T.A. StreetBeat

T.A. StreetBeat

March 4th, 2010

T.A. Executive Director Paul Steely White waxes historic on Park Avenue.
Click here to watch Fixing the Great Mistake: Autocentric Development.

Articles and Actions

A Diamond in the Rough
The Next Big Thing in Bike Lanes
Here Planner, Planner, Planner! Here Planner!

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Events and Alerts

NYC Century Bike Tour: Registration is Open
Help Wanted

T.A. in the News

When I was a rookie cop on the streets of Baltimore and driving too fast, I was confronted by my partner: "Do you know anybody out there? Would you cry if anybody died?" My sergeant put it another way: "I think of my wife or children in a car. They may die. For what?" This was the wisdom of experience. The message was simple: slow down.

From 'Why You Never Chase', by Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore Police Officer, whose op-ed ran in The West Side Spirit, 2/26

A Diamond in the Rough

This bus-lane blocker's magic meter might expire. Image courtesy of StreetsBlog.

Somewhere in the Governor's Executive Budget -- behind the slashed services, beneath the cut programs, covered in slivers of trimmed fat -- is a remarkable bit of language that would finally allow New York City to use automated camera enforcement to keep its bus lanes clear of traffic.

Supported by the New York City Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as well as the Governor, the Mayor's office, myriad advocates and millions of bus riders, this long overdue commonsense piece of legislation will empower the city to operate bus lane enforcement cameras on 50 miles of designated, signed routes.

If approved, the enforcement cameras will be both stationary and mounted to the front of buses and will take photos of the license plates of drivers who are either parking in or illegally driving in a bus lane. Tickets will be issued in accordance with the City's fine schedule and will not exceed $125.

This groundbreaking law could help New York City's buses achieve their full potential and speed the commutes of 2.5 million New Yorkers but in order for that to happen, we'll need your help. The last time New York City came close to passing bus camera legislation, some special interests from upstate scuttled the plan. We can't let that happen again. Your legislator needs to know that you support bus camera enforcement in the executive budget and they should, too.

Take Action

Take a minute to send an efax in support of bus lane camera enforcement to the New York State Assembly. We've got all the information you need queued up. Just click, fill in an a few blanks, and help make New York City better for millions of straphangers.

The Next Big Thing in Bike Lanes

T.A. is fighting for London-style "Cycling Design Standards" that recommend improvements based on vehicle speed and volume.

To paraphrase one of New York City's great ambassadorial rap/rock trios: We wish that there was some way that we could be outside riding bikes in the rain and not get wet. Now wouldn't that be great?

And while we're on the subject, we'd like some more practical bike design improvements, too. Five years ago, traffic protected lanes were pie-in-the-sky and visionary infrastructure like the bike path that runs along Kent Avenue was as likely as a car-free Times Square. Now that's all real and here to stay. But instead of sitting on our laurels (or pedaling along our victories), we're hard at work figuring out what's next.

Across the city, T.A. is putting its muscle behind the next generation of visionary street changes that will grow bicycling and make it safer.

On the horizon could be our first contra-flow bike lanes, which run against traffic and help cyclists get where they're going and stay within the law. Brooklyn's Community Board Two thinks something along those lines might work between Schemerhorn and Atlantic on 3rd Avenue.

And how about some Bike Boulevards? They've turned neighborhood streets in Portland, Oregon and Berkeley, California into hospitable routes for cyclists and safer places for children, families and friends. Neighbors on the Upper West Side are clamoring for this innovation.

And what about making major arterials like Queens Boulevard bike-friendly? On the second Friday of every month, T.A.'s Queens Committee leads a ride along "the Boulevard of Death" to draw attention to the need for safe cycling and protected bike lanes on this essential east-west corridor. What kind of protected bike lane will it take to make that ride obsolete?

Years ago, London developed a design philosophy that took their bike network to streets big and small. T.A. is pushing for something similar in New York that could set the stage for these latest innovations.

So, what's on your list? Copenhagen-style bike counters? Cycle cops that care? Magic invisible waterproof rain bubbles?

We're with you, and we're working on it.

Here Planner, Planner, Planner! Here Planner!

Planners: Lend your skills and point the way. Image courtesy urbancursor.com.

Are you a GIS wiz? A physical planning phenom? A design dignitary? A land-use policy precog? An urbanist incomparable? A transit titan? Amazed we got this far with these ridiculous names?

Seriously, if you're an urban planner interested in volunteering your skills to help win change on NYC streets, we'd love to talk to you. Transportation Alternatives is putting together a fun, not-too-formal planning group where experts can get involved in T.A. projects and help shape the future of New York City.

Email shin-pei@transalt.org to find out more about the first meeting.

NYC Century Bike Tour: Registration is Open

Don't just mark your calendar, register for the NYC Century today!

Did you know that one of the simplest ways to support T.A. is by riding the NYC Century? Every registration helps fuel the fight for better bike lanes, car-free streets, faster transit and a safer more sustainable city.

And this year, you can choose to help out even more. We've got three different fundraising options in addition to our traditional pay-and-ride model.

You can join TEAM T.A., train with world-class coaches, earn a jersey, ride the NYC Century, and raise big bucks for our advocacy.
You can form your own team, commit to raising money as a group, and have an awesome ride!
You can sign up as a lone wolf whose hungry to help secure pledges from friends, family and coworkers that will help T.A. tame NYC's streets.

And like always, you can just register and ride. No matter what you choose, register today for T.A.'s NYC Century Bike Tour.

Help Wanted

T.A.'s Events team is looking for a marketing intern who is comfortable riding a bike around New York City, meeting with potential tour sponsors and working with the NYPD. This is a part-time paid position compatible with most summer vacation schedules. Check out transalt.org/about/internships for more information.