On Thursday night, while strolling near Washington Square Park in the Village, I observed rerouting of traffic and a helicopter hovering overhead – not typical at all. Suspecting a serious crime scene, I walked towards Eighth Street and University Place to find a taped off intersection with a badly crumpled bicycle, smashed cars, police vehicles, ambulances, and television equipment and crew.

A stolen van had lost control while being pursued by police (driving an undercover car disguised as a taxi). The van made a hard right at the intersection, hitting a vehicle, a bicyclist, and parked cars, and nearly careening into a glass-enclosed dining area in the front of the Dallas BBQ restaurant. Apparently the scene in the restaurant was pandemonium – people seeing the oncoming van, afraid it was going to collide, began running, with plates and food flying and the restaurant shaking. There was flying glass from the collision, injuring one pedestrian. The good news? A bystander, Sherwin Caton, chased and tackled the driver as he was trying to escape. And, amazingly, there were only minor injuries…

New Yorkers love to complain about the subway, but actually, the system is quite remarkable, especially allowing for the fact that it services a city that is not known for efficiency. We are all familiar with the negatives: rats, filth, litter, oppressively hot stations in the summer, no bathrooms, crowding, delays, rerouting, etc. After all, the system has to service 1.5 billion riders a year (5 million a day) with the world’s largest fleet of subway cars (6,400).

But look at some of the positives: it is one of the most extensive systems in the world, with 660 miles of track and 468 stations in four boroughs. In conjunction with buses, one can get reasonably close to any two locations, and that’s an achievement given the area involved. One can travel as far as 31 miles on the A train without a change of trains (207th Street Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens). Service is 24/7 – one of the few in the world and a tremendous convenience we take for granted. I remember a trip to Paris and being surprised that their system closed at 1 AM and having to find a taxi.

Fares are good for trips of any length with free transfers – many other transit systems charge on the basis of distance traveled. Some stations have amenities such as magazine stands and food. Musical entertainment can be found at some of the larger stations. If you are interested in more details, click here for the transit’s official site. I know – I should have written this after being stuck on a train during rush hour or being rerouted on the F 🙂

Legislation was recently passed regulating the pedicab industry. And, of course, it is fraught with problems – disagreements, protests (even free rides are being offered), and threat of a lawsuit. The key elements of the new bill are requirement of liability insurance, limitation on total number which can operate in the city (325), ban on electric motors, ban on operation in Midtown from Nov. 12 through Jan. 7, and ability for police to restrict them in situations where there is heavy traffic, parades, etc.

Essentially, pedicabs are being brought to a level of regulation similar to the taxicab industry – the primary opposition. Taxi drivers allege that they cause congestion, are dangerous, and should be limited and regulated; pedicab drivers feel that they are eco-friendly and that the legislation is anti-environment and anti-small business. There is a novelty element riding in a pedicab, somewhat like a horse and carriage, but they can be pricey. Recently, I was returning home with a large number of packages. I thought I might take a ride and support the team. I was quoted $15 for 10 blocks (about $5 in a taxi). I decided to walk…