New York City traffic has reached a crisis level in recent years. I've been back here for only six years, and the crisis developed since I've been here. At the same time, the subways are working much worse in the same period. As a result, the only mode of transportation that has a predictable travel time is bicycle. A lot of bike trips that New Yorkers make are not fun, but they suck less than all other modes of travel. The radio news (WNYC) did a story about this, as it is doing a series about commuting on all modes. Lots of people calling in weighed in about how bike commuting is the only reliable way. The amount of time a trip takes by bike today is the same amount as it took yesterday. The variation of travel times by other modes is mind-boggling. If you have a long car drive, it could take more than an hour longer than estimated on some days. Some commuter train rides take two hours longer than estimated. Of course, a bike commute can't replace a trip of great distance, so I'm lucky I don't have to travel many miles, but I often have to go five or six miles in the city, and even if I have to traverse some very harrowing intersections, I'd rather not take a car, taxi, bus, or subway.