It's no exaggeration to say that, by and large, the streets of Inwood are a free-for-all. With its two free Harlem River bridges, the neighborhood is a prime cut-through for toll-shopping drivers passing to and from the Bronx and Westchester, and is a seasonal haven for preening boom-car owners and speeding motorcyclists. Wide intersections and streets meeting at odd angles make for perilous crossings. Bike lanes are extremely scarce.
That's about to change. A little over a year ago, NYC DOT announced the results of its Sherman Creek-Inwood traffic study [PDF], which recommended improvements to many Inwood intersections. As DNAinfo reports, this week the city presented its plan to reallocate space for pedestrians at some of the most hazardous. On the whole, these changes, concentrated on Broadway and parts east and slated for the summer, should make walking a noticeably less harrowing experience for many endangered Inwoodites.
Image: NYCDOT
For example, between March of 2008 and March of 2011, 11 pedestrians and three cyclists were injured at Dyckman and Nagle Avenue, which meet under the elevated 1 train, while 30 vehicle occupants were hurt. (It's telling that drivers whip through Inwood fast enough to cause so many injuries to themselves and their passengers -- 111 during the same three-year period at the eight intersections selected for retooling.) DOT would alter the intersection with bumpouts, pedestrian refuges, new markings and left-turn restrictions, leading to fewer conflict points and easier access to the train.
At 10th Avenue and W. 201st and 202nd Streets, an existing lane for drivers would be removed to shorten pedestrian crossing distances, while a speed-inducing "Y" intersection at 201st would be straightened to a right angle. Pedestrian signals would be installed for a bus stop island at 10th at W. 218th.
Other improvements consist primarily of left-turn bans and new markings, and don't offer much in the way of adding square footage for the roughly 75 percent of Inwood residents who don't own cars. Also, it appears that any benefits to cyclists will be incidental (see the DNAinfo slideshow for a quick rundown). All of which may explain why the proposal gained the approval of the car-crazed Community Board 12 transportation committee.
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.
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