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A bottleneck is a traffic term for when lots of traffic gets forced through a small space. Take a small bottle of soda, twist the cap open, turn it upside down, and then watch as the liquid struggles to escape. The liquid would escape much faster and smoother if the hole was wider.
I am grateful that I don't usually drive when and where there is traffic, but the pictures below show a situation that could escalate to bottlenecking madness very quickly if it was later in the day.
Midtown
Double parking taxis in the left lane, and double parking tour buses in the right lane, shrink the width of 7th Avenue, causing this bus to block the whole street. Sometimes there are triple parked buses and cars on both sides. Note the green light, above.
And now, the red light.
This is a symptom of a lack of planning, in my opinion, by the street planners. There isn't enough accommodations for all the buses, taxis, trucks, and vans.
Buses- If we had the bus stops and bus layover parking zones to match all the bus companies we have, than buses would no longer pose a problem. Measures also need to be taken to enforce ticketing for buses and trucks that block the intersection when they proceed through yellow and red traffic lights only to find no space on the other side of the intersection.
Taxis- We need more taxi stands, real full fledged taxi stands, not just small spaces for one and two cabs. Imagine how serene New York City life would be if every 10 blocks there were taxi stands accommodating 10 to 15 cabs. Eliminate street parking, increase the amount of taxi stands, and for hire vehicle standing zones. With less taxis cruising, there will be far less density in our traffic and less reckless driving. For hire vehicles A.K.A. limousines are constantly looking for spaces to wait until they are called, and adequate waiting zones for them is also necessary or else they slow down traffic causing bottlenecks.
Trucks and commercial vans- Ugh, these are a few of my least favorite things. Other cities have certain hours where deliveries are allowed, but in New York City, there are always deliveries all the time. Again I think we should reduce civilian parking while increasing commercial vehicle parking. The existing commercial loading sites, and there are plenty, need to change from part-time regulation hours to full-time. All non commercial vehicles should be towed and ticketed. To regulate the time a particular delivery can last, these commercial zones should have muni-meter regulations with an hour limit. If a vehicle stays on the block for more than an hour, they should be ticketed the first hour after, and towed the next hour after. Double parking shouldn't be legal for anyone, anywhere.
Garbage collection- Here's an idea: have designated streets for both deliveries and garbage pick-up leaving the rest of us to clear streets elsewhere.
But most importantly, all rules are nothing without constant enforcement. But I digress, if the streets were properly laid out for all the action, more standing zones for all and less parking for regular cars, then streets would flow smoothly and perhaps there would be less rules broken, less tickets issued, and thus less income for the City of New York.
You gotta see these in reference to Barack Obama being elected late on Tuesday Night:
However shocking this all is, while we all voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Obama, most of us stayed at home like good citizens. As usual it was quiet as a mouse in good ol' Staten Island, just as it was quiet when the Giants won the Super Bowl. Some may think we don't care, no we care, but the whole borough always wakes up really early to get to work in the morning. My downstairs neighbor, a teacher, unleashed a scream when the electoral college climbed above 270. Me and my room-mate just sat there in silence, we couldn't believe it.
Even now that 2 days have past, I look around on the subways and I still can't imagine that the entire north-east of America had voted, let alone our city, for the African-American, anti-war, pro-choice, young senator. I am ecstatic, but in all of this excitement I am not sure who to be mad at anymore. My government has been surprising me more and more in this past year: I've had the IRS give me an extra 300 dollars because I forgot to file a section on the form correctly, the Post Office handled my change of address request instantaneously, and the court that called me in for jury duty accepted my excuse that I was no longer a resident of Manhattan County and did so with relative efficiency, Oh, and did I forget to mention, Obama won??!!!!!!!
Now let's hope that he can flip the economy (that should take a while), take less taxes from the poor, give health care to all citizens, and maybe just maybe give us a higher mile per gallon taxi regulation.
