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Early Addition
Weird stuff is happening with the Department of Transportation. First, the head of the bike program, Andrew Vesselovitch, left the DOT last Friday, and his farewell email pointed some serious criticism of the DOT. From Streetsblog:
There is much more that the bicycle program could have done than it was allowed to do. The bicycle program, for example, could have produced plans for 40-50 miles of workable bicycle lanes each year. Instead, DOT installed little more than 15 miles, total, in the last two years. We could have saved the city settlements for lawsuits (and residents injuries) resulting from the puzzling addition of unusually high expansion joint covers on the Williamsburg Bridge. I brought this to bridge's attention in 2003 and was told by Michael Primeggia butt out.Michael Primeggia is the Deputy Commissioner of the DOT.
Second, last week, a woman was hit by a minivan in Red Hook - and the minivan was coming from the Red Hook Fairway. Though the community asked for more traffic lights to accompany the new grocery store as well as the new cruise terminal, the DOT decided not to install anything near the new Fairway. The Real Estate says that the DOT is waiting to conduct a study to see what the traffic pattern is. [Streetsblog has a clip of DOT officials explaining and backtracking on what it takes to get traffic lights installed at certain areas.]
Question: Are these signs that the city needs to take another look at how the DOT is working? [Last year, the Administration for Children's Services was overhauled after the death of Nixzmary Brown and other children who were being monitored by the ACS.]
Photograph of a foggy Park Slope stoplight from Joe's NYC
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Has anyone tried biking the lower part of the Manhattan "Greenway" on a weekend lately? Give it a try. Anywhere between 96th St. and Wall St. on the Hudson River Park, what is supposed to be a "biking lane" is perpetually clogged with people, making biking nearly impossible. the bikepath near the South Street Seaport is entirely blocked by illegal, unlicensed vendors selling counterfeit goods, with tourists swarming over the pirated DVDs and fake Prada bags, fresh off their visit to "9/11". And try crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on your bike. Chances of a pedestrians suddenly crossing into the bike path directly in front of bikers without looking: 100%. Has anyone ever seen an accident caused by people blocking the bike lane on the bridge? I've seen some close calls, but it seems like it's just a matter of time.
Has anyone tried biking the lower part of the Manhattan "Greenway" on a weekend lately? Give it a try. Anywhere between 96th St. and Wall St. on the Hudson River Park, the supposed "biking lane" is perpetually clogged with people, making biking nearly impossible. The bikepath near the South Street Seaport is entirely blocked by unlicensed vendors selling counterfeit goods, with tourists swarming over the pirated DVDs and fake Prada bags, fresh off their visit to "9/11". And try crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on your bike. Chances of a pedestrians suddenly crossing into the bike path directly in front of bikers without looking: 100%. Has anyone ever seen an accident caused by people blocking the bike lane on the bridge? I've seen some close calls, but it seems like it's just a matter of time. The City has done nothing about any of this.
I heard from a reputable source that the DOT told the MTA they would not install additional bus lanes because they did not want to be saddled with the hassle of maintaining them.
did you see the D.O.T. response to the recent ped and bike deaths? they were like, "well that's what you get with crowded, conflicted streets." like there is nothing they can do to reduce traffic! haven't they seen what london has done? what stockholm has done? what bogota has done? unbelievable.
Be realistic.
When Transportation Alternatives and Critical Mass take up a collection to buy dinner, drinks, and strippers for the DOT bigwigs, they might consent to listen. Throw in season tix and a no-interest mortgage, and you may even get some action taken. Maybe.
Sorry to sound so cynical, but Jeez Louise...
The DOT is a failing agency and it ought to be overhauled. Traffic congestion and crashes cost New Yorkers millions of dollars, thousands of hours and hundreds of human lives each year. This is simply unacceptable. Other first class cities have figured out ways to combat these problems. It's high time we do as well.
What has London, Stockholm and Bogota done? (Not trying to be funny, just too lazy to search for myself)
I remember back in 2000(?), I went to a Community Board 2 meeting in Brooklyn Heights (it was at a library I think) where we had lots of cyclists show up to try to get the Adams Street Bike lane be a separated bike path like the ones in Montreal.
