New York City has come a long way since the Giuliani days, when sidewalk barriers were placed at intersections to facilitate turning vehicles, thus prohibiting pedestrians from crossing the street.
A bill by city councilman Ydanis Rodriguez "is about reclaiming space for pedestrians and giving them priority over cars," reports Vincent Barone, who covers transportation for amNewYork. It would further the goal of Vision Zero to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries on city streets.,
The legislation...would require the city’s Department of Transportation to study and identify the 10 locations with the highest pedestrian volume in the city and develop strategies to improve safety and traffic flow for pedestrians.
“In this city, most New Yorkers rely on public transportation — and we also walk,” said Rodriguez, chair of the Transportation Committee. “It’s important that this is a starting point to look for opportunities to make sidewalks more walkable and safer and make sure the DOT has the data to make that possible.”
A June 30 New York Times piece (posted here by Philip Rojc, contributing editor at Planetizen), described Manhattan sidewalks so crowded that pedestrians had resorted to walking in the streets, despite the danger posed by motor vehicles.
“Immediately what comes to mind is Seventh Avenue in midtown where we see pedestrians having to walk into the street to get to major transportation hubs,” said Caroline Samponaro, deputy director of Transportation Alternatives. “This sounds like a promising start to address that.”
Support for the bill goes beyond groups that advocate for pedestrians to those who support economic development in Manhattan.
Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance and supporter of the legislation, said that from the Crossroads of the World [not to be confused with "America's first outdoor shopping mall" in Los Angeles] he’s noticed a shift in governmental approach to supporting pedestrian growth.
“In the past 10 or 15 years, we’ve seen this focus on pedestrians, which is a way in which the city is evolving positively, whether that’s on 42nd Street or Flushing Avenue.” Tompkins said.
In December 1997, the Giuliani administration undertook "an experiment to ease vehicular gridlock in midtown by blocking off pedestrian crosswalks," reported Andy Newman for The New York Times.
Also on Planetizen:
-
Crowded NYC Sidewalks Force Commuters Into the Street, July 7, 2016
-
New York City's Sidewalk Shed Epidemic, February 8, 2016
FULL STORY: Bill aims to improve NYC’s most congested sidewalks
Report: Dangers of Pedestrian Texting Overblown
Distracted walking is never a great idea. But in New York City at least, texting while walking only led to 2 out of 534 pedestrian deaths from 2014 through 2017.
Pedestrian Deaths Last Year Projected to Be Highest Since 1990
Among the factors that stand out in the "Spotlight on Highway Safety" report released Thursday by the Governors Highway Safety Association is increased "death by SUV," which kill at a higher rate than cars. Distraction, however, is hard to prove.
Modal Friction on the Brooklyn Bridge
The popularity of crossing New York City's second oldest bridge by foot and pedal is causing friction between the two modes on the promenade above six lanes of motor vehicle traffic. A report released for NYCDOT proposes recommendations.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service