Suburbanizing the City

Off-Street parking requirements are threatening many of the sustainability steps in Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC.

If New York City doesn't reform its off-street parking requirements, many of Mayor Bloomberg's environmental and traffic-busting policies will amount to little more than ornaments. That's the message of a groundbreaking new study released by T.A. last Sunday.

Suburbanizing the City: How New York City Parking Requirements Lead to More Driving (PDF) reveals how New York City zoning rules will bring 170,000 additional cars to city streets by 2030. The zoning rules under question require developers to build parking lots along with new buildings--regardless of proximity to transit or anticipated demand. By reducing the time and financial costs of owning a car, these new parking lots are encouraging more and more New Yorkers to drive. The study finds that residents of these new developments will be 40-50% more likely to own a car than today's residents.

For years, planners thought that off-street parking was a sensible way to reduce the demand for curbside parking spots and the traffic that results from cruising for available spots. Suburbanizing the City challenges this long-held belief with rigorous analysis and concludes that off-street parking creates more traffic, more pollution and less-walkable neighborhoods. The amount of traffic and driving that required parking rules will create, in fact, is so significant that it will erase many achievements of Mayor Bloomberg's sustainable transportation initiatives. All of these drivers will add over 1 billion annual vehicle miles traveled to city streets by 2030 and over 431,000 metric tons of CO2 per year by 2030. That's 100,000 tons more CO2 than the Mayor's green taxi initiative will take away.

Transportation Alternatives, the study's authors and representatives of other top-tier transportation, planning and environmental advocacy groups stood at City Hall last Sunday and urged Mayor Bloomberg to substantially reduce the amount off-street parking being planned and built in the five boroughs.

The study, as well as a joint letter to Mayor Bloomberg suggesting appropriate next-steps, is available for download here. (PDF)

What Is the Value of a Livable Street?

Montague Street was a model livable street during Summer Space.

Everyone has a favorite street, and just about everyone chooses their "favorite" based on what they can do or see there. A favorite street might have lots of outdoor cafes, a great community garden, inspired graffiti, historic architecture, unusual stores, beautiful trees, jamming music, $1 tamales or maybe a best friend to visit.

We can all think of the 101 things we like to do on our favorite street and when we do, the benefits of great places seem obvious. In our quest to create a more livable city (with hundreds of favorite streets), we've decided to try and quantify the benefits of pedestrian zones, bike lanes, parks, street trees, transit access and parking, so that great streets aren’t only obvious to their biggest fans, but to planners, developers and policy makers too.

On August 6th, T.A. released a new report that compiles and analyses the most recent data on the benefits of great streets. Called Streets to Live By: How livable street design can bring economic, health and quality-of-life benefits to New York City (PDF), this study details the outcomes of livable streets projects around the world. It finds that street designs that make people comfortable and draw them in are, in fact, the very groundwork for a healthy community and local economy. The study also details the benchmarks of livable streets, including physical activity, better air quality, more social cohesion and increased economic activity; benchmarks that City agencies can use to measure the livability of any given street or neighborhood. "Streets to Live By" draws on the plans of other major Cities, makes bold challenges for New York and convincingly argues that the quality of our streets reflects the true priorities of our City. Check out the full report here. (PDF)

The New York City Century Bike Tour is on Sunday, September 7th, less than three weeks away. Register now to ride in the country's only all urban century. There are 15, 35, 55, 75 and 100-mile routes, each with spectacular city views, good food and great company.

The Century is not only a great way to meet new biking buddies, it's also one of T.A.'s biggest fundraising events. The ride helps us advocate for protected bike lanes, more bike racks, safer streets, better pedestrian amenities, car-free parks, new greenways and complete streets.

For more information and to sign up, visit nyccentury.org.

Ride with us, bring friends and support T.A.!

Volunteer for the NYC Century Bike Tour!

Volunteers are the backbone of T.A. events. Image courtesy Bancha Srikacha.

The NYC Century Bike Tour would not happen without the help of 500 dedicated volunteers. Whether you want to marshal, aid in set up, get involved at a local park or guide cyclists through tricky intersections, we can use your assistance. Please see below for volunteer slots that we still need to fill:

• Start: Many hands are needed at our bustling Central Park start-line. We need help with both set-up (2:30-5 am) and registration (5-9 am) shifts. Early set-up crews unload our truck, sets up barricades, tables and caution tape. The registration crew directs riders to the start, takes registration forms, hands out and helps people with their wear. Both the Set-up and Registration volunteers are welcome to ride the Tour for free after their shifts.
  
  
• Rest Stops: Join us at our Prospect Park or Canarsie Pier rest stops to set up tables and signs, and prepare and serve food and drinks.
  
  
• Standing Marshals: Help riders navigate the Triboro Bridge. You can ride as far as you like along the Tour before your assignment. Your help is greatly appreciated here. Due to construction on Randall's Island, we need more help here than in previous years.
  
  
• Route Marshals: Help us marshal the 15-mile or 35-mile route. Ride along with the Tour and help riders with flat tires, minor mechanical problems and injuries. You are welcome to ride the rest of the Tour as a regular rider.
  
  
• Unloading: Meet us at our storage space to unload our truck and bring materials back to our office after the Tour.
  
  
• Mechanics: Help us wrench at one of our six rest stops, or at the start or the finish, and we'll give you a Crumpler bag full of goodies and a voucher the 2009 Tour. And shop owners, please contact us about promoting your shop at this year's Century.
  
  

Go to nyccentury.org/volunteer or email Oksana at volunteer@transalt.org to sign up.

Join the Queens Boulevard Bike Pool

T.A. joined the family of Asif Rahman, Council Member Jim Gennaro and dozens of local activists in calling for an end to traffic deaths on Queens Boulevard.

Earlier this month, T.A. stood with Council Member Jim Gennaro and the family of Asif Rahman to launch a new campaign for safer biking and walking on Queens Boulevard. To build on the inaugural rally, T.A. and its Queens Committee will be leading scheduled bike rides on the boulevard that will highlight the need for a protected bike lane, while providing riders with a safe group escort home. Join the rides and help make one of the key arterials in Queens a safe route for biking and walking through the borough.

Friday, September 12th, 6:30 pm
Queens side of the Queensboro Bridge
Contact bike@transalt.org to connect with the rides and the campaign.

Northern Manhattanites, Mark Your Calendars

On September 8th, the Inwood Livable Streets group will present a set of bicycle and pedestrian friendly street proposals to the Transportation Committee of Community Board 12. If you can make the event and speak out for complete streets, please do.

You can find out more about the group and their proposals here.

Bicycle for a Day

September 20th, Bicycle for a Day (BFAD) is officially launching at Manhattan's South Street Seaport. From 10 am-5 pm everyone is invited to join in a day of music and fun. You'll have opportunities to meet NY Sports legends, celebrities, and lots of other surprises. Enter the BFAD raffle where you can win a Custom Tumi BFAD messenger bag, MBT's shoes, New York Health and Racket Club memberships and much more!

BFAD is designed to inspire individuals to take steps towards solving environmental issues. Riding a bike is one simple thing that each of us can do to make an immediate, positive impact in reducing carbon emissions. BFAD is a foundation committed to the preservation and restoration of the environment. Money raised from the sale of the BFAD Dog Tag is donated to Water Keeper Alliance and American Forests ReLeaf. Protecting our rivers, lakes, streams, oceans, replanting forests, and bringing trees to areas that need them.

Walk, skateboard, hop, run, rollerblade, bicycle, pogo-stick, however you like to the South Street Seaport. Just don't burn any gas! Together we can make a difference.

For more information go to bicycleforaday.org.