Upper West Side
Streetsblog Basics
Merchant Ire Over Deliveries, Placards Dominates UWS Bike Lane Meeting
Columbus Avenue merchants on the two blocks between 81st and 83rd Street led a chorus of complaints against that avenue's new protected bike lane at a raucous meeting of Manhattan CB 7's transportation committee last night. The committee co-chairs limited the discussion only to criticism of the bike lane, which runs from 96th to 77th Street, in an attempt to address specific complaints, but opposition quickly flew out of control. About half a dozen merchants spoke at the packed meeting, which at times descended into an anti-bike screaming match.
November 9, 2010
Gale Brewer Pessimistic About Further Riverside Center Parking Reductions
Now that the City Planning Commission has called for 1,260 parking spaces at the Riverside Center development -- instead of the 1,800 requested by the developer -- the project moves on to the City Council for the final step of the city's land use process. Traditionally, the local Council member representing the district is given a lot of deference by her peers, so we checked in with West Side representative Gale Brewer to see whether she'd be pushing for a further reduction in the number of spaces.
November 8, 2010
Heads Up: Columbus Ave Bike Lane Discussion Not Happening Tonight
Adjust your calendars: Manhattan CB 7 is pushing back its full board meeting, originally scheduled for tonight, to next Tuesday, the 9th. So you have a few more days to hone your Columbus Avenue bike lane testimony.
November 3, 2010
City Planning Okays 1,260 Parking Spaces for Riverside Center
We got our hands on a copy of the City Planning Commission's report on the Riverside Center mega-development [PDF], and as we reported last week, the commission is allowing Extell Development to construct 1,260 parking spaces under two Upper West Side blocks. It's possible that the number of parking spaces could drop lower when the public review reaches the City Council, where local representative Gale Brewer has said she favors 1,100 parking spaces.
November 3, 2010
Defend the Columbus Avenue Bike Lane [Updated]
UPDATE: This meeting has been postponed to next Tuesday.
November 2, 2010
Eyes on the Street: Working Out the Kinks in the Columbus Ave Bike Lane
Upper West Side residents can ride with a new sense of safety and comfort on the recently installed Columbus Avenue protected bike lane, but between 81st and 82nd Streets, the bike lane has been consistently blocked by a minivan owned by Quality Florist, a local business located on that block.
October 26, 2010
City Planning Ready to Approve 1,260 Parking Spaces at Riverside Center
The City Planning Commission is likely to approve a 1,260-space garage for the Riverside Center mega-development at its meeting this Wednesday, according to multiple sources. That's space for hundreds more cars -- causing more congestion and more pollution -- than requested by the Upper West Side's representatives. It's yet another case where the commission and planning chair Amanda Burden have disregarded the sustainability goals of PlaNYC when shaping parking policy.
October 25, 2010
At Riverside Park, Looking to More Bike Lanes to Soothe Bike/Ped Conflict
The Hudson River Greenway is the busiest bike route in the city, with around 5,000 cyclists riding it during the peak 12-hour period each day. This June, the Parks Department abruptly put up dismount signs at the 72nd Street entrance to Riverside Park, interrupting a popular access route to a major corridor within Manhattan's green transportation network.
October 19, 2010
Safety Fixes Slated for One of Manhattan’s Most Dangerous Intersections
The long history of violent traffic crashes where Broadway, Amsterdam and 71st Street converge is about to take a turn for the better. This intersection was the site of 19 pedestrian and cyclist injuries between 2004 and 2008. Earlier this summer, in the course of a few hours, two people were injured in separate crashes while walking in this area.
September 23, 2010