New York City’s Battle Against Congestion Begins at the Curb
In the Upper West Side, a program called Smart Curbs promises to kick off a citywide Department of Transportation initiative to reform the city’s parking and street usage.
A United Parcel Service driver pushes a trolley laden with boxes in New York City.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/BloombergOn a recent Monday afternoon on New York City’s Upper West Side, space at the curb was in high demand. An Amazon van idled in the middle of Columbus Avenue as its driver dashed to a nearby building to deliver boxes. Riders of cabs and Ubers scrambled to skirt a restaurant’s outdoor dining shed and avoid the cyclists flowing past down the bike lane.
In other words, it was a typical weekday in Manhattan. “We have limited space,” said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We are a city only of 350 square miles.”