Weisbrod and Kimball Tie Their Own Hands on Parking Reform
Reducing the amount of parking in new development promises to make housing more affordable and curb traffic congestion, but it hasn't gained much traction in Bill de Blasio's first months at City Hall, despite the mayor's ambitious promises to ease the housing crunch. Today, two top city officials explained why, unlike their counterparts in more car-dependent cities, New York's leaders are suggesting only the meekest changes to off-street parking policy.
May 28, 2014
Eyes on the Street: Bikeway Upgrade Calms Deadly Stretch of Kent Avenue
A project that slims a dangerous section of Kent Avenue in South Williamsburg and straightens out an awkward stretch of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway route is nearing the finish line.
May 28, 2014
Select Bus Service Launches on 125th Street
On Sunday, Select Bus Service launched on a route that stretches from 125th Street in Harlem to LaGuardia Airport. Public officials marked the occasion -- the first SBS route to debut during the de Blasio era -- at a Harlem press conference today. With off-board fare collection and dedicated bus lanes (on part of the route), the upgrades will speed cross-town trips for 33,000 bus riders daily, on both the M60 SBS route and local routes that will benefit from the bus lanes only.
May 27, 2014
Eyes on the Street: Parking Placard Abuse in Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Parking placard abuse might be most noticeable in hotspots like Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, but it's an epidemic in neighborhoods across the city. Reader Eli Forsythe sent in photos of an illegally-parked car with a placard on the dash in Prospect Lefferts Gardens last weekend.
May 23, 2014
CBs Eye Safety Tweaks on 155th Street Through Denny Farrell’s Windshield
A dangerous Upper Manhattan intersection could get pedestrian safety upgrades [PDF], if three community boards can agree on a plan. Wednesday evening, DOT invited neighborhood residents and members of Community Boards 9, 10, and 12 to a meeting that resulted in some consensus, though implementation remains about a year away. As at last year's meeting, however, the show was stolen by local Assembly Member Herman “Denny” Farrell, the powerful chair of the Ways and Means Committee, who critiqued the project from a windshield perspective.
May 23, 2014
Brooklyn CB 2 Committee Unanimously Backs Park Avenue Safety Fixes
Last night, Brooklyn Community Board 2's transportation committee unanimously supported a set of traffic calming measures on Park Avenue in Clinton Hill and Fort Greene, including a road diet for eastbound traffic [PDF]. The proposal from DOT comes after years of advocacy from local residents and organizations fed up with speeding and dangerous conditions on the roadway beneath the Brooklyn Queens Expressway viaduct.
May 21, 2014
Pedestrian Injuries Down Nearly 30% After 4th Ave Road Diet in Sunset Park
A year and a half after implementing a road diet on 50 blocks of Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park, DOT returned to the Brooklyn Community Board 7 transportation committee last night with a report on how the redesign has affected safety. The results are positive: More people are walking on Fourth Avenue, while speeding, crashes, and pedestrian injuries are all down significantly [PDF].
May 21, 2014