For those not familiar, Randy Cohen writes an advice column for the NY Times magazine on day-to-day ethical issues that people face, like what to do when some local fifth graders destroy your neighborhood organic garden or if you should not order food delivery in dangerous weather conditions.

The Open Planning Project’s Executive Director Mark Gorton recently interviewed Mr. Cohen on the ethics of urban automobility for Streetfilms. The result has been condensed here into a 9 minute talk that touches on a multitude of topics ranging from Congestion Pricing to Parking Policy in NYC. While this focuses on NYC, the discussion could apply to many of urban centers and the conflicts between different users of public space.

As always, TOD:Local is looking for local stories of interest to post here and on the main page. Please send in your articles - complete with video, photos and html is preferred.

Tonight, I will be serving on a panel discussion prior to the Transportation Alternatives film "Contested Streets". I previously wrote about my impressions of the film here.

Screening of Contested Streets: Breaking NYC Gridlock.

Time: 8pm Panel Discussion, Followed by the one hour film.

Location: Solar1, East 23rd Street at the East River

Contested Streets explores the history and culture of New York City streets from pre-automobile times to the present. This examination allows for an understanding of how the city - though the most well served by mass transit in the United States - has slowly relinquished what was a rich, multi-dimensional conception of the street as public space to a mindset that prioritizes the rapid movement of cars and trucks over all other functions.

As the implications of peak oil starts to come closer to home, reducing NYC's dependence on  single occupancy vehicle automobile traffic (low value) and allowing higher volume (more valuable) traffic through is critical.

That's why I was glad to see that State Senator Liz Krueger's office is holding a forum on the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) next Tuesday, April 18th at 7pm at 8th Floor Meeting Room at Marymount Manhattan College, 221 East 71st Street (between Second and Third Avenues). The proposed route would run the full length of First and Second Avenues and then across 125th Street in Harlem. They expect 65,000 passengers to take this everyday.

The problems with current bus service were outlined in a study by Bruce Schaller sponsored by Transportation Alternatives and the Straphanger's Campaign (who will also be at the forum next week):

1. Buses spend as much as 30% of their time waiting for passengers to board and exit.
   
2. Increased crowding on buses due to ridership growth has lengthened delays from boarding and exiting.
   
3. Traffic signals are not synchronized with bus speeds, so buses are delayed by red lights between bus stops.
   
4. Drivers often have to slow down to stay on schedule even when traffic is light.
   
5. Bus field supervisors lack the tools to prevent bus bunching.
   

So how does BRT fix these problems?