Upper West Side
Streetsblog Basics
Eyes on the Street: “Bowtie of Death” Needs a New Nickname
DOT has largely completed an overhaul of the complicated intersection of Broadway, Amsterdam and 71st Street, a year after presenting the plan to Community Board 7 (hat tip to the West Side Rag, which noted the new infrastructure last Thursday).
October 31, 2011
Bike Lane Made Columbus Avenue Safer, and UWS Residents Noticed
The Columbus Avenue bike lane is both safe and popular, according to two assessments released at a meeting of Community Board 7 last night. Representatives from the Department of Transportation presented data showing that the street redesign reduced the number of crashes on the street by 34 percent, while 73 percent of Upper West Siders surveyed by City Council Member Gale Brewer said they think the bike lane and pedestrian refuge islands improved the street.
October 12, 2011
Gale Brewer Launches Survey on Columbus Avenue Bike Lane
Since a working group of elected officials and community leaders studied and tweaked the design of the parking-protected bike lane along Columbus Avenue in February, things have been relatively quiet on the Upper West Side.
September 13, 2011
“Bowtie of Death” Ped Safety Improvements Underway [Updated]
Thanks to reader Liz Patek for these shots of DOT crews getting to work this morning at Broadway and Amsterdam at W. 71st Street. Dubbed the "bowtie of death" by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, the foreboding expanse of asphalt has seen dozens of crashes over the last two years, and has been named by Transportation Alternatives as the most dangerous intersection on the Upper West Side.
August 30, 2011
Parks Drops Dismount Signage at Upper West Side Greenway Exit
A reader sends along this shot from the Hudson River Greenway exit at W. 72nd Street. Cyclists are apparently no longer required to dismount on the shared path that connects the greenway and Riverside Drive, a ham-handed directive issued by the Parks Department last summer. Our tipster says the new signs have replaced dismount instructions, which were reportedly backed up by threats of summonses.
August 30, 2011
Plans For First Two Crosstown Central Park Bike-Ped Paths Take Shape
Details are emerging about the plan to create shared bike/pedestrian paths cutting east-west across Central Park. The first two paths are likely to officially open on a trial basis in September, cutting across the park at roughly 102nd Street and 96th Street, said Central Park Conservancy community relations manager Caroline Greenleaf at a Community Board 7 meeting last night.
July 13, 2011
Scott Stringer, Linda Rosenthal Push DOT to Install Promised Ped Safety Fix
One year ago, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal stood on a traffic island in the middle of the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue, Broadway, and 71st Street to urge the Department of Transportation to install a slew of safety features at what they called "the bowtie of death." That September, DOT put out a plan to expand sidewalks, add crosswalks and remove traffic lanes from both Broadway and Amsterdam.
July 11, 2011
Will Vance Prosecute Driver Who Killed Yolanda Casal for Deadly Negligence?
A woman is dead her daughter injured after they were struck by an unlicensed driver on the Upper West Side on Thursday.
July 1, 2011
Eyes on the Street: Second Crash in Three Days at Columbus Ave. Corner
On Tuesday evening, a van driver headed east on 72nd Street jumped the curb at Columbus Avenue and crashed into a light pole. Last night, a driver jumped another car at the same intersection, ending up with a front wheel perched on its mangled hood. Reader Liz Patek sent in the shot above.
May 20, 2011
Eyes on the Street: Another Curb-Jumping Motorist on the UWS
Another day, another motorist barreling onto a New York City sidewalk. Reader Liz Patek sends this shot of the crash aftermath at Columbus and 72nd Street yesterday evening, where a van driver, apparently heading east, jumped the curb and crashed into a light pole. The tally on CrashStat reveals that 20 pedestrians and eight cyclists were injured in traffic crashes at this intersection between 1995 and 2005.
May 18, 2011