Monday, April 7, 2008

The longest commute

Trading in private wheels for city rails

Long way home
Here's a look at Dan Tubridy's new hour-and-46-minute weekday commute if congestion pricing passes in Albany. It would replace a 35-to-40-minute car ride over the Cross Bay Bridge to Woodhaven Blvd., onto the Long Island Expressway and over the 59th St. Bridge into Manhattan.

11:13 a.m. — Leaves house on Beach 121st St. and walks five blocks to Rockaway Park Station at Beach 116th St., Queens

11:23 a.m. — Swipes MetroCard

11:29 a.m. — S train shuttle leaves Rockaway Park station

11:42 a.m. — S train arrives at Broad Channel station

11:49 a.m. — Transfers to A train at Broad Channel station.

12:31 p.m. — A train arrives at Broadway-Nassau station

12:37 p.m. — Transfers to uptown No. 5 train

12:47 p.m. — Arrives at Grand Central

12:50 p.m. — Transfers to uptown No. 6 train

12:53 p.m. — Arrives at 53rd St. station

12:59 p.m. — Walks into Metro 53 bar on E. 53rd St.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

lol has this guy ever ridden the S or the A? As someone who lived at B108 street recently, I can tell ya at that hour, the shuttle won't come that quickly and the transfer to the A will suck. Coming home, have fun cause you'll get a Lefferts train after waiting 30 min... Then have to wait at Rockaway Parkway for another 30 for the A... Then probably another 15 for the shuttle at Broad Channel.... Better add 1 to 2 hours onto this...

Anonymous said...

Where does he park when he drives to Manhattan now? In a garage? Why not just drive to a subway closer in Queens, park in a garage there, and take a quick subway ride to midtown. Because a guy wants to selfishly drive into Manhattan every day is no argument against congestion pricing.

Anonymous said...

Why pay for a garage AND for the train? That suggestion makes no sense.

Anonymous said...

"Because a guy wants to selfishly drive into Manhattan every day is no argument against congestion pricing."

How is this selfish exactly? He's driving to the city to work, not cruise around town just for the hell of it.

Anonymous said...

Nobody twisted his arm to live out there.

He can get a good place much nearer to the city.

I like how someone gets an extreme example (I have to take my mother to a specialist three times a week and he dockter is on Park Avenue.)


Yes, nothing can be good for anyone all the time.

Anonymous said...

Let me see...

His commuting time based on a place he chose,

or someone getting a serious lung ailment from traffic for someone who has no choice.

Anonymous said...

Aww poor baby. 5 minute from the subway and he still can't hack it? doesn't even have to be at work at 9am like the rest of us working stiffs. I can't wait until this congestion pricing kicks in. This guy is the case study for why we should have it. He lives right next to a subway, but prefers to clog up the roads with his car (most likely a gas guzzling SUV).

Anonymous said...

"Because a guy wants to selfishly drive into Manhattan every day is no argument against congestion pricing."

Because some precious Manhattanites want to keep some of us outer-borough folks off their island.

Don't believe all you hear about how congestion pricing is going to help the environment. The reduction on overall polution is NEGLIGIBLE.

This is more of an additional tax upon the working class.

Do you think the wealthy have any qualms about paying an extra 8 dollars to drive into Manhattan? It is merely a drop in the bucket for them. In fact, this just might make their commute a little quicker, that's all.

And with the suggestion of driving to a subway closer in Queens? Sure, lets tie up traffic in those communities instead. Those people don't matter at all.

Anonymous said...

seriously. bohoo.
around most of the world. subways/trains cost more depending on how far you ride it, and what lines you take. so to live farther from where you work, costs more. and! takes more time. why not move closer to the city, ditch the car, and probably save money. (let alone time, between upkeep, insurance & gas) if having ones life outside of manhatten is so important. get a job close to home then. can't feel bad for this guy.

Queens Crapper said...

"takes more time. why not move closer to the city"

Rockaway is part of the City of New York.

Anonymous said...

queens crapper said...

"Rockaway is part of the City of New York."

quiet right. i must have confused everyone!!
"closer to where he works"

KG2V said...

What the advocates of congestion pricing don't realize (actually some do, and I think it's actually a goal) is that some classes of business will just move OUT of Manhattan (Think backroom operations and the like) and others (Think the stockbrokers and the like) will look at the bosses and say "I want a 5K raise", and they will get it - so those with the power to negotiate deals will have no problems. Those who work in businesses that can move out, will. It's the rest of us who are stuck

Disclaimer: I rode the train to work from 1992 (when I started working in Manhattan) till last November, when I became handicapped, and I CAN'T ride the train, until/unless my leg heals (prognosis - another 1/2 year to 5 years). Now I have a choice - wait on paratransit (yeah - right) or Drive. The GOOD news is I work above 60th, so I never have to cross the dread line. As soon as the leg is well enough (fingers crossed) I'll gladly go back to mass transit