
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, noting that the ten-minute ticketing process actually contributes to overall traffic congestion, has asked the New York State Legislature to remove “blocking the box” from the moving violation category.
#GRIDLOCK ALERT DAY DRIVERS#
In New York City, drivers who " block the box" are subject to a moving violation that comes with a US$90.00 penalty. Vehicles "blocking the box" in New York City Mutual cooperation among drivers would give the maximum benefit (prevention of gridlock), but this may not happen because of the desire to maximize one's own benefit (shortest travel time) given the uncertainty about the other drivers' commitment to equal cooperation.Įnforcement New York City Gridlock is sometimes cited as an example of the prisoner's dilemma (from game theory). Those entering vehicles in turn back up and block the exiting vehicles. Traffic exiting the highway may back up and block the entering vehicles. Īnother type of gridlock can occur during traffic surges between highway on-ramps and off-ramps located within a quarter mile of each other. If all drivers follow this rule, gridlock is impossible. In many jurisdictions, drivers are therefore prohibited from entering an intersection at a green light if there is no room for them to clear the intersection.

If the same situation occurs simultaneously in multiple intersections, these cars can be trapped in the intersections indefinitely. This can lead to the car being trapped in the intersection when the light turns green in the other direction. Traditional gridlock is caused by cars entering an intersection on a green light without enough room on the other side of the intersection at the time of entering to go all the way through. Lights are green but backups fill all the space.
