DOT

Eyes on the Street: West End Avenue Gets Its Road Diet

After Cooper Stock and Jean Chambers were killed in West End Avenue crosswalks by turning drivers earlier this year, DOT unveiled a 35-block road diet for the dangerous Upper West Side street. Now, the plan is on the ground, and pedestrian islands are set to be installed within a month.

By Stephen Miller

10:43 AM EDT on October 16, 2014

West End Avenue at 85th Street. Photo: John Simpson

The redesign is a standard four- to three-lane road diet, slimming from two lanes in each direction to one lane per direction with center turn lanes. Bike lanes not included.

Streetsblog reader John Simpson sent in photos of the new street design on the ground between 85th and 86th Streets. The repaving and striping appears to be mostly complete.

Concrete pedestrian refuge islands are planned for 72nd, 79th, 95th, and 97th Streets. On Tuesday, DOT staff told the Manhattan Community Board 7 transportation committee that islands will be installed at 95th and 97th Streets “within the month,” reports Emily Frost at DNAinfo. Islands at 72nd and 79th were added to the plan after complaints that the project didn’t include enough of them. Update: DOT says a pedestrian island at 72nd Street will be installed next year, while neckdowns will be built at 79th Street in the coming months as part of a Safe Routes to School program.

West End Avenue at 86th Street. Photo: John Simpson

Some area residents say heavy traffic at 96th Street, primarily drivers going to the Henry Hudson Parkway, continue to pose a threat. At Tuesday’s meeting, one neighborhood mom requested NYPD officers at the location to direct traffic and ensure safe passage for pedestrians, Frost reports.

The new configuration on West End Avenue features an extra-wide parking lane, large enough to give more breathing room to cyclists or provide a space for double-parked cars. DOT has defended the layout, saying actual bike lanes might be installed later once people get used to the calmer street design.

Stephen Miller

In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation. From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.

DOT | Eyes on the Street | Pedestrian safety | Traffic Calming | Upper West Side

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