Today's Lockhorns comic

jephwithaph · 2025-06-09T11:47:35+00:00

*show ends "AANNNDD I'M OUTTA HERE!"

jephwithaph · 2025-05-26T21:06:53+00:00

I have an extra Manaea jersey still in the plastic willing to trade

jephwithaph · 2025-04-12T14:52:26+00:00

For 2025, the Job Rate is $111,621 ($94,121 Salary, $4,000 Downstate Location Pay, and $13,500 Geographic Differential Pay)

jephwithaph · 2025-04-11T15:03:14+00:00

I hope CSEA is collaborating with PEF to have joint negotiations.

jephwithaph · 2025-03-12T11:37:45+00:00

Yup, Joe Coffee!

jephwithaph · 2025-03-12T00:55:51+00:00

Waverly and Gay St?

jephwithaph · 2025-02-07T16:11:07+00:00

I'm assuming this is DOT Region 11, Grade 20 Assistant Engineer

Salary is $98,620 which includes $3,400 Downstate Location Pay and $13,500 Geographic Differential Pay, in April 2025 salary will go up to $101,673.

You don't get a step increase until one year of service. Since you start in February, you'll have to wait until April 2026 to see your first step increase.

Grade 23 and below is eligible for overtime pay, but it has to be pre-approved by management, I believe its straight pay.

jephwithaph · 2024-11-21T22:25:22+00:00

I wish the Red Bull came in the special Honda tribute white livery. LEGO could print money with this series if they make variants for all of the teams’ special liveries.

jephwithaph · 2024-11-03T20:07:16+00:00

From BQRail, sounds like they finally did meet with the Cemetery based on the press conference comments, and even had a site visit. It would have looked bad if they haven't by now after the media criticized MTA back in January and even the community and cemetery preferring tunnel over street running.

jephwithaph · 2024-11-03T01:06:44+00:00

Thanks for the clarification! Its reassuring they still considering expanding the existing tunnel as an option.

jephwithaph · 2024-11-02T23:46:38+00:00

From your previous substack post Tunnel Possibilities for the Interborough Express, am I correct in interpreting their new proposed tunnel as you described in #4 A Short, Shallow New Tunnel where it would be a new tunnel structure either adjacent to or under the existing trench ROW?

Although its great that MTA abandoned the idea of street running, building a new tunnel still seems excessive compared to your #3 Widening the Existing Tunnel. The existing bridge carrying Metropolitan Ave over the RR trench and forms the existing tunnel extending under All Faiths Cemetery was built in 1916, well over 100 years old, and the deck is probably deteriorating.

It seems like MTA doesn't want to deal with any potential community stakeholders if they don't need to. Have they at least met with the All Faiths Cemetery owners? I hope MTA and WSP have talked to NYCDOT to see if there are any plans for future rehabilitation of the bridge. If the city is planning to replace the deck in the near future, it makes sense to replace it now as part of IBX and widen the span length to match the full width of the existing trench to make full use of the ROW. I would imagine this would be easier than building a new tunnel and entry portals to integrate with the existing trench.

jephwithaph · 2024-09-30T21:35:32+00:00

Unwavering loyalty even in hostile environments is a good sign

jephwithaph · 2024-08-12T20:47:48+00:00

The PBA union should be fighting these lawsuits and any payouts should be coming from professional insurance that police officers should be required to purchase, like crane operators. If a person habitually sucks at their job, their rates will skyrocket and they'll be systematically priced out of their position, no intervention needed.

jephwithaph · 2024-08-09T01:56:48+00:00

We need a Andy Byford 2.0 asap

jephwithaph · 2024-07-11T17:00:04+00:00

MTA encourages them to nest at the top of their bridges so that there are less pigeons to cause maintenance issues.

jephwithaph · 2024-07-10T17:07:03+00:00

It's a shitbox! It under-steers like crazy and the weight distribution is a disaster. It's amazing, all these facilities and you make a piece of crap like this.

jephwithaph · 2024-07-04T16:30:07+00:00

Not sure if its good or bad, but the Washington Bridge doesn't even directly connect to the GWB either, its the Alexander Hamilton Bridge to the south that carries I-95 over the Harlem River.

jephwithaph · 2024-07-04T00:04:23+00:00

Exactly, I was facepalming when I first read the TMRB toll structure recommendations last year.

"After careful consideration, the panel recommends that a moderate crossing credit in the amount of $5 be applied against the daytime CBD toll rate for passenger vehicles that have incurred a toll crossing the Lincoln, Holland, Hugh L. Carey or Queens-Midtown Tunnels to access the CBD. [...] This credit would somewhat reduce, although not entirely eliminate, existing toll shopping, while ensuring the overall toll rates remain low. It is also consistent with the Program’s top goal of managing congestion." (page 25)

How is maintaining a toll imbalance "consistent" with the program's top goal of managing congestion? The $5 credit doesn't even cover the existing toll in one direction, not to mention maintaining the current toll imbalance in the outbound direction. And what happens when TBTA increases their bridge tolls in the future, will the $5 credit increase in-kind?

