Transportation Alternatives
Streetsblog Basics
Wednesday: Ask the City Council to Pass the “Bikes in Buildings Bill”
Tomorrow morning, Transportation Alternatives will hold a City Hall rally in support of the "Bikes in Buildings Bill." The bill, introduced in 2006 by Council Member David Yassky, would require owners or managers of "any building" to make "reasonable provisions" for bike access. The bill is intended to supplement a still-pending Department of City Planning rule that would require bike parking facilities in new commercial buildings.
September 23, 2008
Sen. Jeff Klein to No Impact Man: “Hands Off My Car, You F–king A–hole”
A couple of days ago we relayed the remarkable story of Colin Beavan's close call with a careless motorist, which ended with the parties shaking hands. Yesterday, No Impact Man encountered another inattentive driver -- one State Senator Jeff Klein -- but this time there were no heartwarming epiphanies.
September 18, 2008
Ride for a Safer Queens Boulevard Tonight
In July, bicycle advocates and family members of Asif Rahman, who was killed while biking on Queens Boulevard earlier this year, called on the city to transform the "Boulevard of Death" into a street that safely serves all users. The effort to make Queens Boulevard a complete street continues tonight at 6:30 p.m., when Transportation Alternatives leads a group ride from the Queensborough Bridge to Elmhurst, the first in a series of monthly "bike pools." From T.A.:
September 12, 2008
NYC Century Tour This Sunday
Thinking of commuting by bike but looking to get your feet wet first? Ready to take one more long communal warm-weather ride? Sunday's 19th annual NYC Century Bike Tour might be for you. With five routes to choose from, this year's event is expected to draw some 6,000 cyclists at all levels of experience. The ride will cover 30 miles of new bike lanes and 40 miles of car-free greenways.
September 4, 2008
The Parking Cure, Step 1: Diagnose the Problem
This curb-cutting driveway leads to a parking lot for a new residential development on 16th Street in Brooklyn.
August 22, 2008
Planners and Green Groups Call for Off-Street Parking Reform
Yesterday, several planning and environmental organizations joined Transportation Alternatives on the steps of City Hall to tout the release of "Suburbanizing the City" [PDF], the new report that critiques New York City's off-street parking policies. The coalition is similar -- but not identical -- to the array of groups that pushed for congestion pricing earlier this year. Their testimony highlighted the range of benefits that off-street parking reform would deliver, from mitigating tailpipe emissions to reducing housing costs.
August 18, 2008
Report: NYC’s Off-Street Parking Policy Will Set Off a Traffic Explosion
Adjacent blocks in Park Slope, one built before parking requirements took effect, and one built after.
August 18, 2008
A Citywide Prescription for Livable Streets
Today Transportation Alternatives released "Streets to Live By" [PDF], the report previewed last week in the Observer. It seeks to define what makes a street livable and to synthesize a broad range of data, culled from numerous cities, on the effects of policies that put pedestrians first.
August 7, 2008
Ride to Summer Streets in Style With T.A. [Updated]
Planning to bike into Manhattan for Saturday's landmark Summer Streets event? Transportation Alternatives can help everything go smoothly. They're running feeder rides from three locations in Brooklyn and Queens (a Bronx ride is scheduled for the next Saturday). All the rides this week start at 9 a.m. To participate you should RSVP. Here's the details:
August 6, 2008
DOT Takes Steps to Improve Ped Safety Near Park Avenue Tunnel
Last night, DOT closed both lanes of the Park Avenue Tunnel to prepare for the construction of safety upgrades at Park and 33rd Street. That's the intersection where southbound cars exit the tunnel, creating a dangerous blend of speeding vehicles and poor sight lines. From 1995 to 2005, 156 pedestrians and 10 cyclists were struck by cars there, according to CrashStat.
August 4, 2008