[MA-SOC] NYC subways and recycling

[Mandisa Washington]

Just a quick note...

About the only time NYC really got serious about sorting was when the
salvage market for various materials in the waste stream made it
profitable. So as of a year ago, the city started heavily fining people who
collect cans and cardboard from the trash b/c the city can get good money
for that stuff. It might happen more broadly if we had widespread industry
support to make all recyclable/salvageable materials profitable to collect,
and maybe give federal & state support to municipalities to get their
programs going. Until then, nada.

I lived in Boston for 4 solid years (even the summers, while in college).
This was some years ago, but the whole city shut down at 1am. The bars and
clubs, the subway, the streets, the taxis, everything. Even the commuter
rail was stymied as a reliable mass transit for folks beyond the subway
limits since it shut down around midnight/12:30 as well. As a non-driving
coed, if I needed to head home late at night (say after a late movie or
dinner, or a party, or whatever), most times we had to walk - you can't
hail cabs off the street in Boston. It's not that nobody works nights in
Boston, they just had to drive.

New York *can't* work that way. The city runs at maybe 50-60% capacity at
night, all night, every night. People work all three shifts, and we need to
get them in and around via mass transit, or end up with even worse
congestion. Here, if you couldn't get home because the subway was closed
for the night, you'd be screwed. Yellow cabs often refuse to leave
Manhattan, assuming you can catch one late at night away from a major
transit hub like Penn Station or Grand Central. NYC is even less of a
driving city than Boston, and I doubt you could convince the rest of the
city to match the subway's schedule, if restricted.

I heard the TA might shut down the subway at night if they were still
crazy-short of funds, but I think the resultant impact on business if
Nighttime New York came to a grinding halt would make the money appear
right quick.

Mandisa

> [Original Message]
> From: J.Q. <negativeq at yahoo.com>
> To: Metro Anime New York City--social list <ma-nyc-soc at lists.baka.org>
> Date: 5/18/2009 8:15:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [MA-SOC] NYC subways and recycling
>
> I sort my trash into paper, plastics, metal, and other. Each goes into a
different bag. Sometimes I see the collectors take them - and dump them
into a single bag.
>
> *sob*
>
> I've heard that supposedly, at the waste center, the trash ultimately
gets sorted out. I find it hard to believe - then what would be the point
of the recycle containers? NY needs to get much better about enforcing
recycling - which starts with showing average NYers that the crap they sort
IS getting recycled. And for baggers to stop giving me double bags when I
say I don't need bags at all.
>
> I have never been in a non-American subway. I've been on the subways of
Boston, DC, and San Diego. While they were cleaner, much cleaner, they were
more expensive, and extremely limited. 
>
> I agree the NYC subways are a mess right now. The service has gotten
worse - when I was taking the 4/5 downtown, I had to add 20 minutes every
day to accommodate for the "sick passenger" delay. The trains are more
crowded. And now the price is going up?! I understand NYC still has the
cheapest transit, but NYC has an INSANE cost of living to begin with. There
are plenty of people who are employed who can't afford the fares. I know
other nations have higher taxes, but the cost of living is cheaper, right?
>
> I think Peggy's idea of shutting down the subways to be an interesting
one. I wonder if it would work in NY. It would hurt the concept of the city
that never sleeps. Perhaps select lines could be shut on a rotating basis?
Personally, I would be okay with it ...