TrafficSNAFU

TrafficSNAFU t1_j4gl45c wrote

Reply to comment by scubastefon in Nj transit by HumanBoot4428

That's only if you don't purchase a ticket prior to boarding and the conductor asking for your ticket. Obviously if you tried to buy a ticket at a station's ticket vending machines and they weren't working, they'd waive the fee.

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TrafficSNAFU t1_j3y2xzq wrote

I think this the easiest thing to do in the near term but it would still require a fair bit of effort is really improving the Newark bus network. NJ Transit put out a redesign proposal which I felt was pretty good but that seems to just be dead in the water. Improving headways, implementing bus lanes, installing more bus shelters, making the system more friendly to new users. Other things that come to mind include refreshing existing light rail stations, ADA improvements to stations that are not compliant, installation of countdown clocks, turning light rail stations into mobility centers by better incorporating transfers to bus service and bike and scooter share programs. Beyond that, making a serious effort to create proper bus rapid transit lines on select corridors and expansions of the Newark Light Rail.

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TrafficSNAFU t1_j2y0b16 wrote

That's a great spot, lot of railfans stopped using it a few years when some security guards told them to buzz off. One of my personal favorite is Mulberry Commons right where it meets McCarter Highway.

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TrafficSNAFU t1_j2xzl9q wrote

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TrafficSNAFU t1_iyt99t5 wrote

I don't disagree with your sentiment in the last paragraphs about enforcing existing codes and worrying about developers not being held accountable, but to ignore that some land use choices generate more stormwater run off and other externalities than others, seems short sighted to me. I also like to point out, that the residential structures, may have been built prior to the current building/zoning codes being made and hence may have been grandfathered in. I don't know the history of how building codes evolved in Newark so that is only educated guess on my part. Additionally, in 2018, Newark's Office of Sustainability had established some programs regarding stormwater runoff. One of them was a catch basin adoption program and another was a rain barrel giveaway, while the City hasn't seemed to follow up on these efforts, their decision to run these programs indicates to me that this issue isn't purely seen in the way you describe. Additionally, the NJDEP's Resilient NJ for Northeastern NJ, also looks at variety of strategy to mitigate flooding issues from the micro to the macro level. While there are plenty of big ticket items suggested in various scenarios, plenty was written on the importance of small scale action.

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TrafficSNAFU t1_iysdelv wrote

I did some quick maths. Using satellite imagery on Google Maps I compared the 61-94 Main Street in Newark's Ironbound to the Edison Parking Lot at 160 Edison Place. Bare in mind this isn't a perfect methodology for multiple reason but the simplified maths are interesting. I picked that particular portion of that block on Main Street as it had 24 residential buildings with "Bayonne Boxes," these were 61-85 Main St and 70-94 Main St. I decided to roughly measure the square footage of their front yards, excluding what appeared to be the City sidewalk. I also excluded measuring the backyards as it was a little harder to determine what was and wasn't paved. I estimated the two rows of homes on each side of the street had roughly 6,880 sq ft of paved driveway/front yard area. In caparison, I estimated that the aforementioned Edison Parking Lot had around roughly 77,112 sq ft of paved parking area. If we assume that each of the residential buildings I measured on that block of Main Street can accommodate two families (households) per building, you have dwelling space for 48 households. Even if we assume one household per building, we still have 24 households. I agree that property owners, regardless of the size of the properties they own should seek any reasonable means to reduce stormwater runoff (reducing impervious surfaces with green space, using more previous types of paving, installing rain barrels, etc), we have to remember the old adage about being "penny wise and pound foolish." I don't think one has to stretch an inference to determine that residences probably provide more value to a community than a parking lot, and that's before we even considers the numbers I calculated.

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TrafficSNAFU t1_iy63aaw wrote

I just throw my hand up and that usually suffices. Interestingly, when I rode an MTA bus for the first time in the City, they thought I was nuts for doing that.

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