Streetfilms

Hell's Kitchen Miracle TicketA Clarence Eckerson Street FilmRunning time: 1:13 - 3.59 MB, QuickTime

(Photo by Will Sherman of Transportation Alternatives)

Last week a priest parked in a fire lane just for a few minutes because, well, everyone else was doing it. After he was ticketed, he took his story to the media and to two city councilmen, in hopes that the brouhaha would pressure a judge to nullify the ticket.

This spring, the DOT transformed the corner of Willoughby and Adams Streets in downtown Brooklyn from a dull gray, little-used automobile pass-through (above) into a pedestrian space complete with chairs, benches, plants, tables and sun umbrellas.  But would the people come? Filmmaker Clarence Eckerson took his video camera to the corner to find out. The result is a 1-minute, 26-second Streetfilm on the Willoughby Street transformation.  He quotes Streetsblog's own Ethan Kent:

Car-Free Sunday on the Grand ConcourseA Clarence Eckerson, Jr. StreetfilmRunning time: 3:58 - 12.35 MB, QuickTime

Tuesday, August 29, 7 pm. Pioneer Theater 155 East 3rd Street, New York City (between Avenues A & B) Tickets: $9 (Free food and drink following the screening) The New York City Streets Renaissance Campaign presents “Streetfilms” Please join us for a 75-minute program of short films from the New York City Streets Renaissance Campaign. Streetfilms focus … Continued

With the news emerging that State Court employees are blocking off a public street in Lower Manhattan to run their own, private valet parking service while illegal government employee parking costs New York City $46 million in potential annual revenues, Streetsblog thought this might be a good time to let former DOT Deputy Commissioner "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz, the Yoda of New York City parking policy, explain why it matters:

In the midst of his reign has New York City's master-builder, Robert Moses proposed building a network of massive expressways through the middle of Portland, Oregon's inner-city core. One part of Moses' plan was to replace a stretch of vibrant, healthy neighborhoods with a 40-foot-deep trench that would have been called the Mount Hood Freeway.

Just a few blocks east of where cyclist Derek Lake was killed yesterday, community activist Charle-John Caffiero tells Streetfilms' Mark Gorton how one of the busiest and most vital pedestrian crossings in New York City is currently being redesigned by DOT to become more car friendly -- at the expense of pedestrian safety.