Local-Motion

Wednesday, November 7, 2007. Time: 12:25 p.m. It's a gorgeous day. Temperature hovering around 50 degrees, visibility 10 miles. This, according to the National Weather Service -- and its forecast and report for Flushing. So, a question? Why is the Federal Aviation Administration reporting that departure delays are averaging 54 minutes at LaGuardia Airport -- due to "weather / wind?" The "wind" is blowing through at between 11 and 16 mph, according to the weather service. Hardly, it would seem, storm-like. Yet, there is a so-called "Ground Delay Program" in effect at LaGuardia. This is absurd. Ridiculous. Because, what this really is is another prime example of how tightly the air-traffic system is wound in the New York-metro area and of how sensitive it is to any kind of disruption -- even some barely-gusting winds. Instead of having minor holds as a safety precaution, anything that causes even a pause in the system results in massive, traveler-stranding delays in New York. A little rain? Delays. Patches of fog? Delays. Some clouds? Delays. A little wind? Delays. This is why the FAA not only needs to implement proposed flight re-routing patterns in the metro area ASAP, but also needs to push for long-discussed expansion programs at upstate Stewart Airport and renew discussions about expansion at Long Island-MacArthur Airport. It is why officials need to explore the potential development of Gabreski Airport as a realistic East End hub for Long Island. The sooner, the better. Be Polite . . . Uh, Please?The latest chapter in the "Be TrainSmart" safety campaign being conducted by the Long Island Rail Road? Um, a passenger -- and media -- blitz asking customers to "Let Them Exit First." Yes, a massive brochure and poster-laden campaign urging riders to allow fellow riders to exit trains before making their way on board. This, to put an end to all the pushing and shoving, banging and bumping in train doorways. So, we ask: If any rider is selfish enough to try and push past an exiting rider, therefore endangering everyone's safety, are they really going to stop to read a safety poster? Or a brochure? Are they really going to read it and say, "You know. I'm being so wrong here. I really need to be more considerate -- so, I can ensure the safety of my fellow riders." Uh, yeah. Exactly what we said. This is absolutely the dumbest campaign on record, a colossal waste of money. Better to put Metropolitatn Transportation Authority Police on platforms and have them issue warnings -- and, perhaps, tickets -- to inconsiderate and unruly passengers . . . instead of doing this. Now, a ticket would get the message across. Odds and Ends . . . and OddsDumb, but sort of funny, ad campaign? This one from the American Bus Association: "Save a Penguin. Take a Motorcoach." The idea is to persuade folks -- and, businesses -- to utilize luxury buses because, per passenger mile traveled, a full bus is actually more fuel-efficient than a single-occupant vehicle. The stats? The ABA claims a single motorcoach can replace as many as 55 passenger cars -- and could drastically reduce the output of CO2 emissions and therefore save polar ice-caps. Though, we do have to wonder how many trees were felled to produce the pamphlets, which feature pictures of Adelle penguins, Humboldt penguins and Rockhopper penguins -- as well as fancy motorcoach buses . . . By the way, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials -- that would be AASHTO -- recently distributed its 2007 publications catalog. These publications would be for highway engineers and contractors. Got insomnia? Some of these will fix that, for certain. How about these titles: "Report on Cold Recycling of Asphalt Pavements;" "Guidelines for Maintenance Management Systems;" "Improving the Quality of Environmental Documents;" and, "Highway Drainage Guidelines." The last one was highlighted by a "NEW" label. Want to know why highways really have potholes -- and why bridges really fall down? Because even engineers can't stay awake long enough to read this stuff . . . Those new electronic signboards on the Northern State Parkway tell drivers how many minutes it will take to reach the next exit, a figure based on reading E-ZPass tags at either end of the stretch of road -- and then averaging the time for cars whose tags it's averaged. Our question? What if everyone in that average pool is actually speeding? Uh, yup. The estimated travel time may actually be unrealistic and misleading -- because it's based on an average speed that is actually illegal. Bet no one at the New York State Department of Transportation has thought about that.