Posted by admin on Jan 6, 2010 in
nyc
I recently connected with Dan who is part of an interesting start-up which harnesses crowdsourcing via Twitter and Texting to help drivers find parking spots around NYC. Hopefully they’ll be able to roll out the service to Manhattan and beyond quickly enough. Enjoy Dan’s contribution today. . .
A cold sweat had started to form on my forehead.
Shortness of breath was coming on quick.
So much time spent circling…spinning almost. I was moving, and all I wanted to do was stop.
No, I wasn’t having a nightmare, just trying to find a parking spot around Park Slope in Brooklyn. Then I heard my phone- probably a text from my girlfriend yelling at me for being late again- and it hit me like an angry meter-maid on an expired meter: all I needed in order to find a spot was a simple text message.
I pulled to the side of the road, ignoring my girlfriend for the moment, and instead sent a text to Roadify’s PAM (ParkingAroundMe), the community-powered parking platform that matches people leaving spots with those (like me) looking to get one. Sure enough, within seconds I was sent a quick list of available spaces, one of which was right down the street.
I could finally breathe again.
No-Park Slope, as residents call it, is considered the worst neighborhood for parking around New York City. On average it takes 27 minutes of circling the block to find a spot, which creates even more congestion on the streets. This leads to more gas usage, time lost, increased air pollution, and inefficient transportation overall.
Roadify offers a simple solution: communication between drivers on the road in the same neighborshood. The way it works is that when a user is heading to their car, they text a GIVE to 95495. Simply text “GIVE” with the cross streets where they are leaving from and roughly when they’ll be leaving (e.g “GIVE 4th st btwn 7/8 ave 5 min.”) The location of that spot is then entered into an online database.
People looking for spots will then simply text “GET” to the same number and are provided with the open spots others just gave.
Users can also GIVE and GET by direct messaging Roadify’s Twitter account: @roadify.
The guys at Roadify wanted to make parking easier for each other in NYC. The system is the first “social transportation” service ever developed and is completely free to users (besides the obvious standard text messaging rates). Roadify was founded upon the belief that neighbors want to help neighbors – all they need is a way to do it. Roadify is one easy way.
There are plans to implement similar programs across the transportation spectrum. Get ready for a solution to late buses: BAM (BusesAroundMe) coming later this month. Users will GIVE and GET more accurate bus information then the rarely-correct MTA schedule.For more information:www.roadify.comand www.twitter.com/roadify
Tags: new york city, parking, texting, twitter
Posted by admin on Dec 6, 2009 in
New Jersey,
car,
highway,
holland tunnel,
lincoln tunnel,
new york,
new york city,
nj,
nyc,
route 10,
route 280
When driving, traffic information isn’t more than a couple of minutes away:
- 1010am on the 1′s (01, 11, 21, 31, etc)
- 1030am on the 5′s (05, 15, 25, etc)
- 880 on the 8′s (08, 18, 28, etc)
XM radio has dedicated weather/traffic stations for most major cities that just go on infinite loops.
But these are all passive methods. You have to wait through commercials, or other content before you get the exact information you’re seeking.
Now, there’s another way (or two or three. . .).
Posted by admin on Nov 18, 2009 in
new york city,
nyc
Holiday parties are coming up. And most groups need to find a good venue to host them.
During the rest of the year, there might be times that you need to find the right space to book an event for a meeting, seminar, etc. Whether it’s for 20 people or 200 people and beyond, there’s a couple of resources that help you find the right space for your event.
Venfino.com is a neat site where you can submit the requirements of your event, even budget and then the site filters the ones that meet your criteria. Don’t forget to look at non-traditional spaces like studios which can be set-up to accomodate different tables/chairs configurations, even if you dont’ normally associate the type of space with what you’re planning. Once you open up the possibilities, the rates can be surprisingly affordable!
Tags: events, meetings, new york city
If you drive into NYC regularly, you probably use E-Z Pass.
And even if you’re paying cash every time, you’re hit with a sky-high bill just to drive into the city over the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, etc. It’s almost as high as a movie ticket!
Right now, the Lincoln Tunnel will set you back $8 EACH TIME you go into the Big Apple!
But there’s a way to go through the same toll booths and get through for only $2.00!
The Port Authority Carpool Plan provides the largest toll discount at the Port Authority bridges and tunnels.
- The toll for Port Authority Carpool customers is $2 at all hours – 24/7.
- You must have an E-ZPass account and you must register for the Port Authority Carpool Discount Plan.
- To register for the Carpool Plan, call 1-800-333-8655 (New York Service Center) or 1-888-288-6865 (New Jersey Service Center). Be sure to have your account number or tag number and PIN for account access.
- Three or more people must be in a vehicle to be eligible for the Carpool toll rate (no commercial vehicles qualify).
- Customers must use a staffed “Cash-E-ZPass” toll lane and come to a complete stop so the toll collector can verify the number of occupants in the vehicle.
There’s no cost to sign-up, so you should do it regardless! And the next time you go through with 3 people in your car, you’ll save at least $6 each time.
