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City Council Survey (District 1): Arthur Gregory
Political Party: Democratic Party http://arthurgregory.org Candidate Submitted Biography: About The Candidate City Council Survey (District 1): Arthur GregoryQuestion 1: What is the most important transportation need in your district? As a Council Member, how would you work to address this need?A way of coordinating the Trucks, bikes and regular residential cars. Question 2: The intersection of Bowery and E Houston Street is one of the most dangerous in your district, where 2 people died and 76 people were injured between 1995-2005 (NYS DOT). As a City Council member, what traffic enforcement policies or physical changes to the intersection infrastructure would you support to make this intersection safer for everyone who uses it (pedestrians, cyclists and drivers)?I am not an expert on traffic problems, but saying that, I do come originally from a state that started the use of traffic circles, which were proved a very dangerous way of moving traffic, at that time I worked in the Sate Assembly, and would do what we did then. Go out and get the best people or firms in the world to come and tell us how to solve the problem, the DOT does not have that kind of person working for us at this time, I would get them Question 3: According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles' most currently available data, in 2007 speeding was a contributing factor in over 3,000 motor vehicle crashes in New York City. Furthermore, the same data showed that the top human contributing factor to the 264 fatal crashes in New York City during 2007 was also speeding. Given these figures, what measures, if any, do you support to redress this problem? Finally, do you believe that New York City’s current speed limits are safe?Speeding is a big problem esspicially at night, you have to ballance the need to have traffic flow with safty, I would tink by haveing the traffic lights in the evening hours staggared would solve that problem easally, and with the traffic going at a slow pace most daytime hours kind of solves that it selff, also to increase the camera ticketing system not only would be a deterant, but a vevinue sorource Question 4: The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's website reports: "In New York City, obesity is epidemic: more than half of adult New Yorkers are overweight (34%) or obese (22%). Data show that obesity begins early in life: nearly half of all elementary school children and Head Start children are not a healthy weight. In New York City, 1 in 5 kindergarten students, and 1 in 4 Head Start children, is obese." Do you believe that increasing walking and biking in New York City would improve public health? If yes, how would you work to increase walking and biking in your district?Of course exercise of any kind would help, but this is more of a trans fat (which i was one the NY Board of Health’s spoke persons) and food intact education by the health departments, then have programs thru the Board of Ed's and after school programs to encourage running biking and exercise Question 5: Road pricing, including such measures as non-stop tolling, fees based on vehicle miles travelled or entry into a highly congested zone, has been the source of much discussion in New York City and other major metropolitan areas. London famously uses a congestion charge to fund its transit system, Oregon recently piloted a program to replace the gas tax with a fee for miles driven and Seattle recently studied how road pricing could be introduced on a regional basis. Seattle's study, “Traffic Choices Study" (http://psrc.org/projects/trafficchoices/index.htm), found that introducing new tolls on major corridors during peak traffic hours influenced drivers’ behavior and projected that a region-wide road pricing scheme could significantly reduce vehicular traffic congestion. Do you think that introducing a road pricing strategy would change New Yorkers’ travel choices? Do you think that this would be an effective way for the City to reduce backups on high-traffic roadways like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the Gowanus Expressway or the Long Island Expressway? Finally, do you believe there are additional benefits in the surrounding neighborhoods which could be realized from the reduction of vehicular congestion on these routes?Like I said in question 2, I am not an expert on traffic, and would find the best and brightest people or firms on this subject. I do feel most of the expressway congestion is caused by Truck and van traffic, which could be reduced by my alternate street parking for truck delivering and work trucks like Con Edison, the companies would not be sending truck into the city at all hours and on all days. After 9/11 in the district (I had a business that was in the restricted area) for months we could only get deliverers from most company and certain day’s, now it was at first difficult, because we were not used to it, but after a very short time it just became just part of doing biz Question 6: Do you believe that reducing residential parking requirements as set forth within NYC zoning regulations would affect neighborhood traffic congestion, and if so, in what way? In the 1st district there is all most no residential or on street parking for customers coming to patronize small retail business in the area, so no. We need less government parking (and the use of government cars just to go to and from there homes and offices, give them metro cars and LIRR pass's) we need more places for residential cars to park on the free streets that they pay tax's for Question 7: The NYC Department of Transportation's Public Plaza Program, Pedestrian Street Program and Summer Streets events are intended to diversify the use of public space and provide more places for New Yorkers to recreate and socialize. Do you support the temporary or permanent repurposing of street space for pedestrians and cyclists? Yes of course we need more parks and bike paths (my alternate street plan) the city has proved thru the Time's Sq plaza, that it do’s not adversely affect traffic flow, we get used to the system the truckers and cabbies get to know the when’s an when nots and live goes on, and it makes it a better place for s and our kids to live Question 8: The City recently released plans for Bus Rapid Transit and expressed interest in bringing a bike share program to New York City. Do you think these new projects would enhance the city's transportation network? Please explain.Yes every plann that increase people moveing in a safe and faster way is good
Submitted by Chris Arnold on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 13:34.
Submitted by Chris Arnold on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 00:09.
Submitted by Chris Arnold on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 13:34.
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