Getting cars off the road

Robert Moses must be rolling in his grave.

The man who turned New York City and the rest of the state into the kingdom of the automobile would not be pleased at Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez’s recent proposal to reduce the number of cars in the city from 1.4 million to 1 million over the next 15 years.

Then again, the person who envisioned highways that tore up the Bronx and contracts that enriched builders and himself probably wouldn’t have cared a jot about major problems like climate change, torturous commutes and cacophonous noise.

Mr. Rodriguez’s proposal would be an excellent start for addressing those challenges.

Every year, motor vehicles create 28 percent of the city’s nitrogen oxide emissions, according to the Department of Environmental Protection. Reducing the number of cars here would put a significant dent in a major source of climate change.

For Riverdalians commuting down the expensive Henry Hudson Parkway or Kingsbridge residents taking their chances on the perennially potholed Major Deegan Expressway, the commute is a matter of necessity: there just aren’t enough good transportation alternatives. Finding convenient and affordable replacements for cars will be one of the biggest challenges of meeting Mr. Rodriguez’s goal. Even if funding is found — and the councilman’s call to levy tolls on East River bridges and driving south of 60th street should be met with skepticism — it will take a planning genius to make public transportation and even bicycles more convenient than cars.

Still, recent experience in Paris offers inspiration for reducing the use of cars here.

Last month, a day without cars in the French capital resulted in one third less carbon dioxide pollution, according to data cited by The Guardian. For a few precious hours, the City of Lights transformed into a city of peace and quiet as decibel levels dropped by half in Paris’ center.

The remarkable results have prompted the French capital to consider more car-free days in the future. Over here, Mr. Rodriguez has proposed that everyone leave their vehicles parked next Earth Day, on Friday, April 22. We would do well to heed that call.