The Bronx
Streetsblog Basics
First NYC 20 MPH Zone to Slow Cars With Gateway Neckdowns, Speed Humps
Last month DOT announced plans for the city's first 20 mph zone, located in the Claremont section of the Bronx. The agency's presentation to the local community board is now online [PDF], so you can see how DOT plans to implement the slow zone strategy in what could be the first of several neighborhoods. The approach is low-cost but should be effective: Every entrance to the area will be marked with a highly visible "gateway" announcing the reduced speed limit, and the neighborhood will be blanketed with regularly-spaced speed humps.
June 29, 2011
Unlicensed Drivers of Private Cars a Far Bigger Threat Than Tour Bus Drivers
Last week's tragic bus crash in the Bronx, which left 15 dead, has captured the attention of New York's media and political elite. Since the crash took place nine days ago, the New York Times has published no fewer than seven articles updating its readers on every detail and development.
March 21, 2011
Parking Requirements Force Affordable Housing Project to Shrink
Parking minimums continue to stymie the creation of affordable housing in New York City, according to an architect who frequently designs those projects. When a rezoning suddenly put parking minimums in effect for an affordable housing project in the Bronx, Richard Ferrara of DeLaCour & Ferrara Architects was forced to cut apartments out of the building.
February 24, 2011
Bronx Residents Demand a Greater, Greener, Fairer PlaNYC
The Bronx wants to see the next version PlaNYC go further and be more equitable than the original. At last night's public outreach event for the upcoming revision of the city's sustainability agenda, dubbed a "Community Conversation," Bronx residents demanded that PlaNYC 2.0 be far bolder in its efforts to green the city -- and especially their environmentally disadvantaged borough. Whether by tearing down the Sheridan Expressway, tackling truck traffic, or eliminating parking minimums, they want the city to step up its sustainable transportation efforts in particular.
October 27, 2010
TIGER II Funds Sheridan Replacement Study, Fordham Redesign
The TIGER II leaks keep coming. Here in New York, Congressman José Serrano just announced two winners of the much-sought-after federal funds (hat tip to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign on the news). $1.5 million will fund a planning study of the Sheridan Expressway area, which could provide a big boost for efforts to replace that little-used highway with housing, jobs, and parks. Another $10 million will go toward the redesign of Fordham Plaza, one of the most important spaces for transit and pedestrians in the city.
October 15, 2010
69-Year-Old Man Killed Walking Across Cross-Bronx Exit
A 69-year-old Hispanic man was struck and killed at 4:02 this morning on the Amsterdam Avenue/Major Deegan exit of the Cross-Bronx Expressway, according to the NYPD. The man, who has not been identified, was walking westbound along the exit ramp when the driver struck him and was pronounced dead at the scene.
September 28, 2010
Without Espada or Challenger Rivera, District 33 Debates Transportation
Last night's 33rd Senate District transportation debate pitted two candidates against each other who are unlikely to ever appear on the same ballot: Democrat Daniel Padernacht and Green John Reynolds. Padernacht is running a distant third place in polling for the September 14 primary, after incumbent Pedro Espada Jr. and challenger Gustavo Rivera. Neither Espada nor Rivera showed up at last night's debate: Espada refuses to debate his opponents and Rivera chose to attend an NAACP forum instead.
September 3, 2010
Fordham Plaza Overhaul Promises Big Improvements for Pedestrians
Fordham Plaza, one of the city's busiest transit and retail hubs, but also one of its most dangerous, is slated for a major redesign [PDF] by NYCDOT and the Economic Development Corporation. Highlights of the badly-needed overhaul include a massive increase in public space, a slew of safety improvements for pedestrians, and a block-long bus- and bike-only street.
August 3, 2010
Bike to Work Day Finale: Why the Bronx Commutes By Bike
Streetfilms' Robin Urban Smith was up on the Grand Concourse this morning for one of New York's Bike to Work Day traditions -- the Bronx Borough President's ride from Poe Park down to Lou Gehrig Plaza. Watch and see all the different answers you get when you ask people, "Why do you bike to work?"
May 21, 2010
Bronx Rep Promises to “Make Every Effort to Avoid Blocking the Bike Lane”
Via Gothamist, here's a story that nicely encapsulates why parking placards should be completely abolished. On Monday, a Boogiedowner reader caught Bronx Assembly member Vanessa Gibson parking in the bike lane on the Grand Concourse, NYPD-issued placard on the dash for all to see. When the Bronx News Network asked Gibson to explain herself, she offered this apology:
April 8, 2010