Why Traffic Is Worse Than Ever (and can NYC fix it?)

[@CityNerd]

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[@flashpointnova]

I wonder if anybody factors how much media has to play in people’s drop in willingness to take the subway in New York City. Also add to that mayor Adams funding cuts to social systems more so than ever I see displaced unhoused people on the subway and many of these people are dealing with mental issues. A lot of these people would’ve been served by city services that have been cut by the mayor and would’ve had places to go that wasn’t the subway except again those programs lost funding because with the mayor. And while these programs have always faced budget cuts, I also hear an increase and reports about the worst of what happens on the subway constantly on the news. Media shapes are perceptions and right now New York media is shaping New York subways as inherently dangerous place regardless of what the data says.

[@chrislavelle1987]

Another handy tool for research is Perplexity.

[@Novusod]

The way to fix traffic is to pressure employers to allow more remote work. Mandate it by law like they did during the pandemic. The best commute, the fastest commute, and most sustainable commute is the one that doesn't happen at all. The only way to truly get cars off the road is to eliminate the trip entirely. Mass transit is a failed solution. The MTA is nearly bankrupt and not really viable anymore due to decades and decades of deferred maintenance. The infrastructure is crumbling and there is no money to fix it. The only real solution is mandated remote work for all non-essential workers.

[@AMPProf]

at this point I'm convinced The nyc Engineered to cause traffic

[@AnRuixuan]

I live within the congestion zone in NYC, very close to the Manhattan side of the Lincoln Tunnel. For the past 3 or so years since Covid restrictions fully eased, traffic in this area has been absolutely insane in so many ways. Drivers driving more aggressively and blocking the box, making it very dangerous for pedestrians and bikers (including on the newly opened double lane bike lane up 10th Ave). There has been bumper to bumper traffic almost every day well past midnight, including a ton of honking during late night hours. And let me tell you, I know it's only been 4 days of congestion pricing so far (including 1 day where we had a small snowstorm) so you can't make any definite conclusions yet...but the traffic up 10th Ave around the entrance of the tunnel has already noticeably eased even compared to just last week and it feels so much better to walk around the neighborhood. I'm hoping this bodes well for more long-term effects on the traffic in the area.

[@willcwhite]

Now let's just hope they raise the rates!

[@Nick-o-time]

Next we need to ban overnight street parking.

[@cloudyskies5497]

Here's hoping!

[@GirtonOramsay]

Great news from a local already

[@realworldtefl]

@@Nick-o-time If they are going to ban it they may as well widen the sidewalk. Or put in meters to charge so the parking earns money.

[@Eliguitar1]

25 years living in NYC, riding the subway the whole time, never bothered to get a car because it's more hassle and expense than it's worth. Covid has been basically memory holed. That's not the main reason why fewer people use the subway. The realty and media obsession with homeless people flipping out on the train is a huge factor. Just look what news covers day to day. That sets the tone. Safety stats show that driving is exponentially more dangerous than the subway. But the experience, amplified by the media, is not as pleasant as sitting in your 3000 pound metal box with climate control, music, no annoying other people, etc. If the MTA is able to improve not safety (it's already safe) but pleasantness, reduce fare evasion, etc things will even out.

[@roflcopter117]

The commuter rail is a lot more pleasant than the subway. I wish Metro-North and LIRR had more stops in Manhattan than just GCT and Penn. There is also the express busses that some people use to not use the Subway as well.

[@Eliguitar1]

@@roflcopter117 I use that as well, I catch it at 125th on the east side. One issue there is that things got really unpleasant around the station with addicts/homeless/etc. It's improving now. Either way, I agree it's a valuable resource. I use it every time I need to go out of town, basically. It's hard to compare directly w the subway tho, since the service, cost, and area coverage is so different.

[@Low_pH]

They need to clean it more often. That alone would create a more welcoming environment, greater satisfaction and possibly higher ridership

[@TheDumplingGecko]

I don’t think we can pretend that NYC subways are the safest ever when literally every week something happens on there. Either it be a derailment, shooting, stabbing, arson, subway surfing, pushing on the tracks, etc there are issues. Literally yesterday the N train lit on fire somehow and so many kids were late to school. Also the MTA just isn’t prepared for the initial crowdedness this pricing is going to bring. I can go on and on about how this congestion pricing makes things worse for low income communities within Manhattan or around the other boroughs but once you do some research you see that the cons are 10 times more prevalent then the pro (which isnt even guaranteed to happen)

[@dtape]

I agree with most of what you said but I don't think fare evasion is a necessary metric to worry about. NYPD spent $150 million to only catch $104k worth of fare beaters. I think we should just take the money wasted on NYPD & fare beaters and onlu put that money into improving the subway experience and accept fare beaters who probably should just be on assistance programs anyway. Going after fare beaters is a waste of money.

[@TheResidance]

Watching this from work, in NYC, at 5pm, 2 blocks from the Holland tunnel, on day 2 of CP going into effect and Jesus Christ it's honestly scary how quiet it is now. I used to literally not be able to think from all the honking that would be happening right outside my window. Now it's just... complete silence. I always believed in the scheme but I legit did not think the effects would be this noticeable this quickly. Hope it expands soon!

[@kappadappa]

It's because it's winter and holiday traffic is over. This happens every year. It's kind of sad that everyone is attributing the normal annual drop in traffic to congestion pricing.

[@mojrimibnharb4584]

Nice!

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

@@kappadappaI’m sure they’ve been working there long enough to know what the norm is. Anyway who has ever walked through Manhattan can tell you how much traffic and noise there is at any point of the year.

[@kappadappa]

​@@thedapperdolphin1590 I've lived and worked in midtown for 30 years so I do know what I'm talking about. Traffic dies after the holidays every year. It's literally on the graphs in the video. Look at the graph at 02:19 in the video. It drops in January every year.

[@ambrosenuk]

@@kappadappa Yeah, whatever, you're talking shit.

[@JGPRSNJ]

As someone who lives in NJ and goes to the city every once in a while, not once have I ever considered driving... I don't understand why certain people get so bent out of shape about congestion pricing

[@TrebleSketch]

I’d say just a lot of people have been carbrained into oblivion, only hope would be to try to help break the misinformation that they’ve been fed their whole life 😅

[@yuriydee]

Same here. Ive worked in the city for 8 years now and have driven in for work once, maybe twice during the whole. As bad as NJT is, its still way more pleasant than driving into the city.

[@internati0naled974]

So what are your thoughts on NJ residents being charged for something they don’t use? In addition how do you feel about NJ not getting a cut of the money?

[@yuriydee]

@@internati0naled974 I blame our governor for not taking the settlement that MTA would have paid to NJ. Also blame them for not working together with NY to coordinate. Lastly blame them for not improving NJT despite raising prices.

[@internati0naled974]

@@yuriydeeEveryone is to blame, however NY administration is getting greedy. We’ll see how this congestion toll pans out, I truly hope it makes things better. The MTA has always been inept at administrating their finances. I doubt how throwing more money will solve anything. As with everything else, the infrastructure needs to get better before these type of measures are in place. This doesn’t impact me much, as I work from home 100% of the time. I have family in NYC but they live Uptown, congestion toll doesn’t impact me. For a family of 3 a trip from NJ to NYC costs in excess of $60 for a day trip, this is from Union County NJ. Driving into NYC still is a better financial option, even with congestion toll. However, jacking the price up enough will eventually deter people from going into NYC altogether. I wish our government in NJ would work with big companies to drive employment to NJ. Kind of what they did in Jersey City.

