Transportation Alternatives

Thinking of commuting by bike but looking to get your feet wet first? Ready to take one more long communal warm-weather ride? Sunday's 19th annual NYC Century Bike Tour might be for you. With five routes to choose from, this year's event is expected to draw some 6,000 cyclists at all levels of experience. The ride will cover 30 miles of new bike lanes and 40 miles of car-free greenways.

This curb-cutting driveway leads to a parking lot for a new residential development on 16th Street in Brooklyn.

Yesterday, several planning and environmental organizations joined Transportation Alternatives on the steps of City Hall to tout the release of "Suburbanizing the City" [PDF], the new report that critiques New York City's off-street parking policies. The coalition is similar -- but not identical -- to the array of groups that pushed for congestion pricing earlier this year. Their testimony highlighted the range of benefits that off-street parking reform would deliver, from mitigating tailpipe emissions to reducing housing costs.

Adjacent blocks in Park Slope, one built before parking requirements took effect, and one built after.

Today Transportation Alternatives released "Streets to Live By" [PDF], the report previewed last week in the Observer. It seeks to define what makes a street livable and to synthesize a broad range of data, culled from numerous cities, on the effects of policies that put pedestrians first.

Planning to bike into Manhattan for Saturday's landmark Summer Streets event? Transportation Alternatives can help everything go smoothly. They're running feeder rides from three locations in Brooklyn and Queens (a Bronx ride is scheduled for the next Saturday). All the rides this week start at 9 a.m. To participate you should RSVP. Here's the details:

Last night, DOT closed both lanes of the Park Avenue Tunnel to prepare for the construction of safety upgrades at Park and 33rd Street. That's the intersection where southbound cars exit the tunnel, creating a dangerous blend of speeding vehicles and poor sight lines. From 1995 to 2005, 156 pedestrians and 10 cyclists were struck by cars there, according to CrashStat.

Quick, what do a global financial firm and a neighborhood bakery have in common? Bike-friendliness, as you may have guessed. Credit Suisse and Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery were recognized by the city today in the first annual Bike-Friendly Business Competition. Credit Suisse won top honors in the "Commuting Cyclists" category for its sterling indoor bike facilities. Birdbath took the prize for "Working Cyclists" thanks to its use of cargocycles to make deliveries.

Ever wonder how much New York stands to gain by making its streets more livable? Transportation Alternatives has been gathering evidence measuring the economic and social benefits that accrue when cities put pedestrians first. Their report is coming out next week, but the Observer published a sneak preview (headline: "The Woonerf Deficit") this Tuesday: