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CactusBoyScout OP t1_itm5x0v wrote

Reply to comment by evilgenius12358 in Queens Borough President Changes Position, Pens Op-Ed Supporting Large Astoria Development ‘Innovation QNS’ by CactusBoyScout

What infrastructure specifically? The subway is having low ridership problems so can’t be that.

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evilgenius12358 t1_itmn9hb wrote

Subways. Thinking everyone on this sub has had to watch full subways cars pass them and their station when at capacity during rush hour. More cars, more tracks, and need for more people than 30 years ago. Last two years are an outlier and if/when we get back to pre COVID ridership levels we will quickly exceed current capacity.

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CactusBoyScout OP t1_itmorki wrote

This city’s focus on subways/trains as the only meaningful mode of public transportation is just myopic.

Go to cities like London where buses move tons of people and even neighborhoods without Underground stations have good transit service.

But they accomplish that by disincentivizing car usage. You always pay for street parking and they have congestion charging so buses move around efficiently and aren’t perpetually stuck in traffic like here.

We are basically choosing to make a cheap, efficient mode of transit unreliable by catering to car owners so much.

Plus our bus network has barely changed since WWII and mostly focuses on moving people around within one borough. That should also change.

My point is we don’t have to wait decades for subway expansion. But political choices favoring car owners prevent buses from being a good alternative.

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evilgenius12358 t1_itmq9lu wrote

Politicians have not made meaningful investment to expand train and subway infrastructure in past resulting in today's over crowding. To think future development will force politicians hands and get investment in any type of mass transit infrastructure is shortsighted. We need a long term regional plan with investments today that will move the needle tomorrow. Instead we have politicians who are only focused on the next election cycle who are loathe to spend public funds on long term projects when spending can be allocated to projectS they can champion and claim as wins this election cycle.

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CactusBoyScout OP t1_itmqs27 wrote

I’d say it’s just as shortsighted to assume that WFH will completely disappear and we will suddenly return to pre-COVID ridership levels.

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evilgenius12358 t1_itmra5z wrote

Reversion to mean is not shortsighted. All things will correct themselves in due time. WFH will not go away but I can say with certainty that more people will start commuting to Manhattan in the future. Next year or next decade. Either way it will happen.

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