Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone.  And of course have a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year! 

Thank you for making us a part of your morning and part of your family.  And thank you to those have posted holiday wishes already on my other blog.

From: Your Traffic Authority 

         ines  merry christmas & a  happy new year

                               jay

Yo, Old People everywhere....that's right AARP members, & all those folks who reap the benefits of lower movie prices, just because you've reached a certain birth year! I've seen enough of you on the roads, causing problems with your improper speeds, poor reflexes, & failing vision. 

It's time to get legislative on your collective derrieres, when it comes to driving!

We are so caught up with drinking & driving, and all its legislation & penalties, that the havoc caused by senior citizens on the road, somehow falls underneath the radar. Statistically, senior citizens and their inability handle automotive machinery properly, is one of the greatest causes of accidents on the roadway, today. Of course, not every senior is a culprit, but there is more than enough evidence to bring this issue to the table. We may no't like to say it because it may not be popular with everyone! Well, I'm saying it.................

It's time to get tested, & re-tested, geezers! I believe that beginning at age 70, every senior with a valid driver's license should submit to mandatory testing every 3 years! The testing should include a physical & mental examination(including eyesight, hearing, reflexes, mental sustainability), as well as a road test.This is not unreasonable. Why seniors have gotten a free pass for so long amazes me. An 80 year old may be far more dangerous on the road than a 16 year old....& its time to find out!

Considering the fact that many families have demonstrated great difficulty in taking away the keys from grandma  or poppy, I believe its time that the government steps in!  This is a safety issue, & if seniors can pass the minmum requirements, drive 'til your heart's content. Go on a Cannonball Run! Have a blast!

I would just like to see the people, who are physically ill-equipped, &/or  petrified to be on the roads, grounded. It's overdue & more than time to do this...problem is...just like with families, there are very few politicians with the balls to do what's right, especially when controversial, or potentially unpopular with part of the voting public.

It's that time of the year again.  The streets are decorated with beautiful lights and the stores are busy with holiday shoppers looking for their treasures.  And the traffic...well, that's a different story.  New York City is extra busy starting the Friday before Thanksgiving through Christmas.  The streets are packed with people doing their holiday shopping and checking out the beautiful sights.  I'm one of them!  And of course you have more vehicles on the road.  Aside from regular cars, there are extra delivery trucks, too.   To help ease the congestion, New Yorkers and tourists are urged to used mass transit.

2008 GRIDLOCK ALERT DAYS: 

Friday, November 21                   Friday, November 26                Wednesday, December 3

Friday, December 5                     Thursday, December 11          Friday, December 12

Wednesday, December 17        Thursday, December  18         Friday, December 19

MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE STREET CLOSURES

   Jimmy Justice believes he is on a noble mission to expose hypocrisy among our public officials. Others think his antics are over the line. Now's your chance to speak up. Traffic agents aren't allowed to talk to the media so here's you chance to fight back anonymously.

   I will try to stay out of it unless we need a referee.

John

This is my second post about traffice build up on Staten Island, this one will be about the construction taking place on the Korean War Vets Parkway, I wonder how long the sub contractors get a permit for to block 1 lane at various parts of the Parkway, they have been working on "patching" the concrete which to be honest must be the only way these people stay employed, you want to see the taxpayers money go down the toilet just park on a service road so you can see these guys do absolutley NOTHING, well i must say that they do an amazing job of creating concrete dust clouds while there doing some work, most of these guys dont even wear masks and breath all the concrete dust in. What kind of second hand people did the city hire to do this project? 5 years from now someone will sue the city for "poor working contitions" just because they didnt want to wear a respirator.

The real reason for this post is the lack of information and co-ordination with the DOT, about a month ago the only entrance to the West shore Expressway and Korean war vets parkway near the outebridge was CLOSED, mind you this is the only entrance to both highways South of Blomingdale Rd. there is an entrace to the WSE at the end of blomingdale rd, which is not designed to handle the amount of traffic which is being forced onto it. you can also gain access to the Parkway and WSE from Maguire ave. which is most definatley not designed to handle traffic as a major access point to these highways. I guess my question and opinon is why is the DOT or the NYPD not directing traffic through lights to handle this mass overflow of traffic, some traffice lights in this area are green for literally 10 seconds before they change back to red, that means that the grandma who just got out of church or the rude irresponsible people who choose to still talk on there cell phone even though it's ILLEGAL (which has to be the worst damn law ever) well by the time they realize that the signal is green the damn things already red.

This morning i had to run to Home Depot, i live literally less than a mile from the store on the south shore, why the hell did it take me 25 min. to get there?!?! i'll tell you why, lack of planning and communication, I live here and had no idea that the entrance ramp would be closed on a weekend none the less, am i the only one that notices how incompitent these people are for not commuicating that to the genral public or do we not matter, they just want our hard earned money in there pockets.

