Bicycle, Taxi & Bus

My original intent was to take a photo of this interesting "structure" that was being used as a bicycle stand, whether it was installed there for that express purpose or not. When I got home, I saw that the photo was even more interesting because of the taxi and bus lining up next to it -- all three mode of transportation in one photo. If only I could PhotoShop a subway train into the photo, it would be perfect. :-)

So do you think the red iron structure here is meant as a bicycle stand?

Update: This "structure" is by David Byrne and yes, it is indeed meant to be a bike rack/stand.

Tricycle Taxi

These tricycle taxis are a fairly new phenomenon in New York City. I started seeing a few of them on the streets about two years ago but now, they are everywhere. These young fellas will "drive" you anywhere in Manhattan if you pay the right fare. I don't know how much it would cost since I've never ridden on one. And it is not an efficient way to travel around the city but for a tourist, it is definitely a fun way to explore the city.

So have you ever ridden on a tricycle?

Update: Went to my 7:20 AM appointment at the Apple Store on 5th Avenue this morning and my iPhone was replaced within 10 minutes of "diagnosis". I'm back in the 21st Century again.

7th Street & Lafayette Street

This is a Saturday night scene on the corner of 7th Street and Lafayette in the East Village. Notice the yellow taxi parked at the bottom left of the photo and another on the adjacent street before the traffic light junction. According to the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), there are over 13,000 yellow taxicabs in New York City. The cost of a taxi ride starts at $2.50 upon entry and $0.40 for every 1/5 of a mile of travel or 60 seconds of sitting in traffic congestions. A quick ride uptown from lower Manhattan can easily cost $12 to $20 (before tips) depending on the time of the day and traffic on the street.

I, myself, rarely use the taxi service because I have an unlimited use subway pass ($81/month) and the subway trains run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The few times I've taken a taxicab are when I was heading to the airport or to any place that is not near a subway station.

A frequent question I get from out-of-towners is, "Won't it be faster to take the taxi?" and the answer is almost always NO. Because of the density of automobile traffic in NYC, it is usually faster to get around the city via the subway.

So have to taken a subway recently? What do you think of it?

Midmonth Subway Theme: Train to JFK Airport

It is possible to get from Manhattan to the three major airports in NYC (JFK and LaGuardia) and New Jersey (Newark) via public transportation for under $10. However, it would involve multiple train and bus changes and about 2 hours of commute time. A quicker way to the airports would be to use the yellow cab/taxi but it will cost anywhere from $35 to $50.

Two other cities are participating in the mid-month subway theme:

Peter's Paris - Stockholm by Pixel - New York City Daily Photo

Steam & Taxi

I thought this was a perfect New York City scene because of the steam coming off the pipe from beneath the street and the yellow cab driving by. The steam is a result of warm air from the underground shafts meeting the cold air above ground. The pipe was installed to help reduce pressure build-up underground, which can cause the manhole covers to explode up in the air and create serious damages.

No question today.

Taxi Art

Recently, yellow taxicabs were decorated with flowers to celebrate 100 years of motorized, metered taxis in New York City. The project entitled, Garden in Transit was started by two brothers, Ed and Bernie Massey from California in 2000. Over 27,000 pieces of vinyl sheets were painted by children in schools and hospitals and used to cover the roofs and top surfaces of about 12,700 taxicabs in the city.

Of the painted flowers above, which is your favorite?