Community Boards
Top Categories
Vote on UWS’s “No-Brainer” Bike Lane Shouldn’t Have Been a Squeaker
Last night's Community Board 7 vote to support a protected bike lane on Columbus Avenue was very close -- closer than it should have been. The fact that the resolution passed 23-19 reflects the persistent effort of neighborhood advocates and the openness of most board members to change on their streets. But this is a project with big pay-offs and almost no trade-offs. The street design allows a protected lane to be installed without removing travel or parking lanes, and it enjoys strong support within the community and buy-in from local businesses and elected officials. So the fact that the vote came down to the wire is also a testament to the sheer stubbornness behind many board members' opposition to bike lanes.
June 2, 2010
In Close Vote, CB 7 Supports Safe Cycling for Upper West Side
In a nailbiter, Manhattan Community Board 7 voted last night to support protected bike lanes on Columbus Avenue. The result was in doubt until the final minutes, despite a truly overwhelming demonstration of community support for safer cycling on the Upper West Side.
The final tally was 23 to 19, with one abstention.
June 2, 2010
Brooklyn CB 2 Committee Approves New Plan for Flushing Avenue Bikeway
Last night, NYCDOT's Ted Wright presented a revised design for the Flushing Avenue bikeway to the transportation committee of Brooklyn Community Board 2. The new version preserves plans for a fully-protected, two-way bike path while leaving room for two-way bus service and auto traffic. Because the revised design requires more complex construction work than the original, however, Brooklynites will have to wait a few years before that phase of the project gets built. In the meantime, DOT plans to lay down a less-robust interim project, which the committee endorsed unanimously.
May 19, 2010
Tonight: Turn Out to Support Safer Biking and Walking on Flushing Ave
We've got a late and important addition to the Streetsblog calendar: At tonight's meeting of the Brooklyn Community Board 2 transportation committee, DOT will present a revised proposal to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists on Flushing Avenue near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This is a critical link in the path of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, and the project would provide safer bike connections for people riding to Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges.
May 18, 2010
Brooklyn CB 15 Asks Whether Safer Streets Are Worth 100,000 Sneezes
If you ever need a laugh but don't feel like shelling out for the two-drink minimum, you could do worse than head over to a Brooklyn CB 15 meeting. At an info session last night about plans for Brooklyn's inaugural rapid bus line, the first question out of the audience was, "How many parking spots are we going to lose in Community Board 15?" The evening spiraled into absurdity from there.
May 18, 2010
CB 7 Committee Backslides With Split Vote on Protected UWS Bike Lane
Looks like some Manhattan community board types still want to see their local streets keep that highway-in-the-city feel.
May 12, 2010
Dysfunction Rules at CB 6 Discussion of Select Bus Service
Last night's meeting of Manhattan Community Board 6's transportation committee was a reminder of how opaque and undemocratic New York City's public review process can be, at its worst. Between a mismanaged meeting that descended into chaos and a parade of NIMBYs who ensured that neither plans for First and Second Avenues nor for 34th Street could be discussed on the merits, it's hard to see how last night's proceedings contributed to an informed discourse about New York City's transportation needs.
May 4, 2010
MTA Committed to October Launch Date for East Side Select Bus Service
Two months after the MTA and NYCDOT first presented East Side Select Bus Service to Manhattan Community Board 6, officials were back with a modified plan last night, hoping to get a vote from the transportation committee. After a combative couple of hours, they didn't get one. The committee chose to put off a vote until its next meeting rather than come to a decision. The big news to emerge was the announcement of a specific launch date for the first phase of Select Bus Service on the corridor.
April 6, 2010
CB 6 Committee Votes on East Side Bus+Bike Improvements Tonight
Sorry for the late notice folks, but there's one more public meeting on this week's busy schedule with big implications for street safety, and it's happening tonight. The transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 6 is expected to draft and vote on a resolution regarding plans for Select Bus Service and protected bike lanes on the East Side. If you want to help support for safer biking and walking, you'll want to turn out for this one.
April 5, 2010
LES Bike-Ped Improvements Sail Through Manhattan CB 3
Two weeks after NYCDOT revealed a package of pedestrian and cyclist improvements for the Lower East Side, the full membership of Community Board 3 voted overwhelmingly to approve the plans.
March 24, 2010