Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Bicycle Safety

Myth Busted: Safer Streets Are Not Slowing Emergency Responders

By Brad Aaron | Jan 3, 2013 | 9 Comments

A go-to NIMBY argument against safe street improvements is that bike lanes, pedestrian plazas, and ped refuge islands interfere with emergency responders. In 2009, one complainer at an event sponsored by then-Council Member Alan Gerson claimed that pedestrian islands on Grand Street “put lives in danger” by slowing down fire trucks and ambulances. Opponents of the […]

State DOT’s Spending Blueprint Overlooks Walking and Biking

By Brad Aaron | Dec 6, 2012 | 3 Comments

Advocates for safer streets are alarmed by a New York State DOT “blueprint” for capital investments that scarcely acknowledges walking or biking as modes of transportation. The Tri-State Transportation Campaign noted in November that the NYS DOT document released with the file name “Two Year Capital Plan” [PDF] made virtually no mention of pedestrians or cyclists. “Although the document […]

After First Snowfall, Bike Paths Getting Cleared

By Stephen Miller | Nov 8, 2012 | 11 Comments

It looks like major bike routes are getting cleared after the season’s first snow. This stands in stark contrast to the conditions four years ago, when it took days for bridge and greenway paths to be cleared of snow and ice. What did you see on your way to work this morning?

Eyes on the Street: Scenes From Flatbush Avenue

By Brad Aaron | Oct 17, 2012 | 10 Comments

Thanks to Ian Dutton for these great shots from Flatbush Avenue, where pedestrians are being allotted more space on five side streets from Prospect Park to Atlantic Avenue. The materials are designed to be temporary, but it’s remarkable what a little paint and plastic can accomplish. According to Ian, crossing distances at Prospect Place and […]

Starting With a Single Street, an Effort to Make an Entire Borough Safer

By Stephen Miller | Oct 12, 2012 | 4 Comments

Last year, Hilda Cohen, Ali Loxton and their neighbors picked up the pieces of a torpedoed bike lane proposal for Lafayette Avenue, showing DOT and Brooklyn Community Board 2 the community’s broad support for safer cycling on the busy street. After 1,400 signatures and countless hours of work, Lafayette Avenue from Fulton Street to Classon Avenue […]

Tomorrow: Speak Up for Safer Streets on the Upper West Side

By Brad Aaron | Oct 3, 2012 | 7 Comments

Tomorrow night, the transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 7 will take public input on the possible expansion of protected bike lanes on the Upper West Side. On the agenda is a request from the board that DOT complete a proposal for protected lanes and other changes to the streetscape, including pedestrian islands, turning lanes […]

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