Ask 50 cabbies what they would rather drive, hybrid or Crown Victoria, and at least 20 if not more, will tell you they'd prefer less gas consumption. I say once we go green, we'll never go back, I know it's not quite so catchy but it's the truth. The Metropolitan Taxi Board of Trade just won a preliminary injunction against Mayor Bloomberg's green taxi agenda. What really rubs me the wrong way, is that we cabbies have been mis-represented. The MTBOT doesn't represent all New York taxi drivers. Quite the contrary, it mostly represents taxi owners, most of whom lease their cabs to drivers and thus do not have to pay for gas themselves. The reason the judge halted the green taxi fleet plan was not because of safety issues, or durability concerns. Rather, the judge halted further greening of our taxis because only federal government and not local government, has "the right to set fuel efficiency standards."-NYTimes
To further prove my point I encourage you, the reader to survey 50 cabbies who already drive hybrids as taxis, if 90% don't say they are glad they made the switch, well, I'll be surprised.
Click here for The New York Times article:
For several years now hybrids have been proving their safety and reliability to the public not only as private cars, but as taxis. One of the few things the mayor has done right was buckling down on both the taxi and private for hire business. I posted a piece over at YellowCabNYC.com. Stay tuned over at YellowCabNYC, I'll be publishing pictures and stories over there too, while also publishing over here at NYCtaxiphoto.blogspot.comYellowCabNYC.com is a great source for current news relating to the world of NYC taxi, and I'm glad to be a part of it. I'll make sure NYC taxi photo continues to be as awesome as it always has been as well.
Nissan Altima hybrid taxi 
Before looking at the regular shift shots, I'd like to thank Bob who writes Taxitales, and Two Steps Back, for leaving me a link for a page with hundreds of pictures of old New York dating back more than a century ago, one guy on the Wired New York Forum posted all of them: New York in Black and White.
Some famous photographers names include Walker Evans, Alfred Stieglitz, Weegee, Berenice Abbott, et-cetera, et-cetera. The images really lead me to compare and contrast the different layouts of city streets, how our grid has or hasn't evolved to our traffic conditions today. Before the automobile people were more dependent on the trolley , the subway, and el. The streets were narrower and more bridges, for example, the Brooklyn Bridge, would have train cars as well as horses and then horse-less carriages. The bus depot once looked like a large diner, and was adjacent to Penn Station. Penn Station of course is now just a basement in Madison Square Garden. The Port Authority Bus Terminal is now at least 8 times the size of the Greyhound Bus Terminal, and west of Times Square. It also appears that traffic got bad in the mid-30's. It is extremely interesting stuff.
I suppose there were plenty of negatives too, where are the women? And why did the men always wear work clothes and bowler hats? Different times, different times. Also all that horse-manure lying around couldn't have been healthy.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
TriBeCa
Midtown
Shots from 6/28/08
who needs thugs? After this altercation with a politician, Colin Beavan, wrote this letter to Mr. Klein: At this point, you brought your vehicle to an abrupt halt, not to avoid hitting me, but because you apparently needed to communicate something to me. You rolled down your window and said, "Get your hands off my car, you fucking asshole."
I said, "You were veering into me and going to crush me."
You said, "You better not touch other people's cars. You might find that touching other people's cars is more dangerous than traffic."
This gave me the impression that you were threatening me.
Citizens like this deserve deportation, but to be representing our state, I find this insulting to our entire country, let alone our state, that we can elect such bastards.
From 7am to 1pm you will be confronted with this wall of happiness. From the Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street; Laffayette, then 4th Avenue, then Park Avenue will all be closed. And 72nd Street will be closed between Central Park and Park Avenue. All major street crossings will remain open, but be prepared for multitudes of bicyclists and pedestrians crossing when the light is against them.
This is a trial program which will be tested August 9th, 16th, and the 23rd.
 I'm on both sides of the fence on this one. It sounds like a wonderful idea, but right through the middle of the city, has any other city done this before? I know Cambridge Massachusetts is one example, however they close Memorial Drive, a major road with only a few cross-streets in an un-congested area, also they close the drive sundays and not saturdays.
I think it is a bit much to imagine that cutting circulation of traffic right in the middle of Manhattan can work on any day of the week. I hope that when examining this plan, city experts had examined the effects on traffic from the 5 boro bike tour, and the New York City Marathon.