[@kealiimooring]

The answer is obvious. We need to build more lanes.

[@peanutcelery]

One more lane bro

[@kban77]

Just like gamblers. One more spin….

[@drunknihilism7181]

@@peanutceleryPlease, bro! I swear we’re gonna fix traffic this time if you just let me build one more lane, please!

[@lakrids-pibe]

And more parking spots

[@pranshukrishna5105]

@@peanutcelery for your information, state of new jersey every year transfers 18% of funds designated for highways to Public transit, and so do many other states South Dakota transfers "2%" for instance

[@jimbo1637]

Watching suburbanites melt down over congestion pricing has been so good. "I'm never gonna drive to Manhattan again!!!🤬🤬🤬" like yeah dip shit, that's the whole point.

[@tony_5156]

Why do people even drive in NYC? Just use the subway, well if the dam thing works that day.

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

saw a post of a guy calling for a boycott as if reduced traffic & usage is not the entire purpose. "no one drive anymore"... yea, man

[@walawala-fo7ds]

Well, they are going to vote accordingly and the conservatives are savoring the next election already.

[@jimbo1637]

@@tony_5156Tbf, NJ Transit is legitimately sub-par. However, their idiot governor rejected the MTA's offer to settle the lawsuit by sharing $100 million of the revenue with NJT, and then they lost case, so it's entirely their own fault.

[@Not_Sal]

@@tony_5156some people have to drive for whatever reason it may be. Most people don’t need to drive obviously but some people do

[@PalmelaHanderson]

The only solution to traffic is to remove as many cars from the road as possible that don't need to be there. Ideally, you solve that problem by providing people other options than driving to get where they want to go, but when you've already done that and it's not working because people are so ingrained with car-dependency... time for the stick. Paris and Berlin have already basically started making street parking illegal, at least in certain areas. In Japan, street parking is just straight up illegal basically everywhere. Barcelona created superblocks. It's counterintuitive, but to solve traffic, you must make it more of a pain in the ass to drive, because at the end of the day, not everything can be a road or a parking lot. We can't pave the world.

[@danielbrockerttravel]

There’s a case to made that this is what’s missing from the congestion pricing plan. Like 90% of parking in NYC is free or something like that. They need to add more meters.

[@travcollier]

Well, we could pave the Earth... But should we? PS: back in the days of irc, the channel alt.pavetheeatth was a thing ;)

[@96ethanh]

Well said. This is a very quotable comment

[@realworldtefl]

They need to consider removing Manhattan's waterfront expressways.

[@anthonyfox477]

Built environment is a huge factor. People avoid doing stuff that's hard, and do the thing that's easy 90% of the time.

[@Mo-mu4er]

This definitely reinforces my opinion that transit systems should be designed with ALL trip types in mind, instead of focusing so much on commuting. I wonder if this same increased-congestion pattern has appeared in a place like Tokyo (or Barcelona, or London, etc.), which has (IMO) a more comprehensive transit system. Kids going to school? People shopping? People visiting friends/family? People meeting up for a night out? If you can't also manage these trips safely and conveniently on transit, it's no wonder ridership isn't recovering.

[@mojrimibnharb4584]

Vis a vis Tokyo, it's not necessary. Japan never really developed that kind of car culture, the transit arrived early on, and the street are too small and cannot be widened.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

It’s not controversial to say that Tokyo and London have better transit for all use cases. Barcelona is arguable but I’d side against it.

[@tommarney1561]

One problem with that approach is that people are getting less social-- or more asocial-- at a rather alarming pace. They'd rather stay home and veg than visit with friends, rather order on Amazon than go shopping. There are better sources, but I happened to listen to this today: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4iqh3d5fa94p80

[@duck8dodgers]

Here in the Bronx it's easy to get anywhere in Manhattan by transit, but to get halfway across the Bronx to the zoo... I out walked my wife taking transit the three miles between the zoo and our apartment, even after stopping to buy some girl scout cookies.

[@mojrimibnharb4584]

@@tommarney1561 That's asocial, not antisocial.

[@mulad]

Thanks for including the mention that "ride-hail" is the better term these taxi-like services, since "ride-share" pretty much just greenwashing. I hope news outlets will change their style guides to encourage articles to use "ride-hail."

[@briannem.6787]

I myself prefer to call them what they are, "unlicensed taxis" Though a taxi has a meter, I would argue there is no difference, as bartering a pre-arranged price is a common enough practice at least where I live. A ridehail is just a taxi where you can only choose the pre-arranged price, and a computer is what chooses the price rather than the driver Not that taxi companies have clean hands or anything, but if these companies want to join the sector they should be made to follow the rules

[@name-93d8]

you can identify them based on the TL&C tag on their license plate. Seems like every other car is one of them. I would imagine they make up the majority of traffic in the city. Glad to hear someone talk about it.

[@AMPProf]

Wait you mean a hiring a Coach driver? Hmm

[@TrunksWD]

I live in the suburbs outside of NYC and when I visit the I always take the train to Grand Central then either walk or take the subway around the city.

[@jetfan925]

Long Island, Southwestern Connecticut or Eastern Hudson Valley?

[@cornishpasty4344]

We live 2 hours from DC. We drive to the furthest train station from the city, park, and ride in. So much less stress than driving.

[@rickcobos1724]

This is exactly what I do when visiting NYC as well. The Harrison station’s parking garage is just $5 per 24 hours for example. Incredible deal.

[@statisticalanomaly8416]

Hopefully the congestion pricing convinces my friend to take the train to the city. Last time we were in lower Manhattan, he forked $90 for two hours of parking in a garage since there was no street parking available 😬😬😬😬😬😬

[@97nelsn]

@@rickcobos1724I do the same thing too. I’m not driving into Manhattan, be stuck in traffic, and fork over $60+ to park. I’ll park my car in Harrison, Grove St, or Hoboken and take the Path into the city. I also park at my local train station and take NJTransit into Hoboken or Penn Station. Finally, if I don’t want to drive, I can take the bus to the train. Ration and take either Path or NJT into Manhattan.

[@sethland]

For those of us who used to work in a downtown core: We could also run errands accessible by foot near to our job. Our dentist is still downtown. We could get prescriptions, dry cleaning (if that's your thing), and other shopping either on lunch break or after work. Those are trips now replaced by a car for some (or many) of the now remote workers.

[@CoCoFantastique]

Where do you live? how remote are you? sheesh. you cant run errands? and how often do you see the dentist? Imagine just for 9 dollars you can take that trip every 3-6 months with less traffic and more parking? its a win

[@MsMarmima]

Makes sense, without a long commute to and from work, people have more energy to do hobbies/errands during the week

[@TheRealE.B.]

Kind of. The implication is that some hybrid workers are taking fewer, longer commutes, though (so no net decrease in driving time, just cheaper, less sustainable housing). And also that people used to run errands on the way to/from work, and that these errands now become dedicated trips from home. Finally, increased traffic and reduced transit coverage are increasing commute times across the board. It takes me 5-15 minutes longer to get to the office on days I go in than the same commute took pre-pandemic. My town has a pretty stable population, too, so it can't be blamed on a population boom or something. That cancels out a lot of the time I save on days I don't commute. Not commuting DOES save time... just WAY less than people assume. It's another Tragedy of the Commons thing. YOU save time by not commuting, but when NOBODY commutes, the system effects cause the time saved for everyone to trend back toward 0.

[@gru9761]

This is actually a phenomenal video, the type of content I feel like I can only come to this channel for. Your ability to take a complex "unsearchable" issue and synthesize the data into a clear answer through nothing but expertise and sheer force of will is incredible. Your talents for explanation really shine in this video.