We asked the DOT rep. if that was possible. The DOT rep then laughed. Didn't say "no", didn't say why that wasn't possible, didn't say why street geometery wouldn't allow it - just laughing.
So another lady (I think she might have been on the CB) then asked directly, "So why wouldn't it work?" THe DOT rep then went into this huge animated explanation about if those kind of lanes were installed then they would have to buy mini-snow plows to plow them in the winter. It went on for a while, this whole discussion about mini snow plows.
We were all so weirded out. We knew after that tirade there was no chance of trying to do something unique or creative which of course would have worked brilliantly since the Adams Street bike lane doesn't even function as a bike lane today.
DZ
This has got to be hands down the FUNNIEST thing the N.Y.C. D.O.T. has said in public - http://www.transalt.org/press/magazine/014Fall/14bollard.html
The idea of not installing safety bollards for pedestrians because they might be hit by cars and become "airborne projectiles" and possibly injure or kill pedestrians - no joke, read it on that link.
The story may be almost five years old, but the mentality of engineers there hasn't changed in decades...
It is a great piece of fiction. Everytime I read it, it sounds like something Steven King would come up with.
This has got to be hands down the FUNNIEST thing the N.Y.C. D.O.T. has said in public - http://www.transalt.org/press/magazine/014Fall/14bollard.html
The idea of not installing safety bollards for pedestrians because they might be hit by cars and become "airborne projectiles" and possibly injure or kill pedestrians - no joke, read it on that link.
The story may be almost five years old, but the mentality of engineers there hasn't changed in decades...
It is a great piece of fiction. Everytime I read it, it sounds like something Steven King would come up with.
with our luck, instead of bicycle lanes
we'll be getting a Monorail.
ya know, it might make great entertainment to see who can be the stupidest, most corrupt, most asinine, etc etc (fill in the blanks).
MTA vs DoT
maybe gothamist could start a side bar where points will be given to each agency for every folly they commit. of course, that may mean figuring out how many points to give for what, but who cares. its subjective and just for laughs (and good education)!
Some two hundred to three hundred pedestrians and cyclists are killed by automobile on our streets each year, yet the DOT doesn't see a crisis? No person, let alone public servant, with a conscience should accept such needless loss of life. NYC ain't a war zone--it's (supposedly) a world-class city with a thriving economy. Ahem. The DOT must take immediate steps to calm auto traffic, while improving mass and alternative transit. Otherwise they should resign en masse. Or rename themselves the Department of Internal Combustion.
I am horrified every day by how dangerous bicycling and even walking in this city can be. What's even more shocking is how stubborn the DOT continues to be about the most commonsense improvements. After all the time they've wasted saying "there's nothing we can do about the traffic but keep it moving," (read: we're too lazy to tackle the car problem even if it is our job) they've backed themselves into a corner and are too weak to come out and try anything innovative. Talk about small-minded and afraid of change.
In 10 years Commissioner Weinshall and all of the DOT will be laughing stocks.
The problem is City Hall. DOT's committment to doing little is only an exspression of the message they get from the Mayor. If the Mayor wanted reduced pedestrian deaths, safer biking etc., DOT would be in the forefront of battle. It's Mr. Bloomberg's committment to auto-status quo that DOT's lethergy reflects.
Iris Weinshall, the DOT Commissioner said, "While we continue to investigate opportunities to limit traffic on the Central Park loop, it remains a critical transportation link for commuters, and we are unable to prohibit vehicles from using the loop at this time."
http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/story/400280p-339118c.html
WTF? Central Park is one of NYC's greatest assets as a park. It is definitely not a critical transportation link (Grand Central, the subway system, PATH tunnels, Holland Tunnels, etc). It's no wonder Vesselinovitch is leaving -- how could one accomplish anything when your superiors are delusional.
The DOT is still denying that availability of parking has anything to do with the rate at which people commute by automobile. Market-priced parking spots! How many years will it take?
