A highway bridge at 7 ft., 7 in. -- what could go wrong?

[profdant139]

The police said that the driver of this charter bus was not familiar with the restrictions on this parkway:

Article about bus crash late on April 8

But isn't this a design failure? If you are towing your trailer and you are from out of town, how are you supposed to know that there is this bizarre low bridge ahead of you?

Maybe there is an app that will provide a warning, but that means that unless you have a passenger with a smartphone, you either have to take your chances or try to operate the phone while towing, a really bad idea.

Seriously. What to do? Are very low bridges still around? I have rarely seen anything under 13 feet, at least out West. Maybe things are different on the East Coast??

[jimx200]

JCR-1 wrote:
Instead of building walls, perhaps we should be rebuilding our bridges ??? and roads !!!!

Wow, somebody is politically correct!!!!! ????

[captnjack]

profdant139 wrote:
As Napoleon said, "Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be explained by incompetence."

But where is the incompetence? They built exactly what they intended to build. The roadways were built for passenger cars of the era.

[Passin_Thru]

You've obviously never been to Chicago and tried to get under the EL going to Wriggly Park. It's all 10-11 ft and not marked. No one ever goes to Mass unless they fly. Who, in their right mind would drive in Boston?

[profdant139]

As Napoleon said, "Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be explained by incompetence."

[captnjack]

proxim2020 wrote:

captnjack wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
We should all have special roads that exclude the unwashed so we can drive our overpriced little car from our overpriced home to our overpaid job, and not use the public transportation system. Of course politics has nothing to do with it, no way, no how, not in the NYC area.

You forgot to mention that the public transportation is also over priced.

If you have evidence, or even an opinion, supporting the politics-based argument you should share it with us.

If I remember correctly, it's believed that the designer of the Southern State Parkway had the bridges built low on purpose to keep commercial truck out of the area and bus traffic from traveling to a popular beach. Since only the upper class owned vehicles in those days, it would limit lower income and minorities access to the beach.

Conspiracy theory? Urban legend? Truth? Who knows? The design of those parkways mimics other earlier parkways north of the city. But the Long Island parkways do have slightly lower bridge heights on average. So it's certainly possible.

[profdant139]

This is also a bad idea, for a couple of reasons:



Click For Full-Size Image.

[drsteve]

Drew A. wrote:



Are motorcycles allowed when signs state "Passenger cars only"?

Maybe...

[Drew_A_]

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:

Drew A. wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
The dumbing down of America, "passenger cars only" apparently has a secret meaning.

My pickup is registered as a "passenger car", so by definition it is allowed on a parkway. The signs does not say no trailers allowed.

I understand that anything could be more clear (the counter argument, however, is that the more you put, the more confused people can get!). That said, this point is where I diverge. "Passenger cars ONLY" means nothing but a passenger car! A trailer is not a passenger car. A bus is not a passenger car. A RV is not a passenger car.

Could heights help, maybe (although anyone who tows a trailer down a road with such signage likely doesn't know their vehicle height anyway!). But, this clearly tells you that a trailer isn't allowed - it's not a passenger car!

If the signage is easy to miss or hard to read - that's one thing.
If someone sees signs saying no trucks and passenger cars only, however, and tows a 12' tall trailer down that road - they shouldn't be towing anything!

Are motorcycles allowed when signs state "Passenger cars only"?

[Mickeyfan0805]

Drew A. wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
The dumbing down of America, "passenger cars only" apparently has a secret meaning.

My pickup is registered as a "passenger car", so by definition it is allowed on a parkway. The signs does not say no trailers allowed.

I understand that anything could be more clear (the counter argument, however, is that the more you put, the more confused people can get!). That said, this point is where I diverge. "Passenger cars ONLY" means nothing but a passenger car! A trailer is not a passenger car. A bus is not a passenger car. A RV is not a passenger car.

Could heights help, maybe (although anyone who tows a trailer down a road with such signage likely doesn't know their vehicle height anyway!). But, this clearly tells you that a trailer isn't allowed - it's not a passenger car!

If the signage is easy to miss or hard to read - that's one thing.
If someone sees signs saying no trucks and passenger cars only, however, and tows a 12' tall trailer down that road - they shouldn't be towing anything!

[Community Alumni]

captnjack wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
We should all have special roads that exclude the unwashed so we can drive our overpriced little car from our overpriced home to our overpaid job, and not use the public transportation system. Of course politics has nothing to do with it, no way, no how, not in the NYC area.

You forgot to mention that the public transportation is also over priced.

If you have evidence, or even an opinion, supporting the politics-based argument you should share it with us.

If I remember correctly, it's believed that the designer of the Southern State Parkway had the bridges built low on purpose to keep commercial truck out of the area and bus traffic from traveling to a popular beach. Since only the upper class owned vehicles in those days, it would limit lower income and minorities access to the beach.

[Drew_A_]

troubledwaters wrote:
The dumbing down of America, "passenger cars only" apparently has a secret meaning.

There is certainly no excuse for the bus driver. He should have known not to drive on that road, period. I'm referring to any of us that may be driving a pickup truck and towing a trailer.

My pickup is registered as a "passenger car", so by definition it is allowed on a parkway. The signs does not say no trailers allowed.

At least giving a reason such as "low bridges" would help.

[spoon059]

profdant139 wrote:
But I think more could easily be done to "idiot-proof" the parkways, without going overboard.

I dunno, every day it seems they make a better idiot.

[intheburbs]

drsteve wrote:

Lantley wrote:

drsteve wrote:
Where does it say low bridge?

I see "passenger cars only" and a red slash through a commercial box truck.

If that doesn't mean/say no oversized vehicles to you. We are in trouble. If you read the signage and proceed with your RV in tow or driving an oversized vehicle you should not be driving.

My question was to intheburbs, whose comment said there were low bridge signs on the entrance ramps.

But really, just because you or I would see that signage and say "nope, not for me" does not mean there aren't people who miss the signs, or are blindly following a GPS, or just do it anyway. If something can happen, it will.

Murphy's Law.

"Passenger Cars Only" seems pretty descriptive to me.

At least the upside is that most of the overpasses are cobblestone and solid as a brick you-know-what. Can pretty much put them in the "immovable object" class, and most vehicles, even semis, are not in the "irresistible force" class. So they rarely suffer any damage when a truck/bus/RV hits one.

ETA: Here's a link to the brochure NY State puts out regarding the parkways: CLICK HERE FOR PDF

Here's an even better one, from a friend who still lives on the Island. Watch that right lane! Forget about my trailer height, my Suburban might clip that bridge. :E

[profdant139]

I think the Boston solution -- "danger low clearance" -- is much clearer than "passenger cars only." There is no excuse for that bus driver. But I think more could easily be done to "idiot-proof" the parkways, without going overboard.