Results tagged “dot”

The notoriously accident-prone Queens Boulevard boasts twelve lanes for motor vehicles at its widest points, but the DOT refuses to cede one of those lanes for cyclists, despite a citywide boom in bicycle commuting. Last month cycling advocates held a somber rally to demand a bike lane on Queens Boulevard, and installed a white ghost bike to commemorate the death of 38-year-old James Langergaard, who was killed by a car as he crossed the boulevard on the evening of August 14th. But a Daily News reporter has learned that the DOT has not even evaluated the possibility of a Queens Boulevard bikeway in recent years.

Parents on Locust Avenue in Staten Island say they've begged and pleaded with the DOT to install a speed bump on their street for a year, but have gotten nowhere. Apparently, it's the Indianapolis Speedway over there, and one local says he puts out his own neon plastic "turtle" safety signs in the street after school, in a futile attempt to get drivers to slow down—but one of the signs was already broken after a motorist ran it over! So residents tried to kick it up a notch.

Early next year, the city's Department of Transportation will begin experimenting with a Zipcar-style car pooling system, with workers sharing vehicles that will be made available to the general public during nights and weekends. The Times slyly notes that "while the prospect of driving the same car as a high-ranking public servant may scintillate some, officials said their priority was to lower costs and shrink the city’s Sasquatch-size carbon footprint."

The saga of the Kent Avenue bike lane continues! First the Orthodox Satmar Jews in South Williamsburg objected to the old bike lane because of the influx of immodestly-dressed female cyclists, then local merchants complained that customers and delivery trucks had nowhere to park. Barricades were threatened, fake detour signs were put up, and clowns rushed to the scene. Responding to the whining, the DOT ripped up part of Kent and changed it to northbound-only traffic, creating a dedicated bike lane buffered by parking spots. And everyone was happy some were placated!

    

Toronto street artist Specter, who has been working out of Bed-Stuy for the past few months, has recently installed a three-sided mural in collaboration with the Department of Transportation and ISCP NYC. The mural illustrates "stories and memories from senior citizens in Flatbush Brooklyn," and you can find it at the corner of Ocean and Parkside, outside of the Parkside Avenue Station.

After a record low number of fatalities from auto accidents in 2007, the number of deaths spiked last year to 292 pedestrians, drivers, passengers, bicyclists and motorcyclists—18 more people than in 2007. According to a report issued by the DOT, pedestrian fatalities last year jumped to 147, seven more than in 2007.

The DOT has brought some newly commissioned artwork to the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, unveiled earlier this week and up for 11 months. 1010Wins notes that it features "barrels as seats with birdhouses above"—which sounds like a pretty risky design for the humans! However, the DOT sent us these photos and it doesn't really look like the old wine barrels are made for lounging about. If you wanna give it a shot, however, you can find the Atom Cianfarani installation at Columbia and Halleck streets. We're sure the squirrels and pigeons will are having a field day over there. The NY Post has a photo of another DOT piece that was unveiled in the Bronx, "an abstract sculpture made of plywood and resembling a stack of children's building blocks and star-shaped toys," and they note that three more sculptures will go up this year (on the UWS, Queens Plaza and Lefferts Gardens).

Groups have been lobbying for a trolley comeback for years, and Monday night Mayor Bloomberg noted his interest in bringing them back to growing waterfront areas, according to NY1.

City officials and cycling advocates gathered in The Bronx yesterday to celebrate meeting the goal of adding 200 bike-lane miles in all five boroughs in three years. Dr. Thomas Farley, city health commissioner, was on hand to trumpet the health benefits of cycling; Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe praised the bike lanes connecting the city's parks and waterfronts; and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan declared New York "the bicycling capital of the United States." The bike lane network is now the equivalent length of a bike lane running from New York City to Boston! The 200-mile initiative was launched after a 2006 report [pdf] determined that cyclists were safest in bike lanes and wearing helmets. The project cost $8.8 million, and included installing 6,100 bike racks and 1,000 guide signs. According to the DOT [pdf], there are now 70.9 miles of bike lanes in The Bronx, 138.9 miles in Brooklyn, 90.4 miles in Manhattan, 96.7 miles in Queens, and 27.6 in Staten Island. And besides helping cyclists, they make for great parking spots, too!

