Department of City Planning
Streetsblog Basics
See Queens, Shop in Queens — on Your Bike
Last week the Department of City Planning released the "Queens Around the World Guide," a map to help cyclists see the sights, sample the cuisine, and frequent the merchants of the city's biggest borough.
May 28, 2009
Bike-Friendly Zoning Amendment Clears City Council
Yesterday the City Council approved a zoning change that mandates secure bike parking in new construction, putting the rule into effect. The amendment will help cyclists avoid the risks of locking up on-street by requiring new apartment buildings and offices to provide space for people to put their rides. (Check out this table from the Department of City Planning [PDF] for details.)
April 23, 2009
Bikes as Transit: New Study Envisions Possibilities for NYC
The Department of City Planning released a study this weekend about the possibilities for bike-share in New York City, and if you can spare the time to look it over, it's a rewarding read. The best news: The city is thinking about bike-share on a scale that would successfully integrate cycling into the public transit system. The report recommends a phased implementation, starting with a 10,000-bike system and expanding to 49,000 bikes at stations in four boroughs.
April 22, 2009
Bigger Sidewalks But No Protected Bike Lane for Houston Street
The reconstruction of East Houston Street will include wider medians, bigger sidewalks, fewer traffic lanes, and a new bike lane. But instead of installing a physically protected path for cyclists, the city plans to paint a buffered, Class 2 lane. The project, which received funds freed up by stimulus spending, will go out to bid this summer.
April 3, 2009
Bike-Friendly Zoning Advances to City Council. Bike Access Bill Next?
On Wednesday, the City Planning Commission approved a zoning amendment to require bicycle parking in new construction. The City Council now has a 50-day window to vote on and finalize the measure.
March 6, 2009
A Park Circle Where Walkers Feel Welcome
This proposal for Brooklyn's Park Circle -- Grand Army Plaza's twin traffic disaster at the opposite end of Prospect Park -- comes from Streetsblog Flickr pool contributor Sean Kenney. Currently, extraneous asphalt and accelerating vehicles abound here (check after the jump for a shot of existing conditions). Says Sean about his re-design:
March 3, 2009
Brooklynites Suggest Park Circle Safety Fixes
About 40 Brooklynites turned out last night for a CB7-sponsored meeting to discuss the future of Park Circle, the asphalt expanse where Prospect Park meets traffic headed to and from the Prospect Expressway, Ocean Parkway, and the Fort Hamilton Parkway. There are two projects in the works here: the Department of City Planning is studying how to improve bicycle connections between the Ocean Parkway Greenway and Prospect Park [PDF], and DOT is looking to make some quick, low-cost safety improvements to Park Circle that can be implemented this year [PDF].
February 20, 2009
Indoor Parking Swap: More Space for Bikes, Less for Cars?
Yesterday the City Planning Commission heard feedback on a proposed zoning amendment to mandate bike parking in new construction. Together with the Bikes in Buildings Bill, which would improve bike access to existing buildings, the measure is intended to address one of the major hurdles to bike commuting -- the lack of a secure place to put your ride.
February 5, 2009
Gehl-O-Rama: City Agencies Take Lessons From Copenhagen
Before hitting the "World Class Streets" launch Thursday night, Jan Gehl addressed about 70 staffers from DOT, City Planning, and NYCEDC, part of a day-long exercise that introduced participants to the Danish planner's site evaluation methods. Commissioners Amanda Burden and Janette Sadik-Khan gave a hero's welcome to Gehl, whom they called "instrumental" to revamping New York's approach to planning.
November 17, 2008
City Planning Unveils Bike-Friendly Zoning Regs
The Department of City Planning revealed a zoning amendment today that would require new buildings to include space for secure bike parking. The lack of indoor parking is one of the biggest obstacles for would-be bike commuters, and the proposed zoning joins other initiatives to improve parking in existing office buildings. DCP's amendment includes requirements for residential and retail construction as well. (See the full list of provisions after the jump.)
November 10, 2008