782-04:00XKCD webcomic shows how thick ice was over North-American cities 21,000
years agoLink: <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/climate-change/xkcd-webcomic-shows-how-thick-ice-was-over-north-american-cities-21000-years-ago.html">XKCD webcomic shows how thick ice was over North-American cities 21,000 years ago</a><br/><br/> <p><img alt="" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/xkcd-ice_sheets-over-cities-boston-montreal-toronto.png.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="500"/></p><br/><blockquote class="link_og_blockquote"><br/><div>As you can see above, Chicago was relatively spared with only 900 meters of ice (0.55 miles), but Montréal was deep under 3,300 meters (2.05 miles) of ice.</div><br/></blockquote>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-47036346643027527232013-06-11T12:48:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.803-04:00<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/32958521?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="224" frameborder="0" title="Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p>Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam</p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-51620251297242693532013-06-09T12:08:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.811-04:00The Ego Trip Express on FacebookLink: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EgoTripExpress">The Ego Trip Express on Facebook</a><br/><br/> <blockquote class="link_og_blockquote"><br/><div>A collection of big ideas, both realized, unrealized or disappeared, from the realms of science,…</div><br/></blockquote>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-16085456675638304522013-06-09T12:04:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.785-04:00<div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://36.media.tumblr.com/33881243ec1bb0ea64efc308e45ad2c8/tumblr_mo5er00Bli1qm0heco1_1280.png" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/> <p>The Ego Trip Express has it’s own Facebook fan page. Be sure to Like it at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EgoTripExpress">https://www.facebook.com/EgoTripExpress</a></p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-21472968670756679132013-05-28T13:54:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.792-04:00Imagining a More Protected Coney Island of the FutureLink: <a href="http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/05/28/imagining_a_more_protected_coney_island_of_the_future.php">Imagining a More Protected Coney Island of the Future</a><br/><br/> <blockquote class="link_og_blockquote">Welcome back to Architecture 101, a new Curbed column in which writer Henry Melcher shares architecture students’ coolest ideas for New York City. Have a project we should see? Drop…</blockquote>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-79607329583271975762013-05-28T06:39:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.818-04:00<div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://40.media.tumblr.com/abd1ca7f4ce18c48812d6364d822b511/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio1_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://40.media.tumblr.com/9f986e301211a6753cbbef48e5c43dcf/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio2_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://41.media.tumblr.com/5a0460b452862a930807a19725f21123/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio3_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://41.media.tumblr.com/e05a394a5b2966ed777a994046bb0e23/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio4_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://36.media.tumblr.com/8672364b458fbfc92365f679611b1c5f/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio5_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://40.media.tumblr.com/ab9b6cd1f418015237150f3fb288f984/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio6_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://40.media.tumblr.com/c219d3a259d2cc04f21cff2adf388771/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio7_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://41.media.tumblr.com/f56a88407bf1aed36cfbce69ce6b1c09/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio8_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://41.media.tumblr.com/69ed48c03f45c202624c7fc377a30cc0/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio9_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/><div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://40.media.tumblr.com/9c2dd9f94cc101e83dfcc850be3d5941/tumblr_mngy9g10ln1r8byaio10_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/> <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://mobylosangelesarchitecture.com/post/51488770409/i-just-got-back-from-detroit-where-i-was-playing">mobylosangelesarchitecture</a>:</p><br/><blockquote><br/><p>i just got back from detroit, where i was playing at the movement festival (which was as festivals go, i say with some objectivity, amazing).</p><br/><p>i’ve been going to detroit since the late 80’s (as it is the birthplace of modern electronic music), and i’ve always loved it.</p><br/><p>culturally and musically and artistically it’s a fascinating place, but it’s also fascinating in that it has more remarkable abandoned buildings than any other city in the western world (this might sound like hyperbole, but i’m guessing it’s actually true).</p><br/><p>it’s worth stating that there are big parts of detroit that are not filled with abandoned buildings. and those are nice, too… but the parts of downtown detroit that are filled with beautiful old abandoned buildings are aesthetically amazing (as evidenced by the fact that lots and lots of people have taken pictures of them).</p><br/><p>on saturday i had the afternoon off, so my friend shannon (who lives in a former abandoned building) took me on a bike ride around detroit to look at her favorite abandoned buildings (what she refers to as ‘ruin porn’).<br/>here are some of my favorites.</p><br/><p>and i hope that these buildings at some point get the love and care that they deserve. but in the meantime: ruin porn.