Livable Streets
Streetsblog Basics
The Real Reason Uber Traffic Matters in NYC
For a moment yesterday, it seemed like the big clash between the taxi medallion industry and app-based car services, framed in terms of Uber's effect on snarled Manhattan traffic, might veer into unexpectedly brilliant territory. There was Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris in the Daily News, telling the MTA that City Hall would consider the Move NY traffic reduction plan to fund transit investment. Finally, a sign that some of the big players are getting serious about a comprehensive fix for the city's congestion problem.
July 23, 2015
33rd Street at Penn Station Will Go Car-Free This Summer
Real estate giant Vornado Realty Trust last night unveiled plans to open up space for people on a couple of busy blocks near Penn Station. The proposed car-free zones include a new pedestrian plaza on 33rd Street west of Seventh Avenue. Phase one will consist of a three-month trial this summer and fall, and the changes could be made permanent afterward.
June 2, 2015
Eyes on the Street: This Year’s First “Street Seats” Have Begun to Sprout
It's Street Seats season -- the time of year when curbside seating replaces parking to reclaim some space for people, at least for the summer.
May 29, 2015
Participatory Budgeting Will Fund 21 Livable Streets Projects
The votes are in, and 21 livable streets projects got enough support to be funded in this year's round of participatory budgeting. All told, 124 projects made the cut and will receive City Council funds [PDF]. In dollar terms, the streets projects will account for $5.1 million of the $32.5 million distributed by council members.
May 20, 2015
Vote to Decide the Best Urban Street Transformation of 2014
If you're searching for reasons to feel positive about the future, the street transformations pictured below are a good start. Earlier this month we asked readers to send in their nominations for the best American street redesigns of 2014. These five are the finalists selected by Streetsblog staff. They include new car-free zones, substantial sidewalk expansions, superb bike infrastructure, awesome safety upgrades, and exclusive transit lanes.
December 17, 2014
FHWA to Engineers: Go Ahead and Use City-Friendly Street Designs
The heavyweights of American transportation engineering continue to warm up to design guides that prioritize walking, biking, and transit on city streets. On Friday, the Federal Highway Administration made clear that it endorses the National Association of City Transportation Officials' Urban Street Design Guide, which features street treatments like protected bike lanes that you won't find in the old engineering "bibles."
July 28, 2014
Shared Space: The Street Design NYC’s Financial District Was Made For
For people in cars, the Financial District is a slow-speed maze. For everyone else, it is one of the city's most transit-rich destinations. Despite this, most of the street space in the area is devoted to cars.
July 3, 2014
Imagining a New Atlantic Avenue for de Blasio’s New York
Atlantic Avenue is one of New York’s most prominent streets, and in most respects, it is completely broken.
May 1, 2014
New Software Lets You Virtually Stroll Down Streets That You Design
Folks across the blogosphere are geeking out over this new software created by Spencer Boomhower at the Portland firm Cupola Media. "Unity3D Visualization" lets users manipulate the features of a street and then evaluate the changes in an immersive animated display.
November 27, 2013
Fight Street Crime With Speed Bumps and Crosswalks
In Gabe Klein’s exit interview with Chicago Mag, the outgoing transportation commissioner predicted that in the next few years, cities will be paying more attention to the correlation between lawbreaking by drivers and other kinds of crime.
November 25, 2013