Traffic

Canal Street, to put it mildly, is due for a makeover. The street is clogged with traffic from the Holland Tunnel and the un-tolled Manhattan Bridge. Pedestrians jostle for space on the packed sidewalks, and they're especially at risk of getting hit by a car, according to the city's Pedestrian Safety Study.

Students at Brooklyn's PS 261 have clocked motorists traveling on Atlantic Avenue at an average midday speed of 38 mph -- and as high as 50 mph. While the city's 30 mph speed limit is a mystery to most New Yorkers, the students knew they were watching people break the law and put others in danger.

Imagine two drivers leaving downtown to head home. Each of them sits in traffic for the first ten miles of the commute but at that point, their paths diverge. The first one has reached home. The second has another twenty miles to drive, though luckily for her, the roads are clear and congestion doesn't slow her down. Who's got a better commute?

The officer who drove the wrong way down Jay Street and injured a cyclist near the foot of the Manhattan Bridge last month will face three misdemeanor counts filed by the Brooklyn District Attorney.

The New York City Council moved on two big pieces of environmental legislation last Wednesday. One bill was introduced which would require landlords to participate in a major public experiment to reduce asthma rates. A second, which passed the full council, aims to keep dangerous chemicals out of city parks. Both could be important steps forward for preserving our environment and promoting public health, but you just have to ask, what happened to the internal combustion engine?

Whether you’re a transportation geek or just curious about why people do the things they do behind the wheel, Tom Vanderbilt’s Traffic is one of the most fascinating books you can open up. Tom, who also writes the excellent blog How We Drive, was kind enough to drop by the Streetfilms office for a conversation about … Continued

NYCDOT released the second Sustainable Streets Index this week, its annual scorecard on green transportation and street safety. This year's edition has a few new features, including case studies of 12 projects across the city and some nifty GPS data from taxis. Taken all together, the data in the report tell the tale of how DOT's recent projects have made streets function better for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus riders.

Fewer cars means more walking and healthier kids. Image: jeweledlion via Flickr. Could reducing traffic near children’s homes help America combat its obesity epidemic? A new study conducted by UC Berkeley professor Michael Jerrett strongly suggests the answer is yes. Obesity rates are steadily increasing — more than one-fifth of New Yorkers are now obese, … Continued