I'm surprised Mr. Vesselinovitch stayed on as long as he did - it's a credit to his patience to have worked for a DOT that does not take bicycling seriously as a commuter option. If you think otherwise, look no further than the state of NYC's Cityracks program, which installs bike racks. The city currently has one bike rack for every 35 cyclists. Despite a backlog of over 5000 new requests, DOT will not install ANY racks for the remainder of 2006. (FYI, lack of parking is the #1 reason why folks do not commute by bike). Honestly, if Commissioner Weinshall and the brass at DOT were remotely interested in the bicycle as a means of transport, they'd write Cityracks a few blank checks and correct this embarrassing situation.
The DOT is still denying that availability of parking has anything to do with the rate at which people commute by automobile. Market-priced parking spots! How many years will it take?
I'm surprised Mr. Vesselinovitch stayed on as long as he did - it's a credit to his patience to have worked for a DOT that does not take bicycling seriously as a commuter option. If you think otherwise, look no further than the state of NYC's Cityracks program, which installs bike racks. The city currently has one bike rack for every 35 cyclists. Despite a backlog of over 5000 new requests, DOT will not install ANY racks for the remainder of 2006. (FYI, lack of parking is the #1 reason why folks do not commute by bike). Honestly, if Commissioner Weinshall and the brass at DOT were remotely interested in the bicycle as a means of transport, they'd write Cityracks a few blank checks and correct this embarrassing situation.
I'm surprised Mr. Vesselinovitch stayed on as long as he did - it's a credit to his patience to have worked for a DOT that does not take bicycling seriously as a commuter option. If you think otherwise, look no further than the state of NYC's Cityracks program, which installs bike racks. The city currently has one bike rack for every 35 cyclists. Despite a backlog of over 5000 new requests, DOT will not install ANY racks for the remainder of 2006. (FYI, lack of parking is the #1 reason why folks do not commute by bike). Honestly, if Commissioner Weinshall and the brass at DOT were remotely interested in the bicycle as a means of transport, they'd write Cityracks a few blank checks and correct this embarrassing situation.
It only took one death for the ACS to be overhauled - how many will it take for the DOT to get the same treatment? They way this city treats pedestrians/cyclists is shameful and disgusting.
Teflon Iris (Mrs. Chuck Schumer, the DOT commissioner) has got to go.
I second Barry Popik!
In 2002, the DOT started a program to improve the safety of kids walking to school. What have they done to improve pedestrian safety around schools since then?
NOTHING.
In 2003, the DOT started a review of truck routes to "reduce community impacts." What changes have they made to keep trucks off neighborhood streets since then?
NONE.
What does DOT say when bike riders are killed?
"Unfortunately, New York's crowded streets often cause conflict between cars and bicyclists as they attempt to share limited space."
-- http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/05/weinshall-in-stockholm-praying-for-safer-streets/
In otherwords: "It's too bad traffic is dangerous, but we're not going to do anything about it. Good luck riding your bike!"
How has this commissioner managed to keep her job?
I second Barry Popik!
It's time for the Mayor to clean house at the DOT. It's a failing agency:
In 2002, the DOT started a program to improve the safety of kids walking to school. What safety improvements from this program have been put into place?
NONE.
In 2003, the DOT started a review of truck traffic citywide to "reduce community impacts." What efforts has the DOT made to keep trucks off neighborhood streets since then?
NONE.
I requested a DOT bike rack a year ago. Has it been installed?
NO.
When bike riders die on NYC streets, what does the DOT say?
"Unfortunately, New York's crowded streets often cause conflict between cars and bicyclists as they attempt to share limited space."
[http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/05/weinshall-in-stockholm-praying-for-safer-streets]
In other words: "Traffic is dangerous, but we're not going to do anything about it. Good luck riding a bike!"
Scary.
If you can believe I went once to a pedestrian safety workshop for senior citizens where DOT advised seniors, for their saftey, to cross the street while waving their arms straight up in the air.
Can you imagine how this would work for someone with a walker or a cane? Think DOT....