Looking Back on a Watershed Year

Dear StreetBeat Reader,

Transportation Alternatives has achieved more than ever this year. To look back at the list of changes undertaken because of our advocacy and your support is to look at a city being changed for the better. In this StreetBeat, we reflect on 2007, T.A.'s best year to date.

From a reformed DOT with a new Commissioner to countless on-street improvements, we couldn't have done any of this without you. The design of our streets is finally changing. Now, the culture of our streets must change too. New Yorkers need to see what people-oriented streets can do for them. The NYPD needs to obey and aggressively enforce the laws that keep bikers and walkers safe and buses moving swiftly. In 2008, we'll be launching campaigns to address these issues and continuing on with our traditional advocacy.

Please help us continue to win. Show your support for better bicycling, walking and green, safe and livable streets with a generous year-end contribution to Transportation Alternatives.

And now, the Best of 2007 (plus don't miss an update on our Holiday Party and other events below):

Bike Improvements New York City streets became a lot friendlier to cylists this year. The City not only saw its first ever on-street, protected, Copenhagen-style Cycle-track in 2007, but also a new bike lane network in North Brooklyn, dozens of crucial connector lanes and progressive bike parking solutions heretofore unseen in NYC. City Hall has made a commitment to indoor bike parking, car parking spaces were swapped (PDF) for bike parking spots at the Bedford Avenue L subway stop and many more exciting improvements are in the works. Safe and Livable Streets Safe and livable streets were a hot topic in 2007 warranting governmental hearings, grassroots rallies, national news stories and major improvements around the five Boroughs. From Grand Army Plaza's pedestrian friendly redesign, to an inspiring plan for Keane Square in the Bronx (PDF), to a promise of new and improved public spaces in every community board, this year was a watershed one for walkers too. Both DUMBO and the Meat Packing District received new pedestrian plazas, seniors and school children were seriously considered during street redesigns like the one on 20th Street and 1st Avenue and momentum collected behind New York City's complete street movement. Congestion Pricing T.A. has long advocated for road pricing as an integral part of any holistic solution to NYC's traffic troubles. In 2007, the Bloomberg Administration took bold steps forward to finally reduce unnecessary driving and improve mass transit. We've been encouraging them to keep up the fight and educate the millions of transit taking New Yorkers on the myriad benefits that congestion pricing would offer. Parking Reform The curbsides of New York are getting more sensible spot by spot. This year, T.A. not only led a groundbreaking campaign to address permit parking and placard abuse, but published several seminal studies on curbside parking rates and hosted the nation's foremost progressive parking policy expert Dr. Donald Shoup and helped make Park(ing) Day an anticipated annual event. In 2008, we're expecting to see exciting pilot programs in neighborhoods throughout the city and next week we'll be welcoming Dr. Shoup to usher in NYC's parking revolution on the Upper West Side. Car-Free Parks Central Park and Prospect Park are both a lot closer to being completely car-free thanks to our efforts this year. Central Park got an additional morning hour of car-free time and Prospect Park had the east half of its loop closed to cars in the afternoon. These improvements were a direct result of T.A.'s advocacy and are a harbinger of good things to come. Memorials Public memorials are a potent reminder of what auto-dominated streets can do. This year, we paired with Visual Resistance to work on a pedestrian memorial that commemorates walkers killed by cars in the way that the ghost bikes (PDF) honor cyclists that fall victim to deadly drivers. We also partnered with Groundswell Community Mural Project to install NYC's first ever Traffic Safety Mural. The project not only commemorates lives lost near a deadly intersection, but also exhibits non-traditional ways for an organized community to rally support for long-overdue street improvements.

Again, thank you for your help throughout this groundbreaking year. Your engagement, your actions and your support have made these changes possible. We're looking forward to a great 2008 and hope you are too. Please contribute and help us make New York City more friendly to bikers, walkers and transit takers.

Sincerely,


The T.A. Staff

December 5th is the T.A. Holiday Party

Transportation Alternatives Holiday Party
December 5
8:30-11 pm
Housing Works Bookstore Café
126 Crosby Street
Manhattan

Valet bike parking will be provided

Subway:
W / R to Prince Street
B / D / F / V to Broadway-Lafayette
6 to Bleecker Street

Give a Holiday Gift that Keeps on Giving!

T.A. members get discounts at over 100 area bike shops and other great NYC establishments, deals on Kryptonite locks, four issues of our award-winning magazine, free admission to the Holiday Party and much much more.

And, from now until December 30th give a one-year gift membership and your gift recipient will automatically receive T.A.'s newest book, Cycle NYC!

What are you waiting for? Give a Transportation Alternatives gift membership today, or forward this email to your friends to drop the hint about the perfect holiday gift for you!

Cycle NYC is Here

Cycle NYC is available:

• At the T.A. Holiday Party on December 5th
• At the T.A. Online Gift Shop
• When you join or renew your T.A. membership at the $75 level or higher
• At some T.A. affiliated bike shops

Parking Guru Dr. Donald Shoup in NYC

December 10th, 6 pm
Fordham University, Pope Auditorium
Please RSVP at nycstreets.org/uws

Save the Date: Memorial Ride and Walk, January 6th

Transportation Alternatives is a member-supported non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Join T.A. today!