Articles and Actions
Events and Alerts
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| New Yorkers Speak Out for Safe Streets | ||||||
On Sunday March 4th, over one hundred New Yorkers rallied for pedestrian safety and tens of thousands more heard the message as media outlets echoed the call for safer streets.
The families of crash victims took center stage, spoke out and insisted that Mayor Bloomberg take real steps to improve pedestrian safety and prevent future tragedies. T.A. stood with the families and presented the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan which includes the following five demands:
The Department of Transportation responded to Sunday's rally saying, "Though 2006 was one of the safest years on record for pedestrians in New York City, in the wake of several tragic accidents it clear that more needs to be done and DOT is committed to taking further steps to makes the streets as safe as possible." We couldn't agree more. New York City streets need to be as safe as possible and until they are, T.A. will continue our advocacy efforts and hold the DOT and the City accountable.
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| Goodbye Neighborhood Streets, Hello Traffic? | ||||||
Last week, StreetsBlog broke the news that the NYC Department of Transportation is drawing up plans to convert 6th and 7th Avenues in Park Slope, Brooklyn from two-way neighborhood streets to one-way traffic arterials.
It is unclear why the DOT is converting these two-way streets to one-way arterials. One-way streets carry higher volumes of faster traffic, endanger pedestrians and bring more congestion, air pollution and noise. Even DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall has spoken in favor of converting one-ways to two ways. At a March 1st City Council Transportation Committee hearing she said, "Efforts to better protect pedestrians are, in my mind, DOT's most critical mission" and went on to outline critical safety improvements that the DOT recently implemented in Downtown Brooklyn including, "converting one-ways to two-ways... to slow vehicles down and discourage through traffic." The DOT will present this plan to Brooklyn Community Board 6 on Thursday, March 15th. Please attend this very important meeting to speak out with your neighbors against this ruinous plan. If the DOT's traffic engineers want to move more cars on Park Slope's community streets (and not make the streets more dangerous for walkers and bikers and miserable for local residents and businesses), they should start by looking at the backwards parking policies along 6th and 7th Avenues. Fixing the parking problems (PDF) will reduce traffic because many drivers are simply trying to park. The community is already sounding the alarm about this plan. The question remains: Will it fall on deaf ears at City Hall?
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| Media Pounces on the (Free) Parking Problem | ||||||
Finding a parking space in the City may be a problem for drivers but finding a parking story in the press has been as easy as pie lately.
Last week, Transportation Alternatives released two groundbreaking parking studies "No Vacancy: Park Slope's Parking Problem and How to Fix It" (PDF) and "Free Parking, Congested Streets: The Skewed Economic Incentives to Drive in Manhattan" (PDF). Both of these studies brought much needed attention to an often overlooked cause of congestion: free and under-priced curbside parking. "No Vacancy: Park Slope's Parking Problem and How to Fix It" reveals that curbside parking spaces on 7th Avenue in Park Slope are filled to capacity and as a result, nearly half of all traffic is simply "cruising" block after block searching for parking. "Free Parking, Congested Streets: The Skewed Economic Incentives to Drive in Manhattan" in finding that 57% of Manhattan bound drivers do not pay for parking, uncovers the main reason why so many drivers shun their existing transit options. If all that parking news doesn't satisfy your cravings, have no fear, Dr. Donald Shoup is here (PDF). The world's foremost expert on parking policy and pricing is in New York City this week. He will be meeting with business leaders and policy makers all week to discuss the benefits and potentials of market-rate curbside parking. On Friday, March 9th at 8am, Dr. Shoup will be speaking to a VIP audience at The New 42nd Street Studios in Times Square. If you're interested in attending, email streets@transalt.org. |
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| City Caps Pedicabs | ||||||
On February 28th the City Council passed Intro 331-A; a bill regulating the city's growing pedicab industry. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign it into law shortly. According to the NYC Pedicab Owner's Association, who have proactively sought commonsense regulations from the City for years, 331-A will decimate this growing industry and put many pedicab owners out of business and many more drivers out of work.
Among other things, the City's new pedicab regulations will:
Limiting pedicabs and restricting their use is anti-environment, anti-small business and inconsistent with the Mayor's own long-term planning and sustainability initiative. City Hall insiders point out that this bill received the most dissenting votes of any legislation passed under Christine Quinn's tenure as City Council Speaker (scroll down to see how Councilmembers voted). With political, planning, development, economic, health and environmental discussions increasingly focused on how to accommodate New York City's growth over the coming decades, the City must encourage pedicabs and other modes of transportation that make efficient use of limited street space and do not pollute.
