Noah Kazis

Last week we highlighted the construction underway on the upgraded bike lane and pedestrian space along Allen Street. Just a bit further south, the bikeway portion of the project is already open along Pike Street south of Madison Street. Streetsblog reader Jacob-uptown snapped some great pics of the new lanes and the ongoing work. As his shots show, the new design provides lots of space for cyclists and pedestrians alike and will bring a line of greenery through the neighborhood.

More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill

City Council Transportation Chair James Vacca showed his safety supporter side at a press conference in the Bronx this morning. Standing with DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan at the corner of the Grand Concourse and 165th Street to announce the installation of countdown pedestrian signals, Vacca had strong words for speeding motorists and endorsements for both automated speeding enforcement and slow speed zones.

The current MTA capital budget is very bad news for transit riders, who are being asked to shoulder $7 billion in debt all on their own. Where can the 8 million daily riders who count on the MTA turn for help?

The Bronx is booming. Over the last decade, no borough added more new residents or posted faster wage growth.

More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill

When taking a tour of the Sheridan Expressway, the first thing you realize is that you're also taking a tour of the Bronx River Greenway. The two pieces of infrastructure -- one a 1.25-mile stub of highway, the other a still-piecemeal bike and pedestrian path reconnecting Bronx neighborhoods to the water -- both run through the low river valley. The greenway and the cleaned-up river, products of decades of community activism, are signs of the incredible revitalization of the South Bronx.

Big ideas were in short supply at a workshop held Wednesday night to develop a badly-needed safety plan for Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard. This year alone, three pedestrians have been killed in traffic crashes along the 100-foot wide avenue, but many of the workshop participants seemed focused on making it easier to drive through Central Harlem, not on saving lives. In an area where fewer than a quarter of households even own a car, more voices need to be brought into this discussion.

The growth of cycling in New York City shows no signs of letting up. The Department of Transportation's latest count of cyclists entering the center of the city posted a 14 percent increase this spring compared to last spring. If the trend holds up for the rest of 2011, it will mark the fifth consecutive year of double digit growth.

Good news for cyclists, joggers, and others using the Hudson River Greenway: The ten blocks of the off-street path between 135th Street and 145th Street which had been blocked off were reopened at 10:00 this morning, according to a spokesperson for the city Department of Environmental Protection.