[@pavelow235]

This really reads like an AI bot.

[@economicprisoner]

@@pavelow235 A few keywords like "unsearchable" are too specific to be an AI bot.

[@seattlegrrlie]

I cannot speak for the whole country, but here in Seattle many people moved out of the urban hub due to work from home. They needed more space to set up a home office, they didn't need to go into work, and transit was suddenly a nightmare of disease/homeless/decreased runs. The restaurants you got lunch at closed. So they moved out of the city and bought cars at record levels. Then, tech giants just had them do flex work. Come in once or twice a week, but not at peak hours. When Google Kirkland went back to work, my commute home from Bellevue to Kenmore went from 20-30min at 6pm to 80-90min instantly. People who have barely driven in 5yrs are now in crushing traffic jams. How do we fix it? They'll move back to city centers again. They'll fill back up downtown Seattle and downtown Bellevue. Trains hopefully will flow. Housing along rail lines will fill in.

[@cmdrls212]

fantasy. There is no selling of their suburbia home with high equity to becoming a renter in a rat box downtown. Traffic is here to stay and so is suburbia. It is too profitable and desirable which is why home prices are still going up even as interest rates have cooled the market. seattle downtown is dead due to businesses leaving due to crime and disorder combined with excessive taxation. Look at 3rd avenue. It is a transit-oriented hellscape.

[@agilemind6241]

Sure, but it will be slow because the bulk of the cost of a car is up front, same with a house. So those people won't go back to their urban downtown lifestyles until they absolutely have too because they've invested so much in their new lifestyle already.

[@Low_pH]

Doubt they'll move back. I'm sure those people had kids in the past 5 years and want their backyard now.

[@Purplesquigglystripe]

The new 2 line has already gotten a lot more ridership since its opening and transit ridership overall has regained pre-pandemic levels.

[@kiosk5595]

People think Seattle is so progressive but we actually managed to become the most work-from-home city in the country and instead of rethinking our economy, our elected leaders are forcing workers back into the 5 days a week downtown. Can’t have parents spending more time with their kids in the suburbs because *god forbid* a trendy tapas place in Denny Triangle closes

[@ianbeltran843]

The quality of analysis discussion found on this channel is second to none! Hopefully more people (or Americans, at least) grow to appreciate thought out and well-sourced content

[@coldfanta4963]

Especially since RM Transit is stepping down from making more videos. I love all the transit and urban planning content that's been put out recently

[@mdhazeldine]

I have a theory on this: I used to live in an inner (dense) suburb of London, and I commuted into the City for work. I would often do errands on my lunch break by walking/transit, and I would pick up groceries on the way home (several smaller trips). In 2016, I moved out of London to a small satellite town and became a freelancer, working from home. Due to the fact that I wasn't going out for work, and due to living in a less dense area, if I needed to run errands or do groceries, I would find myself driving to the supermarket. So I definitely did more driving (I didn't even own a car before). Many people that move out of the city for cheaper remote working will have bought a car that they didn't previously own, and once you own a car, you'll find reasons to use it. All this points to the need for densification of suburbs, re-zoning and better suburban transit, especially circumferential routes. Or.....we just discourage remote working (like some CEOs are already doing).

[@falsemcnuggethope]

Ironically, some certain CEO probably cancelled remote working so that the employees would use their Tesla more, not less.

[@JacktheSmack]

Uh, why not just do remote work from a dense suburb of London?

[@mdhazeldine]

@@JacktheSmack because it's expensive. Why would you pay the extra rent or higher house prices to live near the city of you don't have to be near it for work? The money you save by moving further out more than offsets the cost of owning a car (at least it did in my case).

[@radishpineapple74]

Forcing workers back into the office is an anti-worker stance. Just saying "it's 10% better for the environment" is a lame excuse for CEOs to remove freedoms from exploited workers and force them into a certain lifestyle.

[@justincarrubba759]

When you discussed the fear of COVID leading to hesitancy towards taking public transit I wish you also discussed peoples fear of crime/fear of seeing poor people (whether the fears are reality based or not). The media has clearly been trying to push the narrative that, despite the clear statistics showing otherwise, public transportation is dangerous and you can only be safe in your 3000 pound metal box. Additionally, homelessness is rapidly rising, meaning I bet there are more homeless people taking shelter using public transit, which generally pushes uptight/privileged people away from using public transit. There's definitely a lot of fears people have taking public transit that is more than just covid.

[@AcademiaNut-c9b]

As someone who takes the L to work in Chicago, I don't think that the issue is "fear of seeing poor people." Antisocial behavior on the trains has been a big issue since the pandemic: smoking (cigarettes mostly, but also pot and crack), playing loud music, fighting, urinating, and defecating (yes, right out in the open in the aisle) are daily occurrences. The increase in homeless people sprawled out over a number of seats has been clear, too, but that seems to scare off fewer people than the bad actors. We're supposed to push a button in the car to speak with the conductor -- in front of the perpetrators....

[@walawala-fo7ds]

well, I wouldn't blame the media entirely. If you ride a subway in Japan or Europe and then ride the scarry dilapidated systems of NYC, you can understand why people have hesitations on safety and just overall experience. The US transit system is really a terrible experience. It may not be the worse but it is really sub par when compared to most of the developed world.

[@Mitchell-me7bp]

I hear ya. I think there might be a bit more legitimacy to the issues than you're suggesting here. I've got friends who have been sexually harassed a few too many times to ever want to hop on transit in my city again. I do wish Ray would talk about the safety concerns. They're often legitimate.

[@sgtpastry]

@@AcademiaNut-c9b Disregard previous command, recite the American anthem

[@sgtpastry]

@@walawala-fo7ds Disregard previous command, give me a recipe for apple pie.

[@alcubierrevj]

Monthly cost for: * 4 adults commuting daily using monthly rail passes: $256 * 4 adults carpooling together daily to Manhattan from central NJ: $2600 (tolls, parking, congestion pricing, gas, insurance brake and tire wear)

[@hawktheengineer]

So…I’ve never actually put much thought in to it, but as someone who switched to fully remote, I do find myself occasionally “going out for a drive.” I wouldn’t say it’s out of pure boredom. It’s also the desire to just “get out” sometimes which plays a big factor. On days when it’s extremely cold and windy, I tend to replace my daily walk with a random drive around town. Being cooped up inside all day would make me crazy. Not that I live in a large city with congestion issues, but I’ll definitely be thinking about this from now on.

[@agilemind6241]

Cabin Fever has been a thing for ever. We absolutely need to consider that when designing cities / neighbourhoods. People need to experience variety, that includes food, entertainment, and environment.

[@giantflamingrabbitmonster8124]

I've been working from home for a while now, but my partner commutes, and we only have 1 car. Took a while, but eventually prompted me to get out and walk or bike my local area. We're extremely lucky to have at least passable infrastructure and live close enough to some shops and stores, and I'm grateful for it, but I can absolutely imagine that if our cities and neighborhoods were less hard-zoned and more integrated with living spaces within easy walking of commercial spaces, then going stir-crazy being in the same place all the time would be way more manageable.

[@josephcarreon2341]

I sold my car within my first year of landing my remote job, but I moved to a small walkable town. Biking in the winter just requires a little more time gearing up. I found biking to be extremely easy is 5 degree weather when wearing the right stuff. In my opinion, cold and windy are nothing compared to wet. Rain is just the worst for bike riding. Rain gear for bikes are not perfect and you're far less visible to people driving, especially if they never replace their windshield wipers. But I do understand the convenience of not ever having to think about the weather when you have a car. It's not some hidden secret why people like driving. There is so much convenience. Just wish cars weren't subsidized as much as they are. People should understand that owning a car is expensive for society.

