Tag: nyc

Outdoor baby storage

this is genius. it ensures babies get the fresh air and exercise they need.

This article of manufacture comprises a housing or cage, wherein the baby or young child together with proper toys may be placed. The baby is enabled to receive fresh air through the screen or wire fabric, and it will be noted that the baby has sufficient room or space for playing with toys. Furthermore suitable bed clothing may be arranged in the cage or housing, when suspended adjacent the window or the house or apartment, so that when it is time for the baby to take a nap, the bed clothing may be made up in one corner wherein the baby may sleep.

If i ran the MTA

my poor experience today reminded me that i have tons of ideas for how to improve the MTA, so here goes. many of those wouldn’t be major capital projects or would pay for themselves very quickly. add your ones if you like.

  • make all buses select. no more front entrance only
  • introduce a yearly card and incentivize people to buy it
  • disincentivize buying single rides
  • eliminate the option to pay the driver
  • add ticket machines on the bus and remove them on the station
  • reopen the bathrooms in the subway
  • secure and make passing between cars convenient
  • create more retail space and rent it out
  • add exits at both ends of all platforms
  • add next departure screens at the entrance to the subway
  • get a sponsor to provide free wifi on the whole network
  • on stations where it is possible, open doors on both sides
  • paint signs onto the platforms how to stand aside when the doors open
  • automate the cars and make the redundant drivers into fare controllers
  • eliminate the unions
  • sell more sponsorships, where the whole train is themed
  • eliminate school busses and give all kids a metro card
  • investigate using the subway for cargo, not just trash
  • accelerate faster to increase average speed
  • use materials for the stations that aren’t as grimy
  • add next departure for busses
  • create more bus lanes

resilient NYC

the report from the sandy commission is now available. the atlantic has a good summary.

The report’s recommendations were based on 5 characteristics of resiliency: spare capacity (e.g. establishing backup systems, such as alternative transportation routes), flexibility (favoring “soft” solutions that can be modified over time, like improved hazard maps and evacuation plans), limited failure (designing infrastructure networks, especially power grids, to shutdown in pieces instead of wholes), rapid rebounds (initiating preemptive response strategies, like creating fleets of portable generators), and constantly learning.