Pedestrian improvements to Gansevoort Plaza, the product of a community-based process, are now under threat.There's a lot on the table today for New Yorkers looking to make streets safer and more welcoming for pedestrians and cyclists. Turnout will be needed at three events, including two meetings where recent improvements are expected to come under fire.
First up, at 1:00 p.m. you can testify at a City Council hearing about strengthening state laws to deter dangerous driving.
Then, in Williamsburg this evening, Community Board 1 will take up the Kent Avenue bike lane in what promises to be a contentious affair. Supporters of safer cycling will need to show up in force to counter the vocal anti-bike lane contingent (details here).
Attendance will also be critical at a public forum to discuss pedestrian safety improvements in the Meatpacking District. Last year, new public spaces in the area reclaimed street space for pedestrians, the result of a painstaking, bottom-up public process. Nevertheless, some business interests want to roll back enhancements to the public realm and are promising to give DOT and Community Board 2 an earful tonight (unfortunately, this meeting overlaps with the Kent Avenue meeting). From Transportation Alternatives:
On January 13th at 6:30pm, we need you to tell the Department of Transportation that you want public space and pedestrian safety. Please attend and speak out at a public forum on Gansevoort Plaza at Housing Works. This is your opportunity to help make this plaza permanent and share your ideas for further aesthetic or functional improvements.
When: 6:30 Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Where: Housing Works, 320 W 13th Street (at Gansevoort and West 4th St)
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
What to Say When Someone Claims ‘No One Bikes or Walks in Bad Weather’
Yes, sustainable modes are more vulnerable to bad weather. But that's why we should invest more in them — not less.
NYC Transit’s New Operations Planning Chief Wants To Fight ‘Ghost Buses’
One-time transit advocate and current MTA Paratransit VP Chris Pangilinan will oversee bus and subway operations for the whole city.
Friday’s Headlines: Gimme Bus Shelter Edition
The days of the Landmarks Preservation Commission reviewing every proposed bus shelter in landmarked districts may be no more. Plus more news.
Deal Reached: Hochul Says ‘Sammy’s Law’ Will Pass
The bill, though imperfect, has been four years in the making.
Komanoff: A ‘Noise Tax’ Can Ground NYC Helicopters
A proposed $400 “noise tax” on “nonessential” flights is a start — and it will work.