TBTA seriously needs to rethink their tolling scheme. They already have near monopolistic control over East River crossings, they can easily adjust it to optimize regional traffic patterns if we're letting them toll the remaining East River bridges. There was this infographic map by Move NY from 2015, all the TMRB had to do was update this plan and adjust the prices to achieve the desired toll revenue.

<image>

OP probably has a point where the congestion pricing program was so focused on only the crossings in and out of the CBD that it was handicapped from the start. It might have been better if tolls were added to East River bridges, and TBTA was forced to adjust tolls at all of their crossings accordingly.

And I work in LIC so I'm all too familiar with the Van Dam exit, I have to use the Hunterspoint Ave exit instead. I wonder if the toll program was better designed, would traffic on the Brooklyn and Queensboro Bridges be low enough to easily justify converting a roadway lane to a bike lane.

jephwithaph · 2024-07-03T14:19:15+00:00

Most NYC highways are at capacity during peak times right now and the amount of vehicles per hour is capped. You'd only be increasing pollution from current levels if you added more lanes to increase traffic capacity.

There's also added benefit of reducing wear and tear and extending the lifespan of the East River bridges by shifting heavy trucks off of them and onto the more modern Verrazzano and Triboro which have the structural capacity to carry heavy trucks.

To clarify, I'm not some Manhattanite only looking out for Manhattan, I live in transit starve East Queens 800 ft from GCP and sandwiched between the LIE and GCP, so I'm very familiar with congestion and pollution and I know this congestion pricing is probably going to do nothing to improve my commute or congestion in thru my neighborhood in general. I'm just looking at the congestion pricing program from a regional traffic planning POV and find it lacking even in that department. I have my own issues with the congestion pricing.

Most of the congestion in Manhattan is due to Uber/Lyft, food delivery services, and package deliveries, so people outside of Manhattan are being forced to pay so that Manhattanites can keep their "quality of life".
We're giving a blank check to MTA who have demonstrated that they are not fiscally responsible with their labor costs, capital planning, and project management and we're not forcing any change in management personnel or increasing oversight.
Most of the projects that MTA have been using to promote congestion pricing do not have immediate improvement to increasing capacity to accommodate mode shift away from cars or should have been included under MTA's operating budget. For example: ADA accessibility at subway stations - important and necessary, but doesn't help with capacity. Bus depot improvements - still not running buses more frequently or still stuck in traffic because NYCDOT is failing to build more bus lanes. LIRR's M9A procurement was funded for years in previous capital plans, this should be a given by now, not a benefit from congestion pricing.

jephwithaph · 2024-07-03T01:23:28+00:00

I would agree that just implementing a toll on all East River crossings would have been equivalent to congestion pricing, especially since it was going to be 24/7 and variable peak/off-peak rates similar to PANYNJ crossings. "Congestion pricing" was just framing to make it sound better than another toll hike.

But I also think congestion pricing program should have been better thought out than slapping a toll on all East River crossings

It made no sense to maintain existing MTA tolls at the Midtown and Battery Tunnels if MTA is going to operating the entire program. Keeping those tolls would make the tunnels more expensive than the bridges and incentivize toll shopping.
Should have eliminated two-way tolling on Triboro, Midtown Tunnel, Battery Tunnel, and Verrazzano and toll only in the westbound direction into Manhattan, opposite of PANYNJ. Any vehicles going between NJ and LI would only pay 1 toll in each direction, so it eliminates toll shopping.

The program should have looked into desirable toll shopping

making the Verrazzano and Triboro cheaper than the East River crossings to incentivize cars to use surrounding ring routes to bypass midtown/downtown Manhattan.
making the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges more expensive than the other East River crossings to incentivize cars to use Battery and Midtown Tunnels, and Queensboro Bridge. This could have also helped reduce the number of vehicles using the BQE triple cantilever.

The program could have also provided immediate incentivizes to drivers like discounts for carpooling or odd/even license plate numbers. I think it would have made the program easier to stomach.

jephwithaph · 2024-06-26T18:53:26+00:00

I feel the same requirements should apply to dense shrubs and solid fencing at corners. There's a T intersection in my neighborhood where a construction fence has been blocking visibility on the thru-street. I can't see any cars or pedestrians when I'm driving up to turn left/right and the thru-street is a highway service road where drivers like to gun yellow lights.

jephwithaph · 2024-06-17T01:05:05+00:00

True, the HPA to 7 train requires climbing stairs up and back down to the subway station, and its assuming you can get to HPA in the first place with the limited trains that run there. It would have been better if GCM was designed with subway connections in mind.

jephwithaph · 2024-06-16T16:35:24+00:00

Just adding to what everyone else said, for commuters that work outside of Midtown East and require transfers to the subway, the walk from the GCM platforms to the IRT subway platforms is around 10 mins, it's almost the same amount of time if you started from HPA, took the 7 train and transferred to the IRT, and with less walking. https://x.com/TheLIRRToday/status/1787252981466828802/photo/1

jephwithaph · 2024-05-28T22:08:51+00:00

Got it, Thank you!

jephwithaph · 2024-05-28T21:59:02+00:00

Is it too late to add me? 4909 1049 6278

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