Saturday, July 18, 2009

Sunday - streets

Parade on 5th Avenue: From 72nd Street to 54th Street from 11am to 6pm, so early heads up on that, be weary by 9am. Central Park South will probably also be closed for the parade formation between 5th and 6th Avenue. crossing 5th Avenue even before 11am might be impossible from 54th to 59th due to the parade formation. Once 10:30 hits cross your fingers, or make sure not to go across there, that's my advice, but hey you never know, it's always a crap shoot.

Also Broadway between 57th Street and 47th Street: This street will be closed Sunday from 11am to 6pm - street fair.

Advice: Poof - go down 9th avenue

also as mentioned in yesterday's blog :
  • Park Avenue will have only one lane open in the south bound direction between 37 and 36 -until 7pm
  • And Columbus Avenue will have only two lanes open from 63 to 62 -until 1pm
Yesterday 2nd Avenue was still messy with construction in the middle lanes at around 51st street (estimated) weather it will or will not be under construction today we'll see.

Good luck-

Friday, July 17, 2009

saturday-

You know the drill- check the DOT website for the most accurate road closures.
  • The major closure I'm going to remember is Lexington Avenue between 57th Street and 42nd Street- 11am to 6pm
  • Also that damn Holland Tunnel is closed as usual from 1 am to 8am, both today and tomorrow.
Advice-
Be cautious for it to get hectic by 10am thru 6pm. Don't be surprised when 57th Street clogs at Lexington, Stay away from that after 11 even 10 in the morning, stay clear of that all through the whole day. warn customers early, and make your turns to Park Avenue, or 2nd Avenue depending on where you're going. second avenue had some construction on the two right lanes in the afternoon last weekend in the upper 30's, Park Avenue WILL have one lane closed going south between 37th Street and 36th Street, so it'd be best to get back to the empty Lexington avenue once south of 42nd Street.

Most of my tips are for the day, once the sun has risen- please check that DOT page for more info, below is one that pertains to night drivers too.
  • Columbus Avenue will have two lanes closed through the night until 1pm today and through tomorrow night from 11pm to 1pm Sunday as well.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

UPDATE

NEW RED LIGHT CAMERA SIGHTINGS:
Linden Eastbound at Pennsylvania Avenue

PRE SHIFT PREP

It all begins the night before, when I choose whether or not I want (have to) to work. If I decide I want to lease a cab the next day, I used to have to call the garage around 8:30 pm to make a reservation, but at the new garage I just show up and wait. The dispatcher usually comes through with a cab, but from time to time they're booked with drivers. I show up anywhere between 1 and 3:30 am, sit in the lounge, and by 5 am (usually) I'm assigned one of the taxicabs coming back from the night shift. My old garage (in LIC) had drivers park their cabs throughout the neighborhood because they have no lot of their own. But the new garage (in Greenpoint) has one.

Upon dishing out roughly $105, I used to have to search a 4 square block area to match the meter with its medallion number (randomly parked taxicab), but now it's right out front. Upon entering the cab, first thing I do is briefly inspect it for leaky tires, burned headlights, significant dents, and stray trunk cargo. I make sure the backseat isn't littered with rubbish (omen for lower tips) and slide my hack license into the partition. I make sure to equip the cockpit with an emergency pee bottle and a gallon of potable water, to minimize unecessary breaks. Then I go a step further than most cabbies and reset the radio dials to the 3 essential stations that offer periodic traffic reports, in the precise order they broadcast them:
1010 am on the ones.
1130 am on the fives.
880 am on the eights.

This way I can quickly refer to them throughout the day, which is essential if you want to avoid accidents and roving construction jams. It's good to be prepared in case someone jumps in with an outer borough request, or anything involving the highway.

It also pays to check the internet before your shift and compile a list of events happening at the Javits Center, the cruise ship terminal, etc. Look on the MTA website to find out which train lines have suspended service. People prefer taxis over often overcrowded shuttle buses.

Friday, July 3, 2009

July 4th Weekend

The fireworks on the night of the fourth are on the Hudson River (the west side of Manhattan) this year. The Daily News Column tackles it well enough.

6th Avenue will be closed for a street fair during the day 11am to 6pm whatever the usual routine is for street fairs. And so that may clog the arteries going uptown and crosstown all around the West Village, Chelsea, and will make the trips long and frustrating. Until about 4pm, 10th Avenue should be good, so if you have to be west, go far, far west. Once the fireworks come, stay on the east side of Manhattan, which is pretty much a good idea always.

Water Street will be closed between Fulton and Broad Streets as well from 11am to 6pm

Also check the DOT web page, it differs on how much of the West Side Highway and 12th avenue will be closed.

On Sunday-
6th Avenue will be closed from 42nd to 56th. Madison may be the best bet.

Lexington Ave will be closed from 42nd to 34th.