And then, after another few days of work, he was sitting in a taxi, stuck in midtown traffic.

WSJ: Jonah Lehrer on How to Be Creative

Like a bicycle courier zooming into midtown traffic with failing brakes, Kozmo.com needs some major repairs if it hopes to survive.

FORBES: Kozmo.com Pedaling To The Precipice?

Only about 10 miles north of the George Washington Bridge, it is half an hour from Midtown Manhattan, when traffic is light.

FORBES: Private Residence Club Does Not Trigger "New York Rule" On Resident Status

Sheridan said she's concerned about cycling in traffic-congested midtown Manhattan.

WSJ: NYC holds bike-share program demonstration

But they are frequently at the mercy of traffic managers, the civilians in brightly colored vests who wave motorists through intersections during Midtown's jammed midweek afternoons.

WSJ: Decoding Traffic In a Jammed City