A Waste of Money

I just spent a couple of days in NYC and I can tell you without a doubt that the new - recently canceled - tunnel project was completely unnecessary. It’s surprising to me that there was any doubt on the issue.  Anyone who lives in Manhattan instinctively knows that an additional tunnel is not a solution. In fact, I’m surprised New Yorkers weren’t up in arms protesting the idea. 

Ok, maybe if it was necessary to retire one of the existing tunnels in the near future, then it might make sense to begin planning a replacement tunnel.  But adding a new tunnel to the existing roadways will just make an obvious problem worse.

NYC doesn’t need a new tunnel. NYC needs a lot fewer people to drive into NYC. Taxis and busses can barely move as it is. The amount of time it takes to drive in is the primary deterrent and the only thing encouraging the use of mass transit. Why compound the city’s traffic problem by encouraging more people to drive in?


I'm surprised we haven't seen it already. They day can't be far off. One day, we'll be just feet away from the Lincoln Tunnel toll booth and a sign will appear saying Manhattan Full. Maybe there will be arrows pointing you towards other available cities to drive into.

There are those odd times of day, early Sunday morning for instance, that you can easily drive around Manhattan. But at those times, there’s NO shortage of tunnels. So what’s the problem?  If you are upset because you can’t drive into Manhattan in a reasonably short period of time, then take the train or a bus and stop belly-aching.