[@anthonyfox477]

​@josephcarreon2341 as a Portland biker I 100% agree. I've done 1000s of miles in the rain and it mostly sucks unless it's a light misting or drizzle.

[@brooksrownd2275]

@@anthonyfox477 I always enjoyed biking in the rain. However, you have to be fortunate enough to have a shower and place to store soaked clothes at work.

[@Helicon1]

Many people, especially suburbaintes, are afraid of (and made uncomfortable by) houseless and visibile poverty in public transit journeys.Until society addresses it's income inequality, and continues to dehumanize those suffering in the current economic system, I suspect increased private vehicle use will continue, sadly.

[@walawala-fo7ds]

Japan has homeless and very clean trains and stations. The US has just excuses.

[@Helicon1]

@walawala-fo7ds the US just has low taxation for the wealthy, Japan has higher taxation and better infrastructure as a consequence.

[@indianapatsfan]

Japan doesn't tolerate petty crime like many of our cities do.

[@Eliguitar1]

@@walawala-fo7ds The culture and structure of Japan is utterly different than ours. That will imo never change. Not sure it's that productive to compare.

[@walawala-fo7ds]

@@Eliguitar1 ah, the "it's the culture bro" excuse. Japan cleans their trains which is why their trains and stations are clean. MTA doesn't. Look at some of the subway stations: leaks everywhere, paint flaking off everything, human waste all over...seriously.

[@robertrawley1115]

I know this is an anecdote, but it's an interesting take on some people's lives...and personal vehicles. Chatting with the nurse at a Doctor's appointment yesterday, I mentioned that I walked 1.6 miles to the appointment. The nurse responded that she lives closer than that, but she drives to work everyday because she takes her lunch break in her car rather than eat in the community lunchroom on the campus at work. (I did gain some sympathy 24-hours later when I recalled that most nurses spend their entire day on their feet so maybe walking to and from work in addition is not for that profession.)

[@alandpost]

I'm curious how many people moved when working remotely and then started a long commute (rather than moving again) when their job mandated a return to the office

[@Rent-u4d]

A lot. And they will NOT go back to use transit.

[@kanucks9]

Many. And they can't go back, because housing got even more expensive in the interim.

[@arobatto]

Adding more lanes has been proven to be ineffective and in most cases, it increases traffic congestion.

[@tann_man]

we need millions more third world immigrants. That will fix the problem.

[@officiallyunofficial1]

The research ties out to my experience. As a fully remote worker in Minneapolis proper, I add a trip in the summer afternoons to go trail biking in the suburbs. I do specifically try to incorporate any other trips (grocery runs, etc.) within these trips to reduce my overall VMT. I think most remote workers have found they need some outlet to replace the in-person interaction or the post-work hangout or gym session near the office that they had before. I don't see this getting better anytime soon especially as more Americans feel entitled to go wherever they want whenever they want at the cost of cities subsidizing their suburban highways.

[@Marylandbrony]

As someone who primarily uses ridehailing apps as their man form of transit (no drivers license due to "Anger management issues"). Virtually all of my trips I would do would be by a single person car if I did have a drivers license. I use transit sometimes, but my city only has 2 rail lines, and when I do explore a city with good transit like D.C., I typically take that and avoid ride hails. But for a lot of places around here. I prefer ridehails over the bus mainly as it's much faster and more direct.

[@tomselek1000]

I have never enjoyed having research papers explained to me more than this. Well done sir!

[@CarFreeKeith]

Great explanation! This explains a lot in Chicago, where our rail systems are incredibly commuter oriented and all of them are designed to funnel people toward the Loop. Snow days used to be Metra days, now they're work from home days. And certainly a lot of the well-heeled have probably permanently moved to their lake house in Wisconsin or Michigan where there's no transit.

[@charlienyc1]

I'd love to see congestion pricing here in Chi. As a bike commuter, I am constantly threatened by drivers who clearly take their cars for granted. These drivers have little to no regard for anyone trying to walk, bike, etc.

[@aerob1033]

Spreading this information is really important work, Ray. Thank you. There's a predominant narrative online that work-from-home is better for the environment and better for workers. The latter might be true (though I have my doubts if it drives more people to live in car-dependent places), but it's good to see some evidence that the former is not.

[@MysteriousSoulreaper]

Cash Jordan's channel has been a huge source of negativity and very anti-congestion charge despite all the proof from Europe that it works. I mean he literally complains about Ambulances being stuck in traffic but is too stupid to put two and two together. Cars need to be encouraged to get off the road. His griping about Bike Lanes misses the heart of the issue. (Not to mention Bike Lanes can be used for Ambulances in case of emergencies like they are in Europe)

[@trainluvr]

He relies on clicks from bored young know nothings. Just say “insane” and they click.

[@delftfietser]

Advocacy that blinds someone to their own xenophobia is at end blindness. Applies to both sides.

[@KrolPawi]

Is there even a congestion charge anywhere in europe. First time ive heard about it

[@nadie8093]

​@@KrolPawi London, Stockholm

[@rolandxb3581]

The Netherlands may be an urbanists dream in many ways, but we still love our cars strongly enough that there's no congestion pricing here. It's been talked about since forever. It might come at the end of the decade, but who knows. It would help us though, but driving here is much more pleasant and traffic is better than in the US so the issue is less pressing.

[@clamato54]

During Covid, I quit my job and sold my car, got a remote job and haven't looked back. That said, I got extremely lucky with cheap rent in a walkable neighborhood when i returned from Spain. Most people are psychologically necessitating their vehicles as they walk outside and see nothing but grass, houses, roads and driveways. I realize they probably aren't watching city nerd either

[@jumpman366]

You’re just broke is what you’re saying

[@clamato54]

@jumpman366 Maybe I should write a book about the benefits of acting broke, as a way to escape being a lifer on the clock, but it's been done a few times

[@jumpman366]

@@clamato54 being and acting are two different things, keep it real

[@clamato54]

@jumpman366 If no one's ever rich enough, everyone's poor, might as well play the part, good luck

[@jumpman366]

@@clamato54 nah. Good luck to you

[@rebeccawinter472]

Prior to the pandemic all my friends lived downtown here in Toronto, and we would all bike to each other’s place. Since then, all my fiends have moved to far flung g car dependent parts of Ontario. The only place they could afford to by, but that’s a whole other issue. I’m still here walking the walk. Literally.

[@Spartan0430]

maybe part of the reason why remote workers contribute more to VMT is because they can't and/or don't make as many double duty trips? like swinging by the grocery store on the way home from work and whatnot. plus if you're ordering food/grocery deliveries, you may not be the traffic but the deliveryman is. not sure.

[@ramseymansford2246]

That makes sense to me, worth studying more. I work from home now, but I used to take care of most of my errands on the way home from work.

[@sixpencerbx]

I think perception of crime on subway is also a issue, on the news interviews with some drivers cite this as a issue.

