Plazas
Streetsblog Basics
De Blasio: “Transportation Determines Opportunity, Livability, Biz Climate”
On WNYC this morning, Brian Lehrer posed the best transportation question of the 2013 mayoral campaign, asking Bill de Blasio, "Have you thought about transportation as one of your tools to fight inequality?"
October 24, 2013
Council Member Danny Dromm Talks Jackson Heights Plazas With NY1
As part of his excellent series visiting all 51 city council districts, NY1's Errol Louis joined Council Member Danny Dromm for a walk around Jackson Heights earlier this month.
October 15, 2013
Bed-Stuy Cuts the Ribbon on Marcy Plaza, Celebrating Reclaimed Space
More than 100 people joined local leaders and city agency chiefs this morning to cut the red ribbon for Marcy Plaza, a new pedestrian space carved from what used to be an extra-wide stretch of asphalt next to a one-story Burger King in Bedford Stuyvesant.
September 10, 2013
Queens CB 5 Set to Move Ahead With Bike Lane Planning, Plaza Construction
In Queens, Community Board 2 has garnered attention for its partnership with DOT on bike route planning. Immediately to the southeast, CB 5 has been busy working with the Department of City Planning on a parallel effort to map out routes in Ridgewood, Maspeth, and Middle Village that could receive bike lanes as soon as fall of next year.
August 28, 2013
Julissa Ferreras Spotlights Ped Medians, Plazas in NY1 Tour of Her District
On a tour of her council district in East Elmhurst and Corona with Errol Louis of NY1 on Friday, Council Member Julissa Ferreras highlighted two livable streets projects: Corona Plaza, a popular gathering spot near the 7 train, and wider medians on Astoria Boulevard to help seniors cross the street.
August 26, 2013
Times Poll: New Yorkers Really Love Bike Lanes, Bike-Share, and Plazas
This morning, the New York Times released a comprehensive poll on what New Yorkers think of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and programs from his administration. Bike-share, bike lanes, and plazas got high approval numbers across boroughs, ages, races, and income levels. Many of the mayoral candidates might be hesitant to acknowledge it, but New Yorkers love their livable streets.
August 16, 2013
Eyes on the Street: New Pedestrian Spaces Pop in Financial District
Clarence snapped these photos of painted sidewalk expansions on Water Street, where DOT and the Downtown Alliance are working to revitalize street life in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The top photo shows one end of the newly car-free Coentis Slip, between Water and Pearl Street.
June 24, 2013
Is This the First NYC Community Board Meeting Held in a Public Plaza?
I can't say with certainty that this is the first NYC community board meeting held in a public plaza, but it certainly is the first I've heard of in my 22 years in New York City. On Thursday, Queens Community Board 3 held their monthly meeting amid the hustle and bustle of Jackson Heights' Diversity Plaza on 37th Road between 73rd and 74th Streets.
June 21, 2013
DOT Working on Maintenance Initiative to Expand Reach of Plaza Program
DOT's plaza program has brought new public spaces to neighborhoods across the city, and even most City Council members can appreciate that. To ensure that the new plazas don't deteriorate after implementation, the city only installs them if a local partner pledges to maintain the space. Sometimes, finding a maintenance partner can be challenging -- and this is especially the case in less affluent parts of the city.
May 31, 2013