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| Rename the E-Bulletin, Win a Crumpler! | ||||||
Folks, it has come to our attention that into today's branded world the name "E-Bulletin" says about as much as slightly sweet, crunchy generic cereal. We need a new ingenious name like Cheerios or Puffins that will make our e-bulletin tastier and more desirable, part of every bicycling, walking and transit taking New Yorker's daily lives. Can you help?
Send your best new names for the T.A. E-Bulletin to info@transalt.org before March, 19th. We'll pick our favorite five suggestions and have you vote on them in the next e-bulletin. The winner will receive a brand new Crumpler messenger bag. |
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| Weigh in on the Mayor's Sustainability Plan | ||||||
Mayor Bloomberg is considering some bold changes to New York City's streets and he needs to hear that you support them.
Attend one of the remaining Town Hall meetings and speak out for traffic relief, safer biking (PDF) and walking and more car-free space (PDF).
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| Give Doctoroff Your Two Cents on Transit Funding | ||||||
Join The Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff and transportation luminaries for an informative panel discussion titled "How Can We Finance Improvements to Our Aging Transit Infrastructure."
Expect a lively discussion of revenue generating transportation policies like congestion pricing, parking reform, and automated camera enforcement.
Thursday, March 15th |
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| Attend CB2's Next Meeting and Support Two New Manhattan Bike Lanes | ||||||
Attend Manhattan Community Board 2's Transportation Committee meeting and show that you support bicycling and transit improvements in Lower Manhattan.
On Tuesday, March 13th The NYC Department of Transportation will present and seek community feedback on:
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| Safe Walk Walks You Home | ||||||
SAFE WALK offers a free walking escort for anyone who doesn't wish to walk alone and helps build safer communities by reducing the risk of assault.
SAFE WALK is made possible by bike patrol volunteers, in teams of two or more, riding their own bicycles, wearing designated patrol vests, and who safely escort callers by walking them to their destination.
Learn more about Safe Walk and Get Involved: |
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| NYMTC Annual Meeting: "Meeting the Challenges of Growth" | ||||||
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council Annual Meeting is on Thursday March 15th.
Speakers include:
New York Metropolitan Transportation Council |
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| Spring in to a T.A. Membership! | ||||||
Spring is here and it's the perfect time to pull your bikes out of storage! Transportation Alternatives can help you stay safe and informed on your bike this year. Become a member for only $30 a year and receive:
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| T. A. In The News | ||||||
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Mayor: Add Traffic Cams, New York Daily News, 3/6
Pedestrian Advocates Speak Up, WNYC, 3/6 Rally Highlights Pedestrian Deaths, am New York, 3/5 NYC Street 'Carnage', Metro NY, 3/5 Video of the Day: Rallying For Safer Streets, gothamist, 3/5 Old Gray Lady Gets on the Bandwagon, StreetsBlog, 3/5 Rally Highlights Pedestrian Deaths, am New York, 3/5 Search for Slope Parking, Park Slope Courier, 3/5 Cars Kill Three on City Streets, New York Daily News, 3/4 Three Pedestrians Killed Across the City, gothamist, 3/4 Park Choke!, Brooklyn Paper, 3/3 Tomorrow: Emergency Pedestrian Safety Rally, gothamist, 3/3 Solving the City's Transit "Mosh Pit", Metro NY, 3/2 Study Says Many Aren't Paying to Park in Manhattan, WCBS, 3/2 With Weinshall Away, Parking Permit Advocates Play, New York Sun, 3/1 Pedicab Drivers Brace For Big Changes, NY1, 3/1 City Council Passes Pedicab Crackdown, gothamist, 3/1 There's No Such Thing as "Free Parking", StreetsBlog, 3/1 Study: Cheap Parking Adds to NYC Gridlock, Newsday, 3/1 Pedestrian Deaths Fuel Rally, Fox 5 News, 3/1 No-Park Slope, New York Post, 2/28 Illegal Parking, WABC-TV, 2/28 Group Hopes to Out Parking Permit Abusers, am New York, 2/28 PlaNYC 2030 Community Meeting on a Sustainable NYC, StreetsBlog, 2/28 Slope's Vicious Circle, New York Daily News, 2/28 Website Will Post Pictures Of Illegally Parked Cars, Fox 5 News, 2/28 Web Site to Shame NYC Parking Permit Holders, WINS, 2/28 Designing a Better Community, The Villager, 2/28 Events for February 27, 2007, New York Observer, 2/27 Study: Park Slope Clogged by Parking Seekers, New York Sun, 2/27 New Web Site Will Expose Government Parking Cheats, New York Post, 2/27 Report: No Place To Park In Park Slope, NY1, 2/27 No Parking Slope, StreetsBlog, 2/27 Study: Worst Parking in the City is in Park Slope, gothamist, 2/27 Illegal Permit Parking Crackdown Underway?, StreetsBlog, 2/21 Transportation Alternatives is a member-supported non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Join T.A. today!
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