Cast Your Vote For the 2010 Streetsies
Even after 51 weeks of reporting on NYC’s sustainable transportation and street safety scene, it’s still somewhat stunning to sit back and pore over the sheer volume of news that happened in the past year. 2010 was an epically bad year for transit riders, leavened by some important flashes of innovation. New York also saw historic progress on making streets safer for biking and walking, tempered by political pushback and a barrage of negative press.
To commemorate the best and worst of 2010, soon we’ll be posting our fourth annual year-end awards, the Streetsies. Right now we’ve got eight people’s choice categories for you to vote on — the polls are open until midnight on Sunday, December 27.
Before we sign off for the holiday weekend and get to the nominations, a few updates about developments that will help Streetsblog crank out your livable streets fix in 2011 and beyond:
- Our first pledge drive is in full swing until December 31 — just a few more days! Have you given yet? Your tax-deductible donation will provide invaluable support for Streetsblog NYC, directly funding high-impact reporting that sets the agenda for sustainable transportation and street safety policy.
- A big shout-out to the fine people at Bicycle Habitat for sponsoring our coverage. Check out the Bike Habitat ad on our sidebar and visit their shop on Lafayette Street — they’re open tomorrow and on Christmas Eve, in case you’re searching for something to give the cyclists (or prospective cyclists) in your life. If you’re interested in advertising on Streetsblog NYC, send an email to Vanessa Hamer at vhamer [at] openplans [dot] org.
And now, without further ado, your nominees for the 2010 Streetsies.
Best Livable Streets Moment
- More than 100 Jackson Heights residents march to their community board and win a vote for summer-long play street (31%, 160 Votes)
- Mayor Bloomberg commits to permanent Times Square plazas, asking, "Are the roads for everybody... or are they just for motorists?" (21%, 106 Votes)
- Hundreds of Brooklynites turn out to show love for the Prospect Park West bike lane, overwhelming NIMBY protest (20%, 101 Votes)
- NYC DOT announces pursuit of large-scale bike-share system (12%, 59 Votes)
- Upper West Side Streets Renaissance helps win CB 7 vote for Columbus Avenue bike lane</a (9%, 48 Votes)
- Feds fund official NYC study of what can replace the Sheridan Expressway (4%, 23 Votes)
- Advocates and electeds deliver 2,500 handwritten letters asking City Hall to complete East Side bikeways (3%, 16 Votes)
Total Voters: 521
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Best Pedestrian Project
- The reclamation of Broadway and 17th Street near Union Square (35%, 114 Votes)
- Dozens of pedestrian refuges built as part of the re-design of First and Second Avenues (20%, 67 Votes)
- Ongoing roll-out of Safe Streets for Seniors improvements in 25 neighborhoods (15%, 48 Votes)
- Release of DOT's Pedestrian Safety Study and Action Plan (14%, 47 Votes)
- Pop-Up Cafés (12%, 40 Votes)
- Intersection re-design at Crames Square in Longwood (4%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 329
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Best Bicycle Project
- Prospect Park West (44%, 146 Votes)
- First and Second Avenues (26%, 87 Votes)
- Queensboro Bridge approach (Queens side) (21%, 69 Votes)
- Columbus Avenue (9%, 29 Votes)
Total Voters: 331
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Most Encouraging News for Transit
- Countdown clocks at 100 subway stations (30%, 102 Votes)
- NYC DOT unveils plans for city's first physically separated busway on 34th Street (23%, 80 Votes)
- MTA and NYC DOT can now set up camera enforcement on five SBS routes (20%, 68 Votes)
- Select Bus Service comes to First and Second Avenues and gets results (19%, 64 Votes)
- MTA opens its data to third-party developers (8%, 28 Votes)
Total Voters: 342
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NIMBY of the Year
- "Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes" (a.k.a. the people who want to dismantle the PPW bike lane) (48%, 155 Votes)
- Iris Weinshall (22%, 71 Votes)
- The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association and other foes of the 34th Street Transitway (18%, 57 Votes)
- Borough Park rabbis opposed to pedestrian refuge islands on Fort Hamilton Parkway (12%, 40 Votes)
Total Voters: 323
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Nadir of the Year (Transit Division)
- Lower than expected revenues and Albany transit raids bring on the worst MTA service cuts in a generation (48%, 148 Votes)
- Albany swipes another $16.7 million from the MTA for good measure (20%, 62 Votes)
- After voting to sweep $140 million from transit, Joan Millman accuses MTA Board of mismanagement at a fare hike hearing (20%, 60 Votes)
- During gubernatorial debate, Andrew Cuomo accuses the MTA of keeping "two sets of books" (12%, 36 Votes)
Total Voters: 306
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Nadir of the Year (Street Safety Division)
- NYPD refuses to publicly disclose traffic safety data that's readily available (30%, 92 Votes)
- East Side bikeways north of 34th Street left incomplete and facing uncertain future (28%, 86 Votes)
- At bike policy hearing, City Council allows PPW NIMBY and former deputy mayor Norman Steisel to jump the queue and pontificate for 16 minutes (22%, 67 Votes)
- Staten Island pols successfully prevail on City Hall to remove the Father Capodanno bike lane (15%, 47 Votes)
- Dov Hikind flies off the handle in 11-minute speech against Borough Park pedestrian refuges (6%, 17 Votes)
Total Voters: 309
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Urban Abomination of the Year
- Millions in city subsidies to prop up huge garage at Flushing Commons (28%, 83 Votes)
- East River Plaza (26%, 75 Votes)
- Tax-exempt Jamaica parking garage connected to Queens political machine (24%, 72 Votes)
- Riverside Center (22%, 64 Votes)
Total Voters: 294
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