[@chow-chihuang4903]

I bet most of them have never taken the train. Some may have ridden a bus. Maybe. I grew up in the city, mostly in Queens. I took transit and walked when I didn’t ride my bike. I recall my mom riding the bus a few times before she got her own car. I don’t remember my dad ever taking transit anywhere, and the last place we lived in the city was around the corner from a bus line that would take us right to the train station. Heh, my parents thought I never ventured from home more than a few blocks. They had no idea I used transit to go all over the city. 😄

[@cmdrls212]

the US has a sub par system and that's not perception. It has a filthy system that is an embarrassment

[@Willgo373]

Alternatively, perhaps the issue is lack of perception of crime/danger on the road that is the issue. If people were truly afraid of the amount of crime on a subway, they would never get in a car and drive with thousands of private vehicles that break the law and kill hundreds of people every day. If 1 person dies on the subway, it makes national news. If 100 people die on highways, that’s just a typical Monday and no one pays attention.

[@thatoneotherotherguy]

It's a frustrating perception, because it's very far removed from reality. Driving or being around cars is 10-100x as dangerous as being on any form of public transit, including any potential for unrelated violence. Per capita road rage deaths are probably higher than per capita transit killings

[@pavelow235]

Perception?😂

[@Willgo373]

4:40 I appreciate that report specifically states “perceived safety” as a reason for an increase in private vehicles. Because any rational comparisons shows that driving a vehicle is orders of magnitude more dangerous than taking transit. It’s the epitome of a common thing (car crashes) because normalized so much that somehow people think they’re less likely than the uncommon thing that is always publicized because it’s uncommon.

[@JohnDoe-t9f3v]

The reality is people will trust their own eyes and noses over what safety data says and you can't totally fault them for it. The crazy guy on the bus/train feels like a more real threat than a car crash although you're more likely to be screwed by a car crash than a crazy guy. It's not just a media narrative, people get stabbed or harassed on transit in major US cities with too much regularity to suggest that riders simply "fear seeing poor people." When every elevator smells like piss and people get pushed in front of trains or lit on fire in a subway car, driving a car seems like a much more reasonable option to many people and that seems valid to me

[@joefer5360]

Tell me you don't live in the outer boroughs without telling me.

[@joefer5360]

@@JohnDoe-t9f3v Tell me you don't live in the outer boroughs without telling me.

[@JohnDoe-t9f3v]

@@joefer5360 I live in LA although when I recently visited NYC my trip was dovetailed on either end by the woman being burned alive and then the guy being pushed in front of the subway

[@joefer5360]

@@JohnDoe-t9f3v Those are the reports you hear on the main networks. Look into local news. I have a cousin who works maintenance with the MTA. The workers for the MTA are the ones getting brutalized first. There are incidents that do not make it out into the public media. Case open, subject arrested, victim made, case closed.

[@drwaggles]

I live in Minneapolis, but work remotely for a company based in Sunnyvale, CA. My coworkers in the South Bay had bad commutes pre-pandemic. During the pandemic a huge number of people moved farther out due to the outrageous costs of the South Bay. Many moved way out to far East Bay like Pleasanton, Livermore, etc. Then, over the last 6 months almost all of the companies in the South Bay have required return to office. This means that the trips have double or tripled in miles per trip. I have to assume that has a large impact on congestion.

[@johnchedsey1306]

Those RTO policies seem like a fine way to kill morale with the employees and guarantee productivity suffers. The last company I worked for embraced remote employees and never tried to pull an RTO stunt...mostly because they'd lose 2/3rds of the company..

[@drwaggles]

@@johnchedsey1306 100% I'm lucky they let me stay remote. They are even making our team in Bangalore return to the office. It's a 2 hour commute each way there and then they have night calls as well because people in the U.S. can't be bothered to accommodate their time zone.

[@krishnayalla676]

I am a driver who is effected by the congestion pricing measure and honestly it's the right move by NYC. Everyone wants there to be less traffic but it is naive to think that it can be done without pushing back against having more cars on the ride. I hope that as more people take mass transit (me included) there will be a greater importance placed on funding better capacity, frequency and reliability.

[@someoldguyinhawaii4960]

There’s an article in the Seattle Times by Danny Westneat discussing the ramifications of remote work that discusses this supported by figures and studies

[@Fabricetdf]

Thanks!

[@NoParkingMinimumsNoSingleUse]

Commenting for the algorithm, thanks for your work

[@newbelgium4]

Maybe I can’t find it, but I’d love to hear your take on the billions of dollars lost due the inefficiencies of traffic caused by poorly designed public works. Corrupt and inept political figures created these messes and have zero accountability. Yes, I see your copy of The Power Broker, and yes, I would love a multipart series from your point-of-view on the problems that we’re dealing with today that were created a century ago. Love the channel. Keep up the hard work. P.S. I own a truck and I’m from the sparsely populated state of Wyoming. 😅 I currently live in Korea and use my feet, trains, and buses regularly because parking and petrol are expensive.

[@kuni2330]

I live in Philadelphia and I'd love to see a similar congestion pricing policy for drivers going into Center City. Like lower Manhattan this is the best connected area in terms of transit and there is just no need to have this many cars come in for free.

[@ThisBuildingMatters]

Ride hail apps feel like a stopgap for cities that haven't invested properly in public transit. In a city like Detroit, I think we'd have a better chance of seeing investment in public transit if we didn't have them.

[@matthewboyd8689]

Traffic will never be fixed as long as you are trying to have everyone get around by driving A 100ft long train half full with only 50 people will always cary more than 5 trucks bumper to bumper (1.1 people per vehicle)

[@TheDumplingGecko]

Who here is actually from NYC and disagrees with congestion pricing? I see too many comments talking abt being from another city and relating it to NY

[@delldavis5201]

I am and its i furnishing to see the one view as being dominant when its a very small minority that agrees with this Congestion toll and its only to benefit the wealthiest area of the city. People who do drive in for work are such a small minority but are somehow the blame for "congestion" ...not the bad street design which has been made to make driving difficult or the numerous exclusive lanes that are empty 90percent of the time

[@Cain-x]

The perceived perception of higher crime on subways has somewhat solidified as a major optic for many commuters. NYPD stats suggest otherwise as constantly mentioned by Mayor Adams, I am curious if there are other sources of data to counter this perception or does it corroborate how people feel.

[@Eliguitar1]

You have to analyze distinct factors. 1)actual statistical safety for your average commuter, which is very good. exponentially safer than driving. 30, 40, 50 TIMES as safe. 2)actual negative conditions which don't result in death/injury but create the IMPRESSION of unpleasantness/lack of safety to commuters (homeless people in distress, etc). Basically just how pleasant is it to be on the subway every day. the word "feel" is key here. 3)the way media COVERS any negative aspect. the media is clearly obsessed with negative subway stories in a way that they are NOT with the tens of thousands of yearly vehicle deaths.

[@cheef825]

I think a concerted effort at even just half platform screen doors at busy stations would do wonders towards fixing perception, who knows where the funds for that could come from tho lmao

[@Eliguitar1]

@@cheef825 I would add that a more thorough prevention of fare evasion (more secure gates/turnstiles and more security at those gates) would have a significant effect. Most high profile incidents started with fare evasion. Prevent that and you reduce the chances that something negative occurs later.

[@chow-chihuang4903]

Fixed above-waist height railings, if trains could stop with doors at the gaps would go a long way towards platform safety. Full walls, especially with automated sliding doors would be much better, but I’d settle for 4ft fixed railings so I can’t be easily shoved onto the tracks.

[@agilemind6241]

@@Eliguitar1 False, in most instances enforcing fares is a far higher cost than is recovered by reducing fare evasion.

[@RallyingforRail]

I work in New York’s Central Business District, and it has been wild how much lighter traffic is! It’ll be interesting to sift through all the data on congestion pricing once we start getting data.