Opinions remain bitterly divided on the merits of the new Broadway pedestrian plazas that opened on Memorial Day, and an official analysis of the pilot program's traffic impact won't be available any time soon. The Times has found that the DOT's previous timeline for studying the changes has been pushed back because the department still isn't finished hanging traffic signals, painting roads, building out the plazas and adding concrete barriers. Officials won't start measuring the program's effects until the middle of August and won't submit a final report until December, when Bloomberg will decide whether to make the changes permanent. DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan says, "When we have finished the project, we will begin collecting the data. You wouldn’t want to look at a Picasso that’s halfway done." But some critics are already trashing Sadik-Khan's masterpiece; cab driver Fhahidul Hossain tells the Times, "If you have one fare to go to the theater district, your day or night is finished. A 10-minute fare is going to take you an hour or so. It's a nightmare. In Manhattan, you have to move, man. You cannot do it like this. This is not Europe. This is New York City, for God's sake!" And don't even get Hossain started on those lawn chairs.

The DOT has recently unveiled a Google map interface showing the locations of 5,968 bike racks (out of approximately 6,100) that have been installed throughout the city since 1996. As you can see from the map, there are CityRacks all over, which doesn't explain why it's such a pain in neck finding a spot to lock your bike anywhere near Caracas on First Avenue. The map's certainly a nice gesture, but will cyclists will actually consult it? There's almost always a signpost or something you can lock your bike to within a block of your destination, and seeing a bike rack on a map doesn't mean it will be unoccupied when you get there. At any rate, the DOT will update the map as new racks are installed, and there's a form on the website that lets you request a CityRack for your block.

     

The DOT unveiled its latest plan [pdf] to resolve Brooklyn's Kent Avenue bike lane wars at a packed community meeting Wednesday night, and guess what? Not everyone is pleased about the proposal, which would turn part of Kent, a heavily-trafficked two-way truck route, into a one-way, northbound street. Business owners and residents have decried the bike lanes ever since they were installed last fall because they came at the cost of precious parking spots, and members of South Brooklyn's Satmar Jewish community who were said to chafe at the influx of immodestly dressed female cyclists.

Last week Brooklyn's Community Board 6, which includes Park Slope, voted again to approve a proposed two-way bike lane along Prospect Park West, but they want the project revised to separate the lane from traffic by a raised median. The 16-4 vote decided that the painted buffer zone the DOT would use to separate the bike lane is insufficient; board members think the median is necessary to protect cyclists from cars and to protect children who may dash heedlessly from parked cars into the bike lane. Speaking to the Brooklyn Paper, board member and bike lane opponent James Bernard said, "This is a crazy idea that doesn’t make any sense. People want to do something good for bikes, but you are robbing Peter to pay Paul — and Peter in this case is safety of the children." 58 accidents involving motorists, cyclists and pedestrians were reported between 2005 and 2007 on Prospect Park West, where speeding is a constant problem. A DOT spokesperson promised that the agency would review the board's recommendations, and noted any revisions wouldn't delay the bike lane because the DOT isn't planning to install it until September anyway.

It's really happening: Workers are getting ready to transform Broadway traffic lanes into a pedestrian oasis as part of the DOT's plan to ban cars from part of the city's main stem. Mayor Bloomberg and other officials announced the radical move back in February; it involves rerouting vehicular traffic from part of Broadway to Seventh Avenue, a move that they say will improve traffic flow because Broadway itself creates congestion as it cuts southeast across the avenues. Pedestrian plazas with tables and chairs, similar to the new "Broadway Boulevard," will entirely replace motor vehicles on Broadway between 42nd and 47th streets and from 32nd to 35th streets. According to 1010 WINS, work will begin Memorial day weekend, and the transformation will include bike lanes in both sections. According to the DOT, the changes, which include widening Seventh Avenue with another traffic lane, are an "experiment" that will last through the end of the year but may become permanent.

Since December 2007, the Department of Transportation—under the Bush administration—was proposing to auction off airline take off and landing times, many criticized the plan, most vocally Senator Chuck Schumer, who said, "Selling these slots to the highest bidder would be an onerous sky tax, plain and simple." Now, the DOT (under Obama) has decided to cancel the idea, based on the criticism from lawmakers, agencies (like the Port Authority) and airlines alike. The plan was well-intentioned, because the DOT was trying to address congestion at the three area airports, but the waning economy help kill the plan. Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood said, "We're still serious about tackling aviation congestion in the New York region. I'll be talking with airline, airport and consumer stakeholders, as well as elected officials, over the summer about the best ways to move forward." The International Air Transport Association said it was happy about the outcome, but added, "It is a shame the government and industry had to waste 16 months debating this ill-conceived plan."