Halloween is a fun holiday for all, but we should keep safety in mind as we go out and have fun. AAA New York encourage advance planning to keep Friday-Night Halloween Bashes from turning into crashes. Usually when a holiday falls on a weekend there is a sharp rise in traffic fatalaties. Robert Sinclair Jr., manager, media relations with AAA New York says, "when Halloween falls during the middle of the work week, parties and events are spread out over several days to include the weekend. With Halloween on a Friday this year, most festivites are expect to take place that evening putting a large number of adult partygoers on the road the same night as trick-or-treaters. " Two out of three adults ages 18 to 24 plan to throw or attend a Halloween party this year, according to the National Retail Federation, and 93 percent of children are expected to go trick-or-treating reports the National Confectioners Association. "Unfortunately we aslo see a sharp rise in the number of motor vehicle fatalities on Halloween when it is on a weekend, so it's critical for both motorists and pedestraian to take extra caustion and make sure this is a safe and happy Halloween for everyone," said Sinclair. The number of motor vehical fatalities on Halloween rises an average of 40 percent to 382 deaths when October 21 is on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, compared to other days fo the week, according to date from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA).

Partygoers & Hosts

· Make plans to get home safely. If intending to consume alcohol, make plans to get home safely by selecting a designated driver or ensuring cab service is available from the party location.

· Consider an overnight stay. If attending a party at a friend’s home, consider asking to stay overnight. If participating in festivities in a downtown or commercial area, look into hotel accommodations within walking distance. Many hotels offer special Halloween weekend rates and promotions.

· Have safe transportation options ready. If hosting a party with alcohol, compile a list of phone numbers including local cab companies and organizations offering designated driver services to have readily available should guests need a safe way home.

· Plan your travel route carefully. Try to avoid cutting through residential areas that will likely have a large number of trick-or-treaters. If providing directions to a party, make sure to not route guests through residential areas unnecessarily.

· Take care of designated drivers and offer alternatives to alcohol. Plan to have non-alcoholic drink options available for designated drivers and others. Serve plenty of food so partygoers do not drink on empty stomachs.

Trick-or-Treaters & Parents

· Select highly visible costumes. Look for light, bright and reflective costumes that make trick-or-treaters easy to see. Add reflective tape to costumes and treat buckets and bags to increase visibility.

· Ensure costumes fit well. Have trick-or-treaters try on, walk and play in costumes and shoes in advance to check fit. Make sure nothing comes loose or might cause the child to trip. Check that wigs or other accessories do not obstruct the child’s view.

· Review safety precautions with children. Include traffic safety rules in the review such as stay on the sidewalk, cross the street at crosswalks, avoid walking in front of, behind or between parked cars and stop at driveways to make sure no vehicles are coming in and out.

· Plan trick-or-treating route and supervision in advance. Avoid areas with heavy vehicle traffic and look for well-lit streets with sidewalks. Make arrangements for an adult or a responsible teen to accompany younger trick-or-treaters.

· Get a flashlight with fresh batteries. A flashlight can help trick-or-treaters see and be seen, but it should never be directed at someone’s eyes including those of passing motorists.

AAA offers an in-depth list of Halloween safety tips for motorists, parents and kids online at AAA.com/PublicAffairs.

HAVE A HAPPY SAFE HALLOWEEN!!!

As alot of you may have read, Mike Woods, the coolest weather dude of all time, put together a meet and greet with bloggers and fans of Fox 5 this past Saturday night in NYC. Foxy Kathy posted some video and pics from our night at Local West. Here are a few more of me and the very beautiful and very sweet Ines Rosales. I'll have more pics from the night out soon. Notice the sideways pic....Mike held the camera sideways for us. LOL

Bobby

Fox 5 fans and that cute little boy again!

Gov. Jon Corzine has already signed off on the increases, which were opposed by many citizens and trucking groups.

A drive along the full length of the Turnpike, which currently costs $6.45, will more than double to $13.75 by 2012.

Driving the Parkway from top to bottom also will more than double in four years.

The increases are being made to fund road and bridge repairs as well as partially fund a new rail tunnel into New York City.

Is our subway system heading back to those dreadful days of the 1970's?  Now, don't get crazy, but  service has been noticeably deficient in recent times.

Through June, the number of delayed trains is up and average of  24 percent from two years earlier and an alarming 71 percent from three years earlier.

The distance trains travel without breaking down was down 7 percent in July from two years earlier, and 17 percent from three weeks earlier.

Subway bosses have blamed such trends on more track work, heavy ridership, and less money for maintaing cars

Data displays that track and signal repairs are the biggest cause of delays.  The Number 2 train is the most delayed, followed by the Number 4 train.

Share with us your experiences related to delays. 

Drivers in New Jersey who don't want to see a ridiculous toll hike: now is your time to speak up. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is adding a public hearing to its original plan of hosting three hearings. The fourth hearing will take place on October 10 at the Authority's headquarters in Woodbridge.

Here's how the hike breaks down:

The proposed increases would begin with a 60-cent hike on the average turnpike trip next year, followed by a 90-cent increase three years later and a 30-cent increase in 2023. On the parkway, the average trip would rise by 15 cents next year, 25 cents more in 2012 and 8 cents on top of that in 2023.