</p><br/><p>thanks,</p><br/><p><strong>moby</strong></p><br/></blockquote>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-11136964268213687982013-05-27T02:59:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.778-04:00Yes, ESA Is Still Under ConstructionLink: <a href="http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/05/fa_tunnel/">Yes, ESA Is Still Under Construction</a><br/><br/> <blockquote class="link_og_blockquote"><br/><div>The biggest public transit infrastructure effort in the US is almost completely invisible — unless you’re 160 feet underground.</div><br/></blockquote>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-53879770347652498162013-05-24T06:33:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.814-04:00<iframe width="400" height="224" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mzgGhpAu2_I?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://yonderplanets.tumblr.com/post/51160234431/milky-way-andromeda-collision-animation-by">yonderplanets</a>:</p><br/><blockquote><br/><p>Milky Way - Andromeda Collision Animation (by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzgGhpAu2_I&feature=share">SpaceWatch99</a>)</p><br/></blockquote>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-87684127744060199992013-05-19T07:11:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.829-04:00Somewhere in a Parallel Universe...<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="375" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/39657492" width="500"></iframe></p><br/><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/39657492">Manhattan Memorious</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user10561991">Reiser + Umemoto</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br/><p>Here is a very brilliant video depicting images of a Manhattan that never came to be. “Manhattan Memorious” features the Lower Manhattan Expressway (LoMax), Buckminster Fuller’s Dome over Midtown, and other vast unrealized projects.</p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-48507774080752665152013-05-17T08:54:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:32:36.807-04:00<div class="figure"><figure><br/> <img src="http://40.media.tumblr.com/1742a95ccf5914cabcc6e1ff8066fe10/tumblr_mmykn8xVvw1qm0heco1_1280.jpg" alt=""><br/></figure></div><br/><br/> <p><a href="http://ranchoth.deviantart.com/art/The-Jet-Age-161130865">The Jet Age</a> by ~<a href="http://ranchoth.deviantart.com/">Ranchoth</a></p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-81968308798267627862013-04-21T00:41:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:31:19.970-04:00<iframe width="400" height="299" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jBmA7nUJGUk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p>This is television’s most thorough and comprehensive history of New York City’s mass transit. I’m glad they avoided using personal histories and interviews and just kept it as a narrative to keep it chock full of facts. Love the narrator’s grandfatherly, yarn-spinning voice. This really does make all the other subway documentaries look slow & plodding or just immature. Way better than that Extreme Engineering episode.</p><br/><p>[Modern Marvels S05E03 New York Subways (by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBmA7nUJGUk&feature=share">nick rose</a>)]</p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-79945580518352107042012-05-02T14:14:00.000-04:002014-10-25T11:31:19.967-04:00Editorial | What is White Pot Junction? And Why Should I Care? | Queens
CourierLink: <a href="http://queenscourier.com/2012/what-is-white-pot-junction-and-why-should-i-care/">Editorial | What is White Pot Junction? And Why Should I Care? | Queens Courier</a><br/><br/> <p>An excellent editorial piece from a member of Queen’s CB14’s Transportation Committee on the necessity of reactivating the entire Rockaway Branch row for rail.</p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-42369134011610119702012-01-05T01:00:00.000-05:002014-10-25T11:31:19.952-04:00WNYC Keeping the Dream of Subway Expansion Alive<p><a href="http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2012/jan/03/new-yorks-lost-subways/" target="_blank"><img alt="Image courtesy of WNYC" height="698" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6632808105_ef0b8c54f0_z.jpg" width="540"/></a></p><br/><p>WNYC has put up <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2012/jan/03/new-yorks-lost-subways/" target="_blank">a great piece on some of the unfinished portions of the New York City subway</a>. The map above gives approximations of where some line expansions would have gone. </p><br/><p>The Google Map below gives a better scale of where the lines would have run.</p><br/><p><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=203171029392575284947.0004840de51378fab7a37&msa=0" target="_blank"><img height="698" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6632808203_173335f123_b.jpg" width="540"/></a></p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-13452584294616158912011-12-05T08:29:00.000-05:002014-10-25T11:31:19.942-04:00Build That Subway to Staten Island Already.Link: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/nyregion/hoping-a-project-will-lift-staten-island.html">Build That Subway to Staten Island Already.</a><br/><br/> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/nyregion/hoping-a-project-will-lift-staten-island.html" target="_blank"><img alt="courtesy of Todd Heisler/The New York Times" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/12/04/nyregion/04BIGCITY2_SPAN/04BIGCITY2_SPAN-articleLarge.jpg" width="540"/></a></p><br/><p>A major development project for its waterfront could give Staten Island a much-needed boost, but the tide is taking young people from its shores.</p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2832487682732977686.post-15356829798069381722011-12-05T08:12:00.000-05:002014-10-25T11:31:19.945-04:00‘Walkable’ Steps Into SpotlightLink: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/realestate/long-island-in-the-region-walkable-steps-into-the-spotlight.html">‘Walkable’ Steps Into Spotlight</a><br/><br/> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/realestate/long-island-in-the-region-walkable-steps-into-the-spotlight.html" target="_blank"><img alt="courtesy of Kathy Kmonicek for The New York Times" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/12/04/realestate/04li-zone_SPAN/04li-zone_SPAN-articleLarge.jpg" width="540"/></a></p><br/><p>A goal of more walkable communities is being pursued statewide by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.</p>The Ego Trip Expresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208910967872740064noreply@blogger.com0