New bus route sparks ire
Don't clog loop, say Co-op City residents
BY BILL EGBERT
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, April 2nd 2007, 2:35 PM

As the MTA rolls out plans for a new rapid-transit bus route for the Bronx, people living at one end of the line are saying, "Not so fast."

The proposed new express route for the Bx12 bus would run from Broadway and 207th St. in Manhattan, along Fordham Road and Pelham Parkway, to terminate at Asch Loop in Co-op city.

But Co-op City residents say the idea of ending the route at Asch is loopy.

"This is not about improving service to Co-op City," said Arthur Taub, a Co-op City transit advocate leading the charge against the proposal. "They're not giving us anything but headaches."

Survey of 800 residents that advocates hope will renew City Hall's interest in using new tolling schemes to reduce the aggravation, noise and pollution that too many cars in too little space bring.
Nearly 45% of city residents surveyed by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign said it would be a good idea to charge drivers to enter Manhattan below 60th St. because it would get them into trains and buses.
...
Of those surveyed, an equal percentage - 45% - voiced opposition to charging to go below 60th St. on top of existing tolls at such places as the Lincoln and Holland tunnels.
Other findings of the survey include:
# Only 18% were familiar with the concept of congestion pricing, which also entails charging drivers more for peak-hour travel.
# Nearly 80% believe traffic jams are a problem, and 53% say congestion is a major problem.
# Strong dissatisfaction with Mayor Bloomberg's efforts in addressing traffic: 59% give him a negative rating.
# 77% agree that congestion pricing will reduce noise and air pollution in the city. Almost all of those believe it will speed emergency response.
# 65% of workers take mass transit, while 24% drive their own cars.

She hacks it
BY ELIZABETH HAYS
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Melissa Plaut is a rarity in the city - a female cab driver and an aspiring writer who chronicles her exploits on a blog and is set to publish a book next year about her experiences on the road.
"I thought it would be my next adventure," said Plaut, 30, who lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and worked a string of office jobs before being laid off in 2004 and deciding to get her hack license.

...