70+ mph in an 86 Isuzu Trooper on Broadway [...] Every light turned green just as I was hitting the intersection.

Aren't traffic lights in built-up areas meant to be synchronised, so the junction-to-junction time is about the time it takes for the next lights to turn green? In which case, someone was obviously expecting everyone to be doing 70 down Broadway.

Mind you, I have heard things about NYC taxi drivers...

Peter