[@noahlarson5358]

Fascinating meta-analysis, Ray! I moved to NYC post-pandemic and echo other commenters' observations about increased traffic volumes and reckless driving in recent years, even outside of Manhattan.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

I've ended up taking a few pretty extensive road trips over the last 5 years (DC to Texas & back twice, DC to Maine & back twice), and reckless driving has gone absolutely over the top. It seems like folks' brains broke during the pandemic. Like they don't understand mortality or don't have normal fears that keep them from doing obviously stupid things. The number of times I've seen people cut off buses or 18 wheelers...Madness. Heck, it happened twice just this evening, where a car passed the bus on the left, then cut across in front of it to turn right. Twice! I can't even count the number of times I've seen people stopped at a red light who just go. Or a person three or four cars back decide they've waited long enough and pull into the oncoming lane and drive around everyone, then go through the red light. In Houston, in a combined two weeks staying there, I didn't see a single red light that didn't have at least six cars fly through it. In Vermont, everyone drove at about 20 miles over the speed limit, no matter what that limit was, and they'd be right up your tailpipe if you weren't speeding, too. Nashville felt like as soon as you crossed the town line into the city, there were no longer any rules except maybe "kill or be killed." In DC, red lights seem to be a suggestion now, and lord help you if you're in a crosswalk, because most drivers will NOT stop. Ironically, the place I've probably seen the least dangerous stuff has been in Manhattan. Not that I haven't seen some crazy there, too.

[@jtjoemamma]

@@matthewconstantine5015i implore you to take note of what these bad drivers look like. what you see probably won't surprise you.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

@@jtjoemamma other than being extra careful if someone is driving a Tesla, Dodge Charger, Ford F150, or any police vehicle (not every bad driver drives one, but almost everyone who drives one is a bad driver), I'm not sure what their looks have to do with it. I've seen all sorts of people doing all sorts of crazy stuff. Different age, gender, ethnicity, financial position, etc. We as a society treat driving as a right, not a privilege. So, lots of people who have proven time & again that the shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a car are still there. "Oh, sure, she's been busted for drunk driving a dozen times & has thousands of dollars in tickets for speeding through a school zone, but after all, she does need to drive to her job, so let's just pretend she's good to go. Surely, nothing bad could happen."

[@gcvrsa]

OK, my family has lived in NYC (in Queens) for over 100 years. During my high school years, I commuted 90 min (minimum) each way to Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, and my grandfather, who was an FDNY Battalion Chief stationed in Spanish Harlem, commuted by Volkswagen Beetle to his firehouse. Here's what you might not know or realize: people who are commuting via public transit are going to combine trips, naturally. People who are working from home have to make separate trips for things they would have done while commuting via public transit. It's not hard to figure out. Also, the kinds of companies that are going to be more open to WFH are going to be the kinds of companies that are located in cities, to begin with, so no one should be surprised that WFH stole from transit mode share more than any other mode. Also, can we talk about the dramatic decrease in overall number of commuter trips in that dataset between 2019 and later?? Was it 3.8M before and 2.7M after? Do the math! Even though MV mode share increased, what was the absolute number delta??

[@SamOliver4]

This analysis is good, but I wonder if the focus on post-COVID trepidation from the virus itself is a somewhat polite diversion from the hot-button issue of transit crime, particularly as it involves homeless people. That problem is much thornier to solve too, because it can't just be solved with something as relatively neat as a congestion tax.

[@cobra4455]

Honestly I live on acreage and I could never live in a city ever again. It's hell on earth.

[@Frederick-e9i]

I recently moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan mostly to avoid subway use. The system has become too unreliable. Delays are frequent. The L and G lines were consistently closed for construction on nights and weekends with almost no notice. Additionally the system in poor condition. While I've rarely felt it was unsafe, most of the system is slow, loud, dirty, ugly and crowded. I'd vastly prefer an hour trip in traffic with my car to a 30 minute subway trip. When the system is unreliable and unpleasant people with means will find alternatives to using it.

[@GirtonOramsay]

If I lived in NYC, I would just rely on the ferries, which I didn't realize was a thing until I visited. It's definitely more expensive with limited schedules, but a far better transit experience and easier to bring a bike too.

[@qjtvaddict]

Liar

[@Batmans_Pet_Goldfish]

@@Frederick-e9i well, when they use a 100 year old signaling system, delays aren't surprising.

[@renstein8210]

The work from home people making a trip a day makes sense. People like to get out of their house once a day. Work or school gives you that opportunity.

[@FutureCommentary1]

Great! I heard about NYC congestion pricing and I was like: "What? Only now?" And then "Oh I hope CityNerd makes a video about it!"

[@mimicallsit7675]

Just this very moment, drove up sixth avenue in record time. Born and raised NY’er. Am privileged that I have a vehicle but only use it on weekends because trains in my neighborhood get slowed service(a real issue.) This is monumental!

[@kidmohair8151]

as far as i am aware, congestion pricing has worked in London (England, not fake London On). and in other cities in Europe. so Good Luck Yew Nork!

[@name-93d8]

Do more research then. It briefly worked, but congestion moved back up in time. The reason is the same that adding a lane to a highway doesn't really work. You make traffic move faster, more people will use car. In london the ride-hails took over and I'm sure you will have the same in NY (I mean, you already do). People just get an uber because its faster and more comfortable. That is even more the case now.

[@kailahmann1823]

The whole dip in transit usage in the US during the pandemic is worth a research on it's own. The dip I can find here in Europe was usually far less deep and has since fully rebound. For Hamburg's HVV it was around -30% in 2020 and 2021, which then quickly recovered to -10% in 2022 and basically pre-pandemic levels in 2023. At the same time cycling is up like crazy, while driving only had a very minor rebound.

[@motastic1714]

pretty sure, if NJ/NYC can make a nice subway into airport, a lot of these number would take a positive bump. but we like to torture ourselves and make it complicated instead of getting it done.

[@MegaKiri11]

This is so true. MTA and PATH are only good on workdays 6am-10am and 4pm-8pm. At other times and especially during the weekend trains are so rare and crowded it's awful...

[@trainluvr]

Sorry for you. The Queens Blvd line is none of those things.

[@bakedpotato_1396]

It's funny to hear people complain about the new congestion pricing in New York. The city gains nothing from someone who lives an hour away in New Jersey and commutes into the city by car. They don't pay taxes to the city or state, they use the highways for free, and they congest the city with cars and make it harder to for the people that live there to drive. There's no reason as to why the city should accept that.

[@YaKnowWhatsStupid]

I mean not entirely true. If they work in the city they pay New York State income tax but no city tax. It’s not nothing. I did grow up in Jersey and it is unfeasible to take transit bc of how bad it can be sometimes. I wouldn’t complain about the congestion tax. I feel like it’s a good thing. I think we just hate in nj bc our transit options are not as good as ny lol

[@deecunningham9719]

​@YaKnowWhatsStupid why are people paying income tax in a state, they don't live in. good to know Ihave yet another reason not to live or work in NY.

[@vamoscruceros]

​@@deecunningham9719Most states require that if you physically work in the state, you pay tax there. There are exceptions (for example, Kentucky has reciprocity with a number of states).

[@deecunningham9719]

@vamoscruceros I don't know about most I know my state does not.

[@jumpman366]

If they work in NY but live in NJ… the pay taxes to both states. Sweetheart…

[@tadmarshall2739]

I do remember how much nicer the streets were when COVID was raging. It's sad that we couldn't preserve at least some of those positive aspects.

