Gridlock Shows Even the Simplest Road Design is Not Always Effective

Every year the New York City Department of Transportation releases its list of Gridlock Alert Days for the holiday season in an effort to keep traffic moving on the busy streets. It is recommended that residents, commuters and tourists rely on trains, buses, and subways to get around Manhattan. If the weather cooperates, walking and bike riding is also an option to avoid sitting in non-moving traffic.

The road design for New York City is fairly simple in most parts of Manhattan with its box-like features resembling a grid. When drivers become impatient and do not want to wait for a red light, they move forward into the intersection, becoming an obstruction for vehicles with the green light and pedestrians trying to use the crosswalk. The resulting array of cars creates a locked pattern where no one is moving. Signs are posted throughout the city instructing drivers, “DON’T BLOCK THE BOX” and while a ticket for doing so previously included a $150 fine and points on your license, it will still cost you $115 if you receive one. There is also the potential for a rear-end collision in such tight conditions, especially if drivers are distracted while waiting for traffic to start moving.

The DOT has designated the following days as Gridlock Alert Days for 2016:

• Friday November 18
• Wednesday November 23
• Wednesday November 30
• Friday December 9
• Wednesday December 14 through Friday December 16
• Wednesday December 21 through Friday December 23

Thankfully, road construction will be suspended on all of these days, with the exception of any emergency repair work.

More people on the roads means the probability of more motor vehicle accidents. Road design can play a major part in the cause of an accident with dangerous curves, nonvisible hazard signs, and poorly designed lanes for merging traffic. If you have been injured in an accident where flawed road design may have been a factor in the crash, please call the skilled and experienced attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C., today.