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Changes since congestion pricing started in New York

(www.nytimes.com)
437 points Vinnl | 3 comments | 13 May 25 10:43 UTC | HN request time: 0.403s | source
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RhysU ◴[14 May 25 15:34 UTC] No.43985805[source]▶
Congestion isn't limited to cars.

My pregnant wife was hit yesterday in SoHo in broad daylight by a delivery driver on an e-bike. He ran a redlight. He hit her in a crosswalk. She was wearing a bright orange dress. She was not on a phone or listening to music. She went flying ass over teakettle. We spent 6 hours in the ER yesterday evening to make sure our unborn baby was okay. Fortunately, everyone is OK despite her being banged up.

The goddamn lawlessness of electric bikes is a consequence of NYC implicitly encouraging their illegal use. Meanwhile, I get to pay $9 MORE to drive my licensed, registered, insured vehicle on increasingly narrow roads filled with increasingly negligent 2-wheeled asshats because it's the preferred business model.

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bryanlarsen ◴[14 May 25 15:45 UTC] No.43985909[source]▶
In other forums there are lots of complaints about the NYC crackdown on e-bikes. NYC has taken steps to discourage their use. Maybe not enough, but definitely more than in most other parts of the country.
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RhysU ◴[14 May 25 15:50 UTC] No.43985977[source]▶
Stand on a corner in NYC and count the moving violations the e-bikes commit. Running lights and stops. Going the wrong way. Etc.

These aren't subtle infractions of the law. Tell me why automated traffic enforcement cameras don't target them.

As a motorcyclist, e-bikes piss me off to no end.

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1. Mawr ◴[16 May 25 01:18 UTC] No.44000959[source]▶
> Tell me why automated traffic enforcement cameras don't target them.

Beyond the obvious lack of registration plates, it's basic physics.

A fat guy on an e-bike is what, 100+30kg of mass? How fast do they go, maybe 35km/h (22mph) tops? That gives us the kinetic energy of roughly 6242J.

Let's compare with a silly lightweight 1,400kg car + 100kg driver moving at the same speed: 72,030J - 11 times greater.

At 50km/h (31mph) that becomes 144,907J - 23 times greater.

70km/h (43mph)? 46 times.

100km/h (62mph)? 94.

So the worst case possible for an ebike compared to the best case for a car has the car be 11 times more dangerous. More realistically, a car will be over 20 times more dangerous, with essentially infinite potential for more (do cars in cities travel at 31mph tops?).

Now, in another comment [1] you went ahead and said speed limits are set too low and mild speeding is all good and fine. Does it still seem so?

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43996494

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2. hollerith ◴[16 May 25 01:23 UTC] No.44000988[source]▶
When walking on the sidewalks near my home, I don't fear being hit by fast-moving cars.
3. AStonesThrow ◴[16 May 25 02:02 UTC] No.44001201[source]▶
Look, I don't care if there's a spherical cow in a vacuum or a witch with a broomstick going at 0.98c, your fat guy on an e-bike can endanger people and property if he's in the street.

Whatever $OPERATOR on $CONVEYANCE at $SPEED works out to, I would hope that each jurisdiction has a vested interest in safety on their roads. Indeed, the lack of registration plates, and the lack of licensing is a huge impediment.

I find that motorists with licenses tend to obey all relevant traffic laws. They are not prone to running red lights or swerving around or otherwise operating their cars dangerously. And I attribute this behavior mostly to the fact that driving is a privilege that can be restricted or revoked.

If you fine a pedestrian for jaywalking then they can pay that fine or not. You cannot prevent a pedestrian from walking around in the street. You apparently cannot prevent people from riding bikes or scooters, either. Since there is no licensing and no "privilege" to do so, it's more or less anything-goes on the streets with such conveyances.

Nevertheless, I've been that fat guy on an electric scooter, and I'm telling you, it would not be surprising to maim or kill a vulnerable pedestrian (and my own self) if I'm going along at 17mph in the road.

Perhaps the cameras can't catch or target them, but hopefully some enforcement can be brought to bear on such dangerous activity.