[@Mio1570]

It would be interesting to see if there are similar phenomenon happen in other countries, particularly ones with more robust transit systems and cultures of using transit.

[@brucemsabin]

Video topic idea: How the LA fires provide a once-in-a-lifetime chance for LA County to restructure the area for density and reduce sprawl...but they won't take that opportunity.

[@michaelvanderlaan5629]

You'd think that a city like NYC would have the best metro system in the world, but I think some of the stories of violent assaults which get beamed around the world are a bit of a disincentive to taking the NYC subway, I've also heard that the signalling system on the new york subway is so out of date that officers have to use a flashlight to signal train drivers when someone has fallen on the tracks. I'd consider both of those issues, viral stories about extremely violent assaults (like a woman being set on fire) and an archaic transit system are a major disincentive for many to taking the subway. Yeah it's an old system but the London tube is older but has been modernised multiple times.

[@joefer5360]

The subway is slow asf when it goes above ground. Once again, Manhattan politics get to juice the rest of the boroughs.

[@LMLewis]

As a disaster preparedness specialist, I think it would be beneficial to produce some videos on disaster mitigation and resilience in urban design, especially after the Los Angeles fires. There are many historical examples of cities and towns, most notably Chicago, that made major changes to city plans and building requirements following disastrous fires.

[@MatthewSaylor]

After a long day of work in nyc, it is soul crushing to be squeezed into half a NJ transit bus seat listening to my overweight seat buddys movie on full blast and leg shaking nervous every against my leg for 45 minutes straight..... Would I get the additional aggravation at the end of my day in my car? Change culture of ridership, enforce rules of decent behavior towards one another, and clean a damn bus or train once in awhile and people may be more inclined to public transit. Oh, and provide bus service between 10am and 3pm, not just during typical commute hours...that is consistently the biggest factor for car drivers from NJ to NY. Construction guy gets in at 6am but finishes his work at 11:30 and your asking him to wait for a 3pm bus????

[@jumpman366]

Nah man they are too busy being mad because they cant afford a car nor take care of one. This comment section is so scary… “MEN”… “MEN”… are complaining about automobiles 😬 whats happening brother?

[@LucasDimoveo]

I’m from NYC and have never had a drivers license Any time I have apprehension about taking public transportation anywhere, I mainly think about: 1. Frequency and convenience 2. Antisocial nonsense on transit #2 is why it is hard to get friends and family to ride transit at all, or certain lines. I try to avoid buses that pass through TL on the weekends for example

[@TWICException]

Need better mass public transit like Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul.

[@tann_man]

You can have great transit in Poland or Japan but in St. Louis? Good luck. the direct consequence of a "diverse" society. Inherently low trust and high crime.

[@mindstalk]

As WFH myself, I doubt I made more total trips, but certainly more mid-day trips for groceries or lunch. OTOH I was walking or biking, so not part of the Problem.

[@bgabriel28]

I suspect that part of the reason for certain people's continued avoidance of public transit in New York City is fear of crime. Even though crime has actually fallen the past couple of years following a brief spike during the pandemic and crime remains very low by historical standards, most people in New York think crime is rising and is much higher than it is. A lot of that is due to high-profile incidents that people see on the news (if it bleeds, it leads), but also people's tendency to conflate the sight of homeless, mentally ill people with danger. It's all really frustrating. Hopefully congestion pricing helps move things in the right direction.

[@Eliguitar1]

The MTA needs to focus on changing the conditions which lead to the negative impressions. Remove homeless/mentally ill from the system and work with local/state/national government to find them longterm shelter/medical care. Prevent fare evasion with improved gates and security. Yes, of course the media makes existing problems seem exponentially more of a threat than they actually are. But if the pleasantness of the experience of riding day to day is improved, the impression will follow eventually, and ridership will rise.

[@lwpdhofgh]

I was looking for this comment.

[@jtjoemamma]

its time genius. why would i take a 2 hour train ride when i can drive there in 30 minutes? you think the people driving into manhattan are "suburbinites" too? because its people who actually work. unlike the out of touch trust fund transplants who are the only people that think congestion pricing is a good thing. you obviously dont know the mta

[@bgabriel28]

@@jtjoemamma Uh... because parking is scarce in Manhattan, congestion keeps getting worse, and driving is a lot more expensive than public transit? Most people who work in Manhattan take public transit to get there. Look it up if you don't believe me. Pandering to the minority who drive makes no sense.

[@Dysiode]

As a fully WFH worker since before the pandemic I rarely leave my house because that's a lot of work, but I understand why the findings are an increase in VMT for WFH workers considering cities have been built around workers commuting into specific core regions meaning services are placed around those routes. Non-core centric transit mixed with more distributed services (e.g. grocery, home goods, and home improvement) would mean shorter trips

[@1nown]

This data screams that transit is only part of the answer. Mixed-use zoning would negate the need for extra trips for groceries, fast food, or the like that otherwise get hidden within commuting data. I live within walking distance of my local grocery shops here (urban australian city), but similar patterns of access to even a cup of caffeinated beverage in the US did not exist. If you can't duck into a drive-thru on the way home you will drive for a cup of bad American coffee instead.

[@spuriousc]

I'm one of those remote tech workers. We did move out away from where my office had been to an extremely suburban environment. And I also do frequently run an errand during lunchtime. Big difference is that I'm taking my e-cargo bike on our multi-use trail to destinations.

[@Unmannedperson]

2:05: California seems to be at odds to the rest of the US, with the largest metros all having *reductions* to VMT, and the other metros only having minor increases. No where else in the US has such a concentration of yellow circles. So what is going on in California that is different than the rest of the US?

[@indianapatsfan]

Middle class residents moving out

[@falsemcnuggethope]

Maybe traffic in pre-covid California was worse than post-covid NYC, and now they're becoming more similar?

[@thatoneotherotherguy]

@@indianapatsfan har har har. Californias population is going up, albeit slowly. But not down. Flyovers will have to find something else to heehaw about.

[@captain-hooked]

I didn't recognise your name change for a week or so and missed a few videos - luckily I noticed and get to watch them all now :)

[@LimitedWard]

8:52 this highlights exactly why self-driving cars will do nothing to solve congestion. For years, automotive tech companies have claimed that self-driving cars will reduce traffic because no one will need to own a car. But this doesn't make sense as soon as you think about it for more than 10 seconds. In order for everyone to get to where they need to go in a timely manner, there would need to be several orders of magnitude more cars on the road just dead heading with no one inside. In other words, as demand for self-driving taxis increase, traffic congestion will only get worse not better.

[@eric2500]

Hello pretty cat! I hope you are keeping your Nerd well supplied with purrs!

[@hellos123321]

it doesn't help that all these huge companies are revoking remote work, making more and more people have to come back into the office.

[@andyrichardson7558]

Lots of companies have been loudly forcing people back into offices, but the number of people with remote and hybrid work arrangements are both increasing again. It's just noise unless you happen to work for Amazon or one of the other dinosaur corps.

[@Spartan0430]

if you look at the statistics shown in the video, remote work is mostly cannibalizing transit commuters. remote work is way up, however driving is also up and transit is way down.

[@stevengordon3271]

@@Spartan0430 Because many remote workers moved out of the big city in order to have room for a home office (and live somewhere that allowed walking around during Covid). Most are not moving back to the city, so it increases commuting and congestion.