Frankly I love the idea, but I'm pretty pessimistic on the income I will be making. I'll make sure to tell all my friends to take out their bike, their inline skates, and their skateboards, in hopes that maybe someone can enjoy the day.
"A Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this month showed
that 58 percent of New York City voters opposed Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, with 37 percent supporting it and the rest undecided.
But 60 percent said they would support the proposal if it generated money to improve mass transportation, with 37 percent opposing."
No Folks, you can't make this shit up. Is it just me of does it feel like I'm trapped in an episode of a satirical cartoon?
Read this Article published in the Columbia University paper
Yesterday was an infuriating day. This was my boiling point. Click here- Improper Use of a Taxi Relief ZoneThis site brings to light the abuse and embellishment of parking privileges: Uncivil ServantsI will write some more detailed posts of my last 4 shifts soon.
I have been practicing with some other cabbies on a GPS computer display model in the garage. The Dispatcher takes us through the basics and quickly takes us into circumstances we don't anticipate. such as this:
If the passenger were to pay in cash, the driver would first hit 'time off' on the meter, followed by the 'print' button, to combine the extra charges and accumulated units and initial charge as usual. But if the passenger then decides to pay with a credit card after first saying they were paying cash, the driver must go through the computer, click 'refuse payment', then set a flat fare of the same amount just cancelled, hit 'time off', and let the passenger choose 'pay with credit card' accept the charge, select a tip, then swipe their card. But, then what if the passenger pays with their card, then changes their mind once more and decides to pay cash? The the driver must select 'cancel C.C. transaction', enter the flat fare again and 'time off', and 'print.'
I suppose if something like this really happened, it would be laughable, and a little degrading.
GPS and the taxi meter:
Here are the differences between GPS taxis and taxis without GPS:
Without GPS, the meter has only hiring rates 1 and 2: - A regular New York City fare
- A flat fare from Manhattan to JFK or vise versa ($45 plus tolls)
With the GPS, we can put rates 3 through 5 onto the meter:
- Rate 3 is a Newark Airport fare. Typical rate 1 initial charges are engaged, plus a 15 dollar charge for our time spent in New Jersey. The meter shows 17.50, and rolls on for each additional unit (mileage and waiting time) driven, the toll needs to be added. All told, a Newark Airport ride totals to 60 bucks.
- Rate 4 is double the meter. Rate 4 should be initialized if the passenger is going to a destination near the city, but not in the city, and yet still in New York state. But the meter should only be doubled once the city border is crossed. I am still unsure if the GPS automatically doubles proceeding units on the meter once the border is crossed, or if the 4th rate needs to be pressed precisely at borderline.
- Rate 5 is simple, a flat fare agreed upon by both the driver and passenger. It is entered into the computer, and after agreed on by the passenger via the touch screen, it appears on the meter. A flat fare other than 45 dollars is suitable for rides Out of New York State, or for a far enough distance from New York City.
In taxis without GPS installed Rates 3 through 5 are (and were previously) done in addition to, or without the meter. So the thinking now is that there will be less passenger confusion when they see everything on the meter and get easy to read credit card instructions on a monitor.
Plus, with the addition of GPS, we won't need to write down our pick-up and drop-off times and locations on trip sheets.
Well incase you didn't know, a strike is coming, I'm not much of an inside scoop really, 'cause I'm sitting on my couch already, and I am starting to need a job quick to make ends meet. To read more on this NYC taxi strike, go to Cabs are for KissingThe New York Hack wrote an article in the OP-Ed section of the New York Times on the strike, however I don't know which day it was. I lead you over to another source, since I just don't have the knowledge to give on this subject.
