Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz

Gridlock Sam: Mayor’s Placard Reduction Plan is Step One of Ten

By Aaron Naparstek | Jan 18, 2008 | 15 Comments

The following was contributed by Samuel I. Schwartz, AKA Gridlock Sam. Mayor Bloomberg correctly recognizes that reining in city workers’ parking privileges is a pre-requisite to congestion pricing. But his goal of 20 percent is too modest, and he should know it’s easier to do than it looks. Believe me I know; I led the […]

NYC.gov Holiday Traffic Plan Makes Way for NASCAR

By Aaron Naparstek | Nov 28, 2007 | 3 Comments

Gridlock Sam warns of widespread "pedlock and "traffic wrath" today. Not helping matters was this morning’s NASCAR Victory Lap around Times Square, conveniently timed to coincide with the morning rush. Times Square will serve as one big pit stop for NASCAR’s annual Victory Lap Wednesday, starting at 44thSt. between Broadway and Sixth Ave. and […]

Gridlock Sam’s Compromise Plan

By Aaron Naparstek | Nov 5, 2007 | 24 Comments

As if we didn’t already know it, last week’s Traffic Mitigation Commission hearings revealed that opposition to Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan among outer borough and suburban legislators may very well be intractable. Even in traffic-crushed districts where one would almost certainly find a majority in favor of some form of congestion pricing, we didn’t […]

Gridlock Sam Offers Four Ideas to Cut Traffic Congestion

By Aaron Naparstek | Sep 12, 2007 | 16 Comments

In today’s Daily News, former New York City Deputy Traffic Commissioner "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz says congestion pricing should "proceed now" and offers four additional ideas for creating a little breathing room on Manhattan’s streets: One way to reduce congestion is to reduce the number of taxis – permanently. I did the math when I was […]

Gridlock Sam on Car-Free Central Park

By Aaron Naparstek | May 16, 2007 | No Comments

Yesterday we put forth the argument that fastest, cheapest, easiest and most symbolically rich way for Mayor Bloomberg to initiate his new green agenda for New York City would be to make Central Park car-free during the summer of 2007. Last fall, in a wide-ranging interview with Open Planning Project executive director Mark Gorton, New […]

Why Can’t I Go the Wrong Way on a One Way Street?

By Jason Varone | Mar 30, 2007 | No Comments

From a recent Gridlock Sam column in the Daily News: Dear Gridlock Sam: I received a summons for driving the wrong way in a one-way street. I do admit that I made a wrong turn in a one-way street, and when I did reach the end of that street I resumed driving correctly. I remember […]

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