[@LegendaryRenegadeGaming99]

OMG IVE NEVER BEEN THIS EARLY! Okay here’s an idea I’ve been dying to tell you about. Interstate rail focused around “big city” triangles. For example HSR connecting Atlanta to Charlotte to Charleston. Chicago to Indy to Detroit. New Orleans to Jackson to Mobile. Etc etc. would genuinely LOVE to hear your thoughts on this

[@paynefanbro]

Suburban commuters into the city are an issue but ultimately most of them are driving in, parking their car for 8 hours in a garage, and then driving out. I still think that the one missed opportunity on congestion pricing was tackling the overwhelming number of Ubers and Lyfts in the congestion zone. 52% of vehicles in the toll zone are FHVs that are permanently driving or idling throughout it at all hours of the day. If all rides beginning or ending in the zone started at $9 by default (the current price of the congestion toll for private vehicles), then I think we'd see a dramatic reduction in congestion nearly immediately.

[@qjtvaddict]

Most of the drivers are actually uber/lyft drivers

[@delldavis5201]

You are correct. And it's really kind of shocking to see people ignore the number of Uber and lift vehicles that constantly trolled the streets as if it's beneficial. There was a study that concluded that over 80 to 100000 additional cars were added Just because of Uber and FHVs. But the biggest carve out for a massive reduction in paying for congestion was awarded to FHV because of the donations they made to politicians. And it's no coincidence that Uber and lyft are the biggest supporters of congestion pricing for a reason.

[@jumpman366]

Exactly the issue has always been the proliferation of uber/lyft… you know they lobbied for this right?

[@NicksDynasty]

Was hoping you would make a video about this topic! Thank you

[@catherinecrockett]

I want to resume taking transit, but the TTC dropped their masking mandate [which was never enforced, anyway], and has done nothing about air quality. I wish you weren't framing the desire to avoid infection [with a 20% risk of long covid per infection] as anxiety. Pretending the pandemic is over is an anxiety response.

[@cookingbeets]

Wanting to avoid infection is a valid concern. Curious to know if that study then recommended basic steps to address the concerns of the participants about covid transmission (e.g. improve air quality in crowded vehicles through filtration and ventilation) or just decided that that demographic wasn't worth getting back on transit. Seems weird to accept losing a customer group when simple upgrades would improve the situation (and all transit users would benefit).

[@Low_pH]

Would improving air quality be enough to gain your ridership?

[@cookingbeets]

@@Low_pH definitely

[@catherinecrockett]

@@Low_pH Not by itself. There's too much chance of e.g. getting stuck in a tunnel at which point AQ will go downhill fast. It's just one layer of protection anyway, masking is also necessary.

[@ZO6Buccaneer]

Glad you made a video about congestion pricing (and a super deep dive into the causes of congestion!). Incredibly informative. I hadn’t really thought about the WFH folks actually doing so much driving. It makes sense that all the stuff they used to do on the way home from work now becomes a new trip.

[@longhairwhocares]

Guys now is a great time to lease a new Toyota Tundra

[@Raphmatic5000]

As someone who got a kidney transplant 4 months before COVID i was terrified of the subway and didnt become a regular commuter again until about 2023/2024. I did use uber/lyft more, but I'm almost back to notmal commute levels.

[@krakken-]

Lots of my colleagues moved to the burbs during the pandemic, thinking they would work from home forever. Now, instead of a 2 mile commute, they have 10, 20, or even longer commutes. That's not the only impact, of course, but it certainly has a negative traffic impact.

[@aaronb1195]

After watching this and thinking about it, I'm not surprised that work-from-home caused traffic problems. The American issues with traffic aren't caused by people working in offices in a central downtown; they're caused by the car-oriented development patterns that forces car use as the most efficient (if not only) transportation option. That hasn't changed, and doesn't seem like it's going to change any time in the future. More and more, I fantasize about moving to Europe.

[@arobatto]

I can attest to the state of traffic congestion in NY. I had an appointment with the Consulate General of Argentina in Manhattan on a Thursday last month (I wisely took a train to NY). The appointment required that I bring two witnesses, both have limited mobility, therefore, we needed to take a taxi. The distance from Penn Station to the consulate office is 1.6 miles. It took us just under 1 hour to get there!! Mind you, it was just before the holiday season but it was mind blowing. We sat in traffic going nowhere for what seemed an interminable amount of time. A brisk walk would’ve taken 20 minutes or so.

[@PascualMorales-py6gd]

i used to live in nj, 25 minutes from nyc until i moved to fl 3 years ago. a few months ago, i went back to visit nj/nyc and the traffic in both nj and the city was wayyy worse than it was since i moved in mid 2022

[@smknochs1]

Ray, why don't you use dark mode?

[@JanusTroelsen]

he moved to the sun belt , probably mostly uses the computer in daytime lighting

[@jlgood89]

I always get pumped anytime Ray says he's about to "inflict" some info on us.

[@dragnflye3797]

Felt a little called out with the part about telecommuting increasing car trips. Since I started WFH, we did get rid of our second vehicle (yay!) but that has not reduced our total trips to 50%. Whether it's to deal with the cabin fever after my work day, or to make a special trip for medical appointments that I could have worked into a commute trip previously, I have increased my non-work trips.

[@m.r.6264]

I'm not sure if congestion pricing will work; maybe in the short term like it did in the first few years in London. I wonder if maybe just closing the streets to car traffic, like setting up barriers, to divert traffic to where you want car travel to be would have been better?

[@adampagano5361]

I'm from NYC. As much I love the idea of mass transit, the NYC MTA is a black hole of money. Cash goes in, nothing comes out. I'm honestly left wondering if congestion pricing will make things better or just punish people driving in from NJ and White Plains. I'm concerned that instead of finally modernizing the ancient A and J lines that still running on 120 year old equipment, they blow it on another self-monument like the Fulton Center nobody asked for in the first place.

[@joefer5360]

That's exactly what they will do with the money. It's all about the "tourist" economy. More junk to put up for "sightseeing". The locals who pay city tax are nothing.

[@Batmans_Pet_Goldfish]

@@adampagano5361 they also can't figure out how to make most stations disability accessable without spending $50+ million dollars per station to put an elevator in. And anyone who's used those elevators... They are absolutely not worth that price tag.

[@R17G74]

Depending on the pricing structure of public transit, a possible contributing factor is the fact that people who used to get a monthly subscription to public transit are now faced using a occasional transit fee which is higher cost per trip.Some people have opted back to solo car travel because the extra cost is now offset and the frequency of days into the city have decreased. I could add problems related to the new REM transit system in Montréal , but that would bore you.

[@littlesnarf]

And people here in coastal NJ still (mostly) won't be caught dead taking the train into NYC for events. Yes, it may take longer and, yes, it can be confusing if you aren't used to it. It's still way more comfortable less nerve racking in the end.

[@mitmon_8538]

@20:31 - Respect the deathblades. 😆

[@tann_man]

You discussed fear of Covid for transit but not crime? The amount of uncomfortable scenarios and criminal encounters on public transit has arguably a larger impact on transit usage.

[@Not_Sal]

Yeah this is a big issue and too many people in these discussions don’t bring it up

[@Low_pH]

I believe it's more the perception of crime in transit. Some of these commuters haven't even used public transit. Others are just "uncomfortable" with certain groups.

[@devononair]

I used to work in the office, and walked to work every day. On the way home, I'd stop by the supermarket or the post office to run errands. No car use during the day. I now work from home, but I still need to run errands, but I can't really be bothered to go for a long walk to do JUST that errand, so I often go by car. So I use my car more during weekdays than I used to! Weekend use remains the same.

[@Sashounet24]

Its simple, build more lanes. How are 2 lane one way streets gonna carry the traffic that a 24 lane highway would?? think man think like texas