Hoboken’s Main Drag Set for Ambitious Complete Streets Overhaul
Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer has unveiled a plan to transform Washington Street, the Square Mile City's main drag, with a two-way protected bike lane, super-sized curb extensions, and bus bulbs. The plan also includes expanded loading zones, new seating, bike racks, and bioswales for stormwater runoff.
September 25, 2014
Garodnick Endorses Complete Streets for Fifth and Sixth Avenues
The next time someone tries to tell you that complete street designs with pedestrian islands and protected bike lanes are controversial, point them to what's happening on Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Avenues in Manhattan, where a united coalition of parents, business owners, elected officials, and community boards are begging DOT to design streets in the image of the already-remade First, Second, Eighth, and Ninth Avenues.
September 24, 2014
NYC Celebrates Park(ing) Day 2014
Today's the day when people across the world replace parking with parks to prompt their neighbors to think a bit differently about how we use street space. While participation in Park(ing) Day seems to have ebbed in New York recently, the city still made a decent showing this year. Here's a sampler of the pop-up parklets across the city today.
September 19, 2014
Why You Can’t Trust TV News to Report on Bike Lanes
Earlier this week, in an "investigation" seeking to link bike lanes to traffic congestion, ABC 7 reporter Jim Hoffer drove around Manhattan avenues timing his trips. The station ostensibly wanted to test DOT's numbers showing that average travel times on two streets with protected bike lanes decreased after the lanes were installed.
September 19, 2014
NYC Bike Commuting Doubled Since 2009, While Solo Driving Dropped
Trends in how New Yorkers get to work are moving in the right direction. Twice as many New Yorkers went to work by bike last year as in 2009, according to US Census data out today, while transit usage rose 3 percent and driving alone to work dropped 9 percent.
September 18, 2014
DOT Studying Shared Space for Three Blocks Next to Willoughby Plaza
Three narrow blocks near Willoughby Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn could become "shared space" streets under a DOT plan to blur the lines between sidewalks and car lanes. The concept has been under discussion for years as a way to slow motorists and give pedestrians more breathing room, and the city is now studying this concept in earnest. There are some funds allocated for construction, and DOT is planning to get feedback on potential designs at a public meeting next month.
September 17, 2014