Traffic Calming
Streetsblog Basics
Legacy of Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Advocates Continues
A bit more background on the generous neckdown at Smith and Bergen spotlighted earlier today: This pedestrian amenity never would have been built without the long-term organizing for the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project. Street protests and advocacy campaigns stretching back more than a dozen years are bearing fruit now.
August 28, 2009
Now That’s What I Call a Neckdown!
Since the spring, DOT construction crews have been building out traffic calming improvements all over the neighborhoods near downtown Brooklyn. When the years-in-the-making Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project wraps up, pedestrians will have safer crossings at dozens of intersections. The sidewalk extension at the northwest corner of Smith and Bergen, shown here, is especially impressive. Several hundred square feet of street space now belong to pedestrians instead of cars.
August 28, 2009
Eyes on the Street: Bike Traffic on Eighth = Rolling Goldmine
Thanks to BicyclesOnly for posting this shot from yesterday morning's commute to the Streetsblog Flickr pool. By my count, we've got six people riding bikes here on a one-and-a-half block stretch of the Eighth Avenue protected path, with two or three others farther back, in the shade. As far as I can tell, everyone is riding in the right direction. If I was an Eighth Avenue merchant, I'd start agitating for more bike parking in front of my store.
July 16, 2009
Ask and Ye Shall Receive: Brooklyn CB9 Gets a Bike Lane on Empire Blvd
These days, it's not often that we get to report about New York City community boards pushing DOT for more progressive street designs. So sit back and enjoy this post. If you read Streetsblog regularly, it'll blow your mind.
July 1, 2009
Tonight: DOT Unveils Plans for 181st Street in Washington Heights
DOT tonight will present its recommendations for improvements to Manhattan's 181st Street.
June 18, 2009
Tonight: Weigh In on What’s Next for Park Circle Improvements
Back in February, Brooklyn CB7 hosted a public workshop where DOT and the Department of City Planning explored ways to make Brooklyn's Park Circle a more appealing gateway to Prospect Park -- and a less terrifying traffic vortex for everyone outside of a car to navigate. Participants floated a number of ideas to mark off more space for pedestrians, cyclists and horseback riders, and tonight you can help shape what comes next. From DOT's announcement:
June 16, 2009
Solve the Congestion Crisis And Win $50,000
Have you ever idled in traffic or waited for a late bus while thinking: "The city government should put me in charge of fixing this mess"?
June 1, 2009
Signs of Progress for Downtown Brooklyn Safety Fixes
After a wait that lasted years longer than expected, construction crews are breaking ground on a slate of pedestrian safety improvements for Downtown Brooklyn's traffic-plagued streets.
May 20, 2009
Saturday: Paint the Pavement With Brooklyn Students
If you're in Fort Greene tomorrow, drop by 51 St. Edwards Street for some great Livable Streets action. Students from the Community Roots Charter School will be out in the street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., working on a new mural covering the pavement in front of their school, and volunteers are welcome to join in. The mural painting is the joint handiwork of DOT's Urban Art Program, Livable Streets Education, and local artists and teachers. Sound unusual? It is. We're told this may be the first time NYCDOT has ever approved a pavement painting project.
May 15, 2009