Today the DOT is launching a pilot program in Park Slope called "Park Smart." Drivers on parts of Seventh and Fifth Avenues will see the meter rates rise from the current $0.50 an hour to $1.50 an hour during peak hours, from noon to 4 p.m. At all other times, parking in those areas will cost $.75 an hour. The hope is that higher rates will encourage faster turnover of metered parking spots, but some motorists and retailers were ready to give their verdict before the parking could even get smart. One local tells NY1, "It's already inconvenient enough in Park Slope to find parking. It's really No Park Slope. So to make it more difficult, you know, when you do find a space, to pay more for it, I think it is a little bit obnoxious." And Crown Heights resident James Bates tells Channel 2, "Everything is costing [more]. It's not right. It's not fair." The DOT insists the program was not motivated by a need to increase revenue, and that if the Park Smart pilot is a success, other neighborhoods will lose their stupid parking.

Yesterday's sighting of a DOT warning that "New York is Dying" apparently had less to do with the city's decaying infrastructure and was more likely the handiwork of hacker(s) who had their way with road signs in Manhattan yesterday. Commenters yesterday pointed us to a January posting on iHacked that gave simple instructions on how to manipulate the roadside messages as well as the fact that the Diggnation founders had just mentioned it (and even gave out the signs' default password!) this past week on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

A reader sent us in this picture taken at East 4th Street and Broadway in front of the French Connection, claiming that "all sorts of signs (were) taken over" today. Apparently another sign at the corner of Houston and Chrystie Streets read "Party at Julie's." Who is behind this DOTomfoolery? Has Poster Boy gone digital?? Does anyone have directions to Julie's???

The city's Sidewalk Management Unit has not been doing a very good job, according to Comptroller William Thompson, Jr., who is releasing his annual report on the state of the sidewalks. Over the last several years, the city has paid an average of $63.5 million annually to settle claims relating to defective sidewalks. Thompson says millions could have been saved if the DOT hadn't failed to inspect one out of every five sidewalk defect complaints; he's also dismayed that violations remained unfixed for an average of four years. According to the Daily News, the DOT issues summonses to homeowners, and if they fail to fix the violation, the city is supposed to do the repairs and bill them. But when the repairs aren't done, the city is liable in court. (In 2003, a law was passed to make commercial businesses responsible for their sidewalks, which reduced the number of lawsuits against the city.) Another part of the problem is that parks officials don’t have the $34 million necessary to fix the 22,229 reported sidewalks that have been buckled by the city’s mischievous street trees.

Maintenance on the Brooklyn Bridge beginning in the summer of 2010 will close it off to Manhattan-bound traffic on weekends for six months. The bridge's arches and steel-wire will be freshly painted and repairs will be made on corroded and crumbling approaches, ramps and anchorages. The entire project will take over four years, beginning this June when one lane will be shut down during off-peak hours. The project will cost somewhere between $200 and $500 million, the first of its kind since the '80s and one that has been delayed for years due to budgetary constraints. A 2006 report deemed the bridge in poor but structurally sound condition, something that came even more into focus after the structural collapse of a Minneapolis bridge in 2007 led to 13 deaths. The DOT tells the Post that federal funding will be involved with the project.

The DOT is beginning video surveillance of the "high-visibility" terra cotta-colored express-bus lanes on 34th Street to keep cab drivers in check. Taxis are permitted to enter the bus lanes only to make the next right turn or to "expeditiously" pick up and drop off passengers, but officials think many cabbies have been using them as their own personal express lanes. As part of a six month trial, two cameras are being installed along the bus lane at 34th Street between Park and Madison, and four others will subsequently be installed along the route. Because the city is partnering with the Taxi and Limousine Commission and using the cameras to exclusively punish taxi drivers, the DOT says they don't need legislative approval. According to a press release, the city is pursuing state legislation to allow the use of bus lane cameras to punish all drivers who encroach on bus lanes. But for now the DOT will work with the TLC to enforce the traffic law, and cabbies caught driving in the terra cotta face fines up to $150.

Newark airport had the worst on-time arrival rate in all the land in 2008, according to the federal DOT, which just released its year-end report [PDF] on flight delays. Go EWR! This is the the fourth time in the past six years Newark won the top prize for tardiness, coming in second place in 2007 and 2004. Last year flights to Newark arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled time only 62.32% of the time; by comparison, the airline industry's overall on-time rate is 76%. (A 2.6% improvement over '07!) For the record, La Guardia was second-worst and JFK ranked fourth. Airlines blame the delays on congested air traffic in the New York region, which is only exacerbated by inclement winter weather and high winds. The study also found that one of the worst flights you could possibly take in '08 was the consistently delayed ExpressJet Airlines Flight 2019 from Hartford to Newark, which was late 93.3% of the time. Of course, when Newark's the destination, why rush? [Via Star-Ledger.]

