Easing the congestion nightmare

Flushing: Mayor de Blasio will not solve traffic congestion by restricting deliveries and cracking down on drivers who block intersections (“Blaz Rx for city’s clogged arteries,” Oct. 23). The damage was done during the 12 years of Bloomberg administration. Nothing the mayor nor his advisers do will reverse traffic congestion to the level when these conditions existed only from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. and we referred to them as rush hours.

If the mayor is serious about substantially reducing traffic congestion in New York City, please pay attention to the rest of this message.

1. Cap for-hire vehicles — Uber and its ilk — to a number equal to taxi medallions, about 13,500.

2. Eliminate street downnecking such as making one lane from two lanes and/or two lanes from three lanes.

3. Allow taxis and for-hire vehicles with passengers at all times in bus lanes. 4. Allow left and right turns from two lanes (not only from one). 5. Bring up the speed limit to 30 mph. 6. Enforce all traffic laws strictly. 7. Require pedestrians to obey the laws. In European cities, pedestrians cross the street only where permitted and only on a green light.

The mayor should come to Flushing and observe how pedestrians obstruct traffic flow, ignoring “don’t walk” signals.

A combination of education and a summonsing campaign will do the job. Dan Nitescu

City bike lanes

Astoria: Why has traffic congestion gotten worse? It’s very simple. When you convert hundreds of miles of automobile lanes into bike lanes and eliminate thousands of parking spaces in the five boroughs to accommodate bike stations, where did you expect the autos to go? The city has created a benefit at a cost of tens of millions of dollars for a small percentage of people (how many bike riders do you see over the age of 30 or 35?) whose numbers drop dramatically in the cold months. De Blasio’s answer to improving traffic is to further impede automobiles and trucks. It’s time to take a look at what the fostering of bicycle riding has done to the flow of traffic and the detriment to the economy.

Richard Nebenzahl

Outer borough headaches

Brooklyn: Mayor de Blasio’s traffic plan to decrease congestion is Manhattan-centric and ignores the increased congestion that his administration’s policies are causing in the outer boroughs. For example, the creation of bus lanes on Cross Bay and Woodhaven Blvds. in Queens has eliminated lanes of car traffic and consequently increased travel times. How much congestion does the mayor encounter during his trip to his Brooklyn gym every morning?

Stephen Marino

For-hire jam

Manhattan: I can’t understand why there is no mention of the significant congestion caused by Uber, Lyft and Via. Ever since they came on board in the city, it seems just about every Camry, Honda, Kia, Hyundai and extra-large black SUVs have overwhelmingly taken over the streets, with double parking as par for pickup. These cars have killed the yellow cab industry in terms of medallion value. Owners have been materially impacted. Why is there no regulation? It’s the Wild West out on the streets and only getting worse with more Uber, etc., cars attacking the streets, causing major congestion. Sid Lieberman

Trump’s issues

Brooklyn: I believe that one of the things Donald Trump suffers from is an inferiority complex. That would explain his bullying and name-calling, especially his rabid hatred of Barack Obama. Deep down he is jealous of Obama’s erudition, charm, wit and ability to govern. He is a pathetic, psychopathic liar, and a clear and present danger to the world. He must be impeached and removed from office as soon as possible before he plunges us into a Third World War. Time is of the essence.

Nancy D. Bennett

Compare and contrast

Dumont, N.J.: It just shows what a joke of a newspaper the Daily News and its blind leftist knownothing columnists like Mike Lupica and Richard Cohen have become. Any sane, clear-thinking American, when left with a choice of who to side with in an argument, Frederica “Huggy Bear” Wilson — a race-hustling, partisan, cartoon character leftist hack, pathetically begging for her 15 minutes of fame — or four-star Gen. John Kelly, a tried and true American hero with an impeccable 40-year record of service to this country, will automatically side with Kelly six days a week and twice on Sunday. The famous saying “You can be judged by the company that you keep” has never been more true. While I choose to side with the four-star general American hero, Lupica, Cohen and the left choose to side with Huggy Bear. Enough said.

John Scott

Who’s the real deserter?

Brooklyn: The bottom-line fact is that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl voluntarily enlisted in the Army to serve his country (“President Trump’s ‘but’ statement about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl delays embattled soldier’s sentencing,” Oct. 24). Sometime after that, he deserted and was captured by the enemy. We don’t know why he deserted. Our chicken-hawk commanderin-chief then sounded off about the desertion, opining that he thought that Bergdahl should be executed by a military firing squad. But as a young man, he did his damnedest to dodge military service, receiving four education deferments, and one medical deferment for “bone spurs.” The galling reality is that our commander-in-chief absolutely refused to serve his country which, in my view, makes him more deserving of facing a firing squad than Bergdahl. Trump attended a military school in his young man days and that’s a place where you can play “army,” like a 9-year old, while facing no danger. Fresh out of deferments, when faced with the possibility that his butt could be shot in a real army, he soiled his pants. Trump is way out of his depth as President, and, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, is a living insult to every man and woman who has ever honorably served in our armed forces. Stan Rosenson

Cuomo defies gravity

Freeport, L.I.: Re: “Cuomo vetoes bill that would legalize most gravity knives in New York” (Oct. 24): The last time Cuomo vetoed a bill to straighten out the section of the law concerning gravity knives and other knives that open by centrifugal force, he said it wasn’t clearly written. So this time around, it was made crystal clear that the law only applies to knives that open up due to gravity, and not those that open due to centrifugal force. And again he vetoes the bill. This law is enforced primarily against people of color, and by police officers who consider any folding knife to fall under this statute as being illegal. In reading Cuomo’s rationale for his latest veto, he further muddies the waters of enforcing this law. How are people supposed to prove that they are carrying the knife solely for work purposes? With a permission slip from their supervisor? Is carrying it during their commute to and from work considered permissible? What about the worker who, after leaving work, stops off for a beer or two while still carrying the work knife and then gets detained on his way home from the bar? Once again, common sense bites the dust.

Denise Rushton AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Much-belated honor

Staten Island: I watched the ceremony on TV and read the story of Capt. Gary Rose (“A tale of two Trumps,” editorial, Oct. 24). I would like to congratulate this extraordinary brave soldier for receiving his well-deserved Medal of Honor, but I have a few questions. It is said that during four days of fierce battles and being the only medic among 136 men, he rescued and saved countless lives, actions that certainly deserve the Medal of Honor. Then, after the four days, a helicopter sent to extract the men was downed by enemy fire. Rose was thrown from the helicopter before it hit the ground. He raced to the crash site and pulled one man after the other from the wreckage. Another extraordinary act by this brave man. My first question is, since these were two separate actions, both of which are worthy of the Medal of Honor, why didn’t he receive two? My second is why did it take almost 50 years for this hero to be properly honored?

Marty Applebaum

Many thanks to News

Manhattan: My grandma has entered many Daily News contests and has won quite a few times. She most recently won tickets to “Miss Saigon.” Unable to attend the show herself, she gave the winning tickets to me and my boyfriend. We went and saw the show and it was amazing. Thank you, Daily News!

Alexandra Horneman