click here: Taxi fleet with new labels: Pictures of almost every model of taxi in new york with new labels. All that is unaccounted for is a Dodge Caravan, and Honda Civic. I guess the ford minivans won't be around much longer. A TLC sample picture of the Crown Vic with new decals:  I think it's cool that the taxi will have a little face lift, but I fear this may be a botched surgery. The new taxi fare decal is too small, how is anyone supposed to read that? A current Crown Victoria:  taxi cab in SoHo around 2003 (note the old prices):  taxi cab at the old Gaseteria (now BP) in SoHo around 2003: 
Dear council member: Ever since 9/11 we have had to struggle to maintain our rights to free speech. New Laws have been passed to restrict our freedoms in the name of security. In the New York Times Today on the front page of the Metro Section, there is an article on a new bill allowing more regulations on anybody with a camera. I see photography as a valuable tool for recording history and for informing a larger audience visually. Please help. I have a degree in photography, it is my hobby and my identity. Without my rights to express myself and display my love of New York City, I will find somewhere else to love. thank you --------------------- P.S. here is the link, City May Seek Permit and Insurance for Many Kinds of Public Photography Hopefully you won't have to log in. ARE YOU OUTRAGED? Look up your council member and tell them if you live in New York City. If you don't live in New York City, pick a council member and write them anyway, and express to them your feelings about this. Thanks Lee, for encouraging me to do more than just read the article.
So I was a little nervous, I’ll admit it. This week the television and radio had dedicated a surprisingly respectful amount of time to call to attention; a taxicab bandit was on the loose. Just as soon as they announced that he’d been robbing cab drivers at gunpoint for two weeks, the police nabbed him. What’s more the police did it in style, pulling up to his Brooklyn home in an unmarked police taxi.  Some random police taxi Here is another blogger's picture ( a much better one) of a police taxi: Cabs are for kissing's police taxi postThe federation of NYC taxi drivers says that an average of 10 taxi drivers a day are robbed, and they are demanding more support. This particular robber’s method was to hail a cab from one popular Manhattan neighborhood to another around the midnight hour. He would sit in the front seat. Then he would stick a pistol (a fake semi-automatic handgun) into the driver’s gut and demand the cash. What I think should be done: 1. It is not so bright to let one lone passenger into the front of the cab with you unless you have a partition between you and the passenger. The solution to this problem is easy; either take away the mandate that passengers have the right to request the front seat. Or more fairly, place partitions that separate the driver from all the other seats, not just the back. 2. We have a secret button to warn others we are in danger, I am not sure if all cabbies even know about it. When pushed, a flashing yellow light pulses through the front grille or outside the grille and also on the trunk lid. It is often pushed by accident, and it’s just as well ‘cause it doesn’t do a damned thing. I think we should have these buttons electronically signal the police and give them our coordinates. taxi bandit @ NBC the news story is a little different from the commisioner's conferance. This only means that once again, a quick reporting news network forgot to go over the report. Nobody was taken into Brooklyn, or were they?
The mayor has introduced a plan to charge 8 dollars for motor vehicles entering Manhattan below 86th street, and 25 dollars for commercial vehicles, Taxis will be exempt. Surprisingly I think it's a great idea. The traffic during the hours which cars would be charged gets horrible, absolutely horrible. Some New Yorkers seem totally oblivious to the world around them with their Hummers, Escalades, and okay fine, my taxi really sucks too. The conservative argument put up by some politicians in the outer boroughs, is that this is another way to tax the poor. Question: If you are poor WHY ARE YOU DRIVING TO WORK? Costs of driving to Manhattan are already: Parking: around 15 to 30 dollars (parking spaces are free, but to obtain them, one must do a lot of praying, once the spot is obtained, cars are often dented and scratched) Tolls: between nothing and 9 dollars Or you could take Mass transit, it's alot cheaper and more reliable. Click here for a nice pie chart ( 13 billion dollars) and note facts below the nice pie. By the way, soon taxis will be more green and economical. The city already has a few Toyota Prius', some hybrid camrys, hybrid Highlanders, a bunch of hybrid Ford Escapes, one Lexus RX 400h (the h is for hybrid), and possibly a Honda Civic hybrid too, the electric Pt Cruiser is bogus, I never saw it. All medalions currently and in the future are only offered for greener cars or handicapped access vehicles. I heard that a hybrid Ford Escape eats less than half the gas of a Ford Crown Vic. in a day, and I heard a Civic hybrid or a Prius eats a quarter of what the Crown Vic. drinks.
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