http://tags.library.upenn.edu/tag/new_york+congestion+commuting PennTags Feed http://tags.library.upenn.edu/makerecord/url/21532 http://tags.library.upenn.edu/makerecord/url/21532 <h1> Grrridlock </h1> <p>TRAFFIC, apparently, hits a nerve. </p> <p>In the wake of <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/michael_r_bloomberg/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Michael R. Bloomberg.">Mayor Bloomberg</a>&rsquo;s proposal to calm Manhattan traffic through a plan called congestion pricing, the City section asked its readers to offer their own solutions for easing the borough&rsquo;s traffic woes. </p> <p>More than a hundred responded, proposing ideas ranging from the wonky to the off-the-wall. Ban cabs. Ban private cars. Close streets. Add lanes. </p> <p>Here are 20 of their suggestions, with assessments by two local experts on traffic: Jeffrey Zupan, a senior fellow for transportation at the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/regional_plan_assn/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about Regional Plan Association">Regional Plan Association</a> in New York, and John Falcocchio, a professor of transportation planning at Polytechnic University in Downtown Brooklyn.</p> <p>Although Mr. Zupan&rsquo;s group supports the mayor&rsquo;s plan, and Dr. Falcocchio argues that congestion pricing should be used only as a last resort, both experts said they were impressed over all by the suggestions. &ldquo;The readers did very well,&rdquo; Mr. Zupan said. &ldquo;They also generated some thinking on my part.&rdquo;</p>