Pedestrian Infrastructure
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It’s de Blasio and Bratton vs. the World on Times Square Plazas
Let's start with some basic facts: Most people like Times Square better now that it has more room for people. Gone are the days when the sidewalks were so meager that you had no choice but to walk in traffic. After Broadway went car-free through Times Square in 2009, pedestrian injuries plummeted 40 percent. Retail rents soared. And yet, going against just about everyone else who has something to say about it, Mayor Bill de Blasio is entertaining the idea of eliminating the plazas.
August 20, 2015
Eyes on the Street: Seventh Avenue Gets a Bit More Pedestrian Space
Pedestrians have a little more room to navigate the complex intersection of Seventh Avenue South and W. 4th Street in the West Village.
August 18, 2015
Eyes on the Street: 33rd Street Plaza Comes to Life
There is now a plaza at Penn Plaza.
August 11, 2015
Eyes on the Street: Third Avenue Bus Island Nears Completion
Pedestrians and bus riders at one of the most dangerous intersections in Midtown now have a bit more breathing room. Work on a block-long pedestrian island on Third Avenue is complete, providing space for pedestrians between drivers turning right onto 57th Street and traffic heading uptown. It also includes a new bus stop and shelter [PDF].
July 13, 2015
Ferreras: “My Focus Is to Make 111th Street One Hundred Percent Safe”
A grassroots effort to improve safety on extra-wide 111th Street in Corona yielded a DOT plan for a road diet, better pedestrian crossings, and a protected bike lane this spring. Then two members of Queens Community Board 4 stymied the proposal, at least for the time being. To keep the project moving forward, Council Member Julissa Ferreras has organized two neighborhood town halls this month.
July 1, 2015
33rd Street at Penn Station Will Go Car-Free This Summer
Real estate giant Vornado Realty Trust last night unveiled plans to open up space for people on a couple of busy blocks near Penn Station. The proposed car-free zones include a new pedestrian plaza on 33rd Street west of Seventh Avenue. Phase one will consist of a three-month trial this summer and fall, and the changes could be made permanent afterward.
June 2, 2015
DOT Waffles on Bed-Stuy Ped Safety Project After Resistance From CB 3
A plan to improve safety at a busy Bedford-Stuyvesant intersection [PDF] may not move forward after members of Brooklyn Community Board 3 opposed it, according to two CB 3 transportation committee members.
May 22, 2015
How Much Does DOT Use Daylighting to Reduce Dangerous Turns?
Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg told the City Council there's only so much DOT can do to prevent drivers from hitting people while turning, but there's a relatively simple safety measure the agency could put to widespread use: keeping parked cars away from intersections.
May 15, 2015
DOT Plans Safety Upgrades at Foot of Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown
Choked with car and truck traffic, the Manhattan Bridge ramps around Canal Street are a danger zone. DOT has a plan to tame some of the chaotic crossings for people on foot, which the Manhattan Community Board 3 transportation committee voted in favor of last night.
May 13, 2015
Pedestrian Injuries Down 61% on Fourth Avenue in Park Slope After Road Diet
As in Sunset Park, the Fourth Avenue road diet has yielded impressive street safety dividends for Park Slope, including a 61 percent drop in pedestrian injuries. Now, DOT is moving forward with plans to cast its changes in concrete.
April 21, 2015