Thursday, 1 November 2012

Only bicycles seemed to be rolling.

That's a quote from the New York Times article on the transportation gridlock that occurred as a result of Hurricane Sandy, Long Gas Lines, Clogged Roads and Slim Hope for a Better Day. Bikes and walking were about the only means of transportation that were feasible with the clogged streets and inactive subway system:
“The gridlock was dangerous, frankly,” Mr. Cuomo said....

The storm damage had a synergy of its own. Efforts to pump floodwaters from subway and automobile tunnels were slowed by electrical shortages. Hastily arranged car pools became bogged down on highways and city streets clogged with other commuters. Many gas stations, without power to operate their pumps, could not open for business, eerily evoking the fuel crisis of the 1970s.

Only bicycles seemed to be rolling...

City buses, the only piece of the mass transit network operating in earnest on Wednesday, often bypassed waiting commuters, unable to take on more passengers. Those who did make it on board often got off well before their stop, reasoning that they could walk faster...

With no underground route from Queens to Manhattan and car traffic stalled, some crossed the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge on bike or foot. One Twitter user described cycling over the bridge as “escaping zombie apocalypse.”

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