NY Metro Tolls Infographic

I apologize that this is from May, but it’s too cool to not post. And since its only 3 months old, the odds are strong that the tolls have since tripled.  In addition, this doesn’t reflect the reduced EZ Pass rates, which are only in effect on non-peak hours, on days that begin with T while the planets are aligned in the southern sky.

Via @districtdrive via VerySmallAray (http://www.verysmallarray.com/?p=1567)

Commuting this week is going to suck.

So, thinking about driving into the city this week? You should probably think twice.

The traffic is only beginning to start. This morning I got on the northern state, and the sign says "Delays to exit 17". That's delays to Goddamn Queens. The signs should just say "Nassau County - delays." Perhaps you can find the best route by using one of those nifty signs that tell you travel times? Good luck with that, as they have all been knocked out of commission since Irene, and sit there with blank displays. Even the level traffic indicator on the GWB hasn't worked in Months, but i guess that's your tolls at work.

First, the Port Authority decided to raise tolls. Again. Now crossing rivers at PA bridges and tunnels is going to cost you 12 bucks in cash, or $9.50 with an EZ pass. Driving a truck? That’s 13 bucks. Per axle. Be prepared for extra long waiting lines at the cash lanes as confused people dig in their cup holders for enough coins to cough up the extra dough. Additionally, those pricks always stay in the EZ pass lane until the last second and then hop over, causing traffic.

Finally, the UN in is town. This means total and complete gridlock across the entire island of Manhattan. Going anywhere from 6th ave to the East River, downtown through the 40's? You should probably walk it, as you'll get there faster. Expect random street closures as dignitaries and the President are in session, and also a tour is expected of the Ground Zero site at some point as well. All those dignitaries have to stay somewhere too, so expect more closures in the AM and afternoon as they leave their hotels. So if you see a convoy of black SUV's coming your way, expect to see a street closure in your future.

Told ya it was gonna suck. Good luck.

The death of Panther from the people that use it

I’m a talker, or so I have been told. Maybe it’s my up-stater-ness, but like engaging people in conversation, and this holds true when I’m stuck in a car for someone for about an hour. Because of my job, I often find myself utilizing car service when driving or public transportation is not practical. Last week, I took a late night ride home from Manhattan with a Pakistani driver who had a lot of opinions and shared some knowledge with me.

Some guys just know more about the roads than us commuters can ever imagine. Among airline pilots and cops, my favorite people to talk to our livery drivers. Unlike NY cabbies, these guys have to have a good grasp on English, and an extensive knowledge of the tri-state area, not just the five boroughs. So of course, we had a great long conversation on the death of the Crown Vic/ Town car / Panther platform which is on top of the minds of many.

This is a very interesting topic which has some very passionate to fleet drivers and managers, yet we know nothing in the mainstream, and it affects us all. Here’s the scoop: after this year, Ford will discontinue the Panther platform, which is responsible for the Crown Victoria (cops cars, taxi cabs), the Lincoln Town Car (livery and fleet drivers, gypsy cabs) and the Grand Marquis (old people, already dead with Mercury).  Perhaps it is time to embrace a platform with better fuel efficiency and modern features. So let’s explore these groups, and how they are affected:

Cabs and Livery: For the cabs, this means a replacement in the next few years, which the city has decided to go with a Nissan minivan that’s drawing a lot of criticism, but hey, fuel efficiency. Other cities like Las Vegas are trying out the Ford Transit connect, which lost the NYC war due to fuel efficiency.  The livery folks are on their own; they tried the Camry hybrid, but found it to falter mainly on comfort and space. I was told you can only fit 2 large suitcases, whereas the venerable Town Car can fit 4-5 bags, and still have room left for a dead prostitute. It looks like the best runner up right now will be the Lincoln MKZ and MKX, basically a Ford Taurus and a Ford Explorer. Some of the guys drive hybrids, especially for the large Escalades and Tahoes, but with $5 fuel in our near future, efficiency becomes even more important, and we will be seeing less of this platform, especially as car companies are adopting a driver-owned fleet.

Cops:
No one feels the hurt from the death of Panther worse than cops who are losing their trusted Crown Vic Interceptor package for whatever the local community decides what’s next.

So why not the Ford Taurus interceptor Ford showed as the replacement? Simple answer is that it’s FWD. I talked to a couple of cops, and they hate the lack of control and torque FWD cars offer. While an AWD option is available, its doubtful many departments ill pony up the extra cash, and the hit to fuel efficiency makes it less attractive.  They cited the failure of the Impala as an intercept vehicle. I think this is a bad move on Fords part, as a good chunk of their community fleet sales are going to go to the Dodge Charger Pursuit package that’s already the scourge of NYC roadways. Another factor is intimidation. The Charger has it, but I think the Taurus pictured here will give the Charger a run for its money.

Old people: Don’t worry, Buick is coming back with a vengeance, no one is going to notice the Grand Marquis.

So why would Ford kill off such a successful platform with such a long history? While I am sure that they have their reasons, the common word on the street seems to be the influx of third party parts. See, the manufacturer makes a boatload on parts for cars. Rotors, radiators, drive belts, all of these wear out due to wear and tear, and are incremental revenue to Ford.  Now, there are so many third party companies undercutting the OEM parts, that the only way to get this revenue back is to completely overhaul the platform. If this is done, its going to be years before third party vendors can re-tool CNC machinery to reverse engineer OEM-like parts. Do I know this for a fact? No not at all. This could be totally way off, but this seems to be what the common thought is.