Construction Industry Objections to Sheridan Teardown Don’t Stand Up
The fight over the future of the Sheridan Expressway, a stub of a highway that Robert Moses built but never finished, heated up this week. The construction industry announced its opposition to any Sheridan teardown in a Crain's op-ed this Sunday, days before experts at a Municipal Art Society panel forcefully made the case for replacing the underused roadway with housing and park space.
April 15, 2011
Without New MTA Funds, Transit Riders May Face Return of 70s-Era Disrepair
Last week we wrote about how the looming $10 billion deficit in the MTA's capital plan could lead to a $3.00 fare and $137 monthly pass within three years. That's not the only way the transit authority could decide to respond to a lack of funding, however.
April 14, 2011
Brooklyn Pop-Up Café Wins Community Board 2 Endorsement
Brooklyn's only proposed pop-up café won the approval of Community Board 2 last night in an 18-10-1 vote, allowing the city to replace on-street parking with public seating. This pop-up is sponsored by the Ecopolis Café on Smith Street, which will pay the cost of building the temporary public space.
April 14, 2011
Efforts to Close East River Greenway Gap Advance With Feasibility Study
New York took a step forward today in attempts to close the 22 block gap in the East River Esplanade, which forces cyclists into traffic in the ultra-congested heart of Midtown and deprives East Side communities of valuable riverfront open space. Thanks to state and federal funding, including an earmark from Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, the New York City Economic Development Corporation put out a request for a feasibility study looking at how to build a greenway along the East River between 38th and 60th Streets.
April 12, 2011
IBO: Ending the Free Ride Over NYC Bridges Could Raise $1B+ Each Year
The absence of any price on New York City's free bridges is costing the city dearly, according to the city's Independent Budget Office. In the IBO's annual report listing options for raising revenue or cutting costs [PDF], tolling the East River and Harlem River bridges ranks as the second largest revenue raiser, only after reinstituting the commuter tax with newly progressive brackets. Also included: expanding DOT's ParkSmart program and piloting a residential parking permit program.
April 12, 2011
Eyes on the Street: Two Lanes of Ped Space Coming to Chelsea Subway Stop
Construction is underway at the intersection of 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, where DOT is building new pedestrian refuge islands and a sidewalk extension to provide some extra space around a busy subway station. The intersection, currently in the 99th percentile for severity-weighted traffic injuries in the city, will also have its signals adjusted to give pedestrians more conflict-free time to cross the street. The new plaza extends across two of Seventh Avenue's six lanes on the southern side of the intersection.
April 12, 2011
The Efficient Past and Wasteful Present of the Brooklyn Bridge
In the headlines this morning, we linked to a great historical photo of the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge on Brownstoner, and it's taking a closer look at the full implications of the shot. Not for nostalgia's sake, but to make a cool, calculated appraisal of the efficiency of this piece of transportation infrastructure, as currently configured.
April 11, 2011
NYPD Traffic Cop: “My Objective Is The Cars, Not The People”
The NYPD's decision to crack down on cyclists committing even the most minor infractions -- while an epidemic of deadly driving continues unabated -- should make it clear that the police department is no friend to those on two wheels right now. A report we received today from Christine Berthet, the co-founder of the Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen Coalition for Pedestrian Safety, offers evidence that the police aren't too concerned about the safety of those on two legs either:
April 8, 2011