We've been getting more and more tips about broken crosswalk signals showing both the Don't Walk symbol ("Red Hand") and the Walk symbol ("White Man") simultaneously. Today a reader e-mails: "My girlfriend and I have noticed an ongoing problem of the 'Walk/Don't' walk signs actually 'freezing' in place when it gets cold out. Both a bright red hand and a walk sign stay up at the same time, presumably opening the city up to some serious lawsuits should something go awry. We must have seen it about 30 times in the last month, prompting my email."

  

In a 1996 article about the ultra-rich, the NY Times points out that Billy Cosby's Manhattan sidewalk is heated and therefore "remains opulently snow-free," which also leaves him lawsuit-free. The ultra-non-rich use the archaic shovel, but the job still gets done, and you may even receive a thank you for your hard work. Not everyone does their duty of de-icing, however.

Hasidim chafing at the increasing number of bike lanes on three consecutive roads through South Williamsburg are making good on their promise to block traffic in protest. According to the Post, someone has posted an unauthorized detour sign on private property by the intersection of Broadway and Kent Avenue, where the newest bike lane has sparked a backlash from the ultra-Orthodox Satmar community, as well as business owners who say neither customers nor delivery trucks can find parking.

[UPDATE BELOW] Is a recently installed bike lane on South 4th Street in Brooklyn—yards from the northern pedestrian/bike entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge—misguiding cyclists onto the sidewalk and into the waiting arms of ticket-writing cops? A reader writes:

"As I reach the corner of South 4th Street and South 5th Place, just one short block away from one of the Brooklyn entrances to the Williamsburg bridge, I see that the bike lane arrows turn and point to the sidewalk. I thought it odd but I followed it knowing that it was just a short bit away from the entrance. 3/4 ways down the sidewalk I get stopped by 2 cops telling me that I can't ride on the sidewalk.... And then they proceed to give me a ticket!

Continue reading "Bike Lane Directing Cyclists Onto Sidewalk, Into Cops"

New York, meet the bike rack of the future. Today the DOT announced that after a lengthy design competition, a jury of six—including sodden cyclist David Byrne—chose "Hoop" (pictured) out of the ten finalists. It's the work of two Copenhagen designers, Ian Mahaffy and Maarten De Greeve. "Constructed of cast metal, the design is elegant yet sturdy enough to withstand New York cyclists’ harsh treatment," the DOT said in a statement.

A new study by the DOT [pdf] has revealed an unprecedented surge in the number of cyclists, increasing an estimated 35% in NYC between 2007 and 2008. In the past six years, cycling levels in the city have doubled, and Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan says the numbers prove the department is "well on the way toward our goal of doubling the number of bike commuters." In particular, the cyclist volume on the Williamsburg Bridge has quadrupled from 2000-2008 to 4,000 cyclists on a typical day. And the study shows that cyclists are riding earlier in the morning and later in the day than previously believed. To that end, DOT reps will be stationed on the Manhattan sides of both the Williamsburg and Brooklyn bridges from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. tonight handing out free bike lights, which cyclists are required by law to use. So race on over there, all you gonzo fixed-gear cyclists from that crazy video!

The Green Energy Council is sounding the alarm on "cold patch," a blacktop material used to patch potholes, estimating that the stuff leaches 240,000 gallons of toxic fuel oil into the soil or gets washed off into the sewage system or evaporates into the air our children breath. The president of the group tells the Post, "You're talking about an extraordinary amount of diesel fuel." Cold patch has been used to fill potholes for years, but there have been no studies on the health impact of its toxic runoff. The city DOT has been a major cold patch consumer, but they recently agreed to buy 5,000 tons of a new type of environmentally friendly biodegradable type of cold patch called GreenPatch. Oddly, the Post insists the DOT "had no clue" GreenPatch was eco-friendy until their know-it-all egghead reporter told the agency.

Last week the Department of Transportation began a pilot program that had been in the works that is "congestion pricing for parking" of sorts, doubling the rates on meters in the West Village. From noon until 4, meters now cost $2 an hour in what the DOT hopes will free up spaces and cut down on double-parking by creating greater turnover for the area's highly coveted street parking spaces. Vehicles in the West Village tend to camp out because the DOT rarely enforces the 1 or 2 hour limits that cars are supposed to leave within. Residents and business owners in the area think that with the price to park on the street still costing so much less than local garages, little will change other than the higher amount of revenue coming into the city. Phil Mortillaro the owner of Greenwich Locksmiths lamented the Times, “It would have been better to run the trial at night when this place is full of tourists, not just during the day.”