Transportation Policy
Streetsblog Basics
Theodore Kheel: My Proposal to Robert Moses
Theodore Kheel (pictured right), has been called by The New York Times "the most influential peacemaker in New York City in the last half-century" in light of the fact that he has participated in the resolution of more than 30,000 labor disputes. Kheel has founded several related foundations devoted to resolving the conflict between the environment and development, and has been an advocate for mass transit for over fifty years. He is a regular Streetsblog reader. A shorter version of this essay appeared in the New York Times this Sunday.
April 2, 2007
StreetFilm: Room to Breathe
Inspired by a poster produced by Portland's Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) in the mid-1990s, this weekend Transportation Alternatives gathered a gaggle of cyclists on 42nd Street in Manhattan to stage New York's own dramatic illustration of how much street space would be saved if everyone riding an automobile were traveling on a bicycle or bus.
April 2, 2007
Congestion Relief: It’s About Your Health
Yesterday's New York Times editorial on transportation policy makes a strong case for linking concerns about traffic congestion to concerns about health. It's worth looking at the full text of All Choked Up, the report from Environmental Defense that the paper references when arguing that in order to achieve his goal of a sustainable city,
April 2, 2007
Breaking News: Frieden Tapped as DOT Commish
Please note: This was an April Fool's Day post...
April 1, 2007
Bloomberg Says He’ll Veto Pedicab Bill
Speaking on his weekly radio show on WABC, Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced he would veto the City Council's legislation capping the number of pedicabs in the city at 325:
March 30, 2007
An English Plan in New York
The once traffic-filled street between Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery is now a thriving plaza.
March 28, 2007
Important Meeting for Livable Streets Advocates
Brooklyn Community Board 6's transportation committee will hear presentations and community input on the following items:
March 27, 2007
City Council Fiddles While New York City Chokes on Traffic
Brooklyn Council member Lew Fidler (above) is circulating an anti-congestion pricing resolution urging Mayor Bloomberg to oppose any form of road pricing. Fidler's resolution appears to be a shot across the bow in preparation for the mayor's forthcoming Long-Term Planning and Sustainability speech. Last week, Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff hinted that the speech would include "bold and creative" transportation policy ideas that come with a cost. Fidler, reportedly, will announce his resolution this coming Wednesday.
March 26, 2007
Studies Refute DOT’s Claim That One-Way Avenues Are Safer
Prospect Park West at 8th Street, September 16, 2006, 9:45 am. "Higher vehicle speeds are strongly associated with a greater likelihood
of crashes involving pedestrians as well as more serious pedestrian
injuries." American Journal of Public Health
March 22, 2007
In Defense of Horodniceanu
This comment from Carolyn Konheim of Community Consulting Services, which appeared on a thread that stemmed from our earlier report
about the likely appointment of Michael Horodniceanu (right) as the
next NYC DOT Commissioner, provides an interesting counterpoint to the
"cars-first" rap he has been tagged with:
March 22, 2007