Transit Authority

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

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NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

Q: On my way to work in the morning, I cross Third Avenue on the north side of 42nd Street. When the light changes, pedestrians immediately cross, notwithstanding the fact that the walk light is still red owing to the turn arrow allowing eastbound traffic to turn north. The crossing pedestrians hold up the cars turning left onto Third Avenue, ultimately blocking westbound traffic on 42nd Street. I keep thinking that this mess could be largely solved by having the left-turn arrow come after the green, rather than before it. By the time traffic is allowed to turn left on Third Avenue, the pedestrians will already have crossed. Traffic in the left lane of eastbound 42nd Street might back up, but there are two additional lanes that could carry traffic through the intersection. Has the city looked into this?


A: The situation you describe is not rare around the city. New Yorkers are notorious for crossing against the light or diagonally across intersections. (People from Western cities are often shocked by this behavior. Crossing the wide streets of Denver or Houston against the light indicates a death wish). People also often block the box during the busiest times, and aside from posting traffic agents at intersections, there is little to be done to prevent this.


The city determines the traffic pattern for each intersection on its own merits, so there is no general rule for whether the turn arrow comes before or after the green. The arrow at 42nd Street used to come after the green but was changed in April 2001. It used to be that left-turning traffic was delayed by residual pedestrians and residual westbound traffic blocking the box. DOT engineers told me via e-mail that they found that by putting the arrow first, more cars were able to make the turn north, even with the pedestrians leaving early.


As it happens, your crosswalk is heavily studied, but your point is well taken. I expect intersections in less popular parts of the city may be less well-examined, and such an arrow switch could be in order.


Q: I have a reduced-fare Metro-Card due to multiple sclerosis. (I usually use a rolling walker but on good days sometimes a cane.) Normally this gets me reduced fares on Long Island Rail Road as well, but the conductor on LIRR Thanksgiving Day said it didn’t apply then, and I couldn’t find any info on my ticket either way. (I did save receipt.) What is the correct info? Also, if I am eligible for a refund, how do I go about it?


A: The conductor in your case made an error. In 2000,Congress adjusted the federal transportation laws so that any agency receiving federal transit funding has to offer a reduced fare for people with disabilities during off-peak hours. The MTA board took this policy a step further and extended it to include the evening peak, meaning the only time people with disabilities pay full fare is during the morning rush.


Thanksgiving was considered off-peak all day, so you should have received the discount fare. The LIRR, via a spokesman, James Dolan, has promised refunds to anyone with a disability who paid full fare, and he said there would be an investigation to find and educate the conductor who asked for it. Readers who had this problem may call the LIRR at 1-718-558-8228.







Questions about getting around the city? Please e-mail transit@nysun.com.

NY Sun
NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.


The New York Sun

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