Articles and Actions
Events and Appeals
Letters to T.A.
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| Stand Up for Traffic Relief! | ||||
A coalition of more than 125 groups representing civic, health, advocacy and business organizations in scores of neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs will announce the Citywide Coalition for Traffic Relief with a press conference on the steps of City Hall this Tuesday, November 14th at 10:30 am.
For the past two months, the City has sent signals that some of the Traffic Relief Charter points might become priorities in the near future. For instance, on October 12th, NYC DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall spoke at Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's transportation forum and surprised conference attendees with her promise to promote "aggressive pedestrianization" measures and to move as many people as possible out of cars and into more efficient modes of travel, like buses and bicycles. Two weeks later, the New York Times leaked a story detailing the first five Bus Rapid Transit corridors and announced that the implementation of two of them will be accelerated for completion by the end of 2007. Now T.A. has been told that Intro 199, the "Traffic Information and Relief Bill" will get a City Council Transportation Committee hearing in January, not long before Mayor Bloomberg unveils his much anticipated Long-Term Sustainability Plan. In order to assure that the City continues to focus on the important Traffic Relief issues, please join the Traffic Relief coalition and contribute to a huge showing at the press conference on the 14th.
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| Mayor Sends Cyclists a Mixed Message | ||||
On September 12th, four of Mayor Bloomberg's top officials announced ambitious plans (PDF) to increase and encourage regular bike riding in New York City. Then, one month later, on October 18th, the Police Department announced proposed changes to the City's parade permit rules (PDF) that would decrease and discourage bike riding in the city.
The NYPD wants group bike rides and walks to obtain parade permits, even if they obey traffic laws. These proposed rules will make going for group rides and walks burdensome and discourage biking and walking. How would the NYPD's new parade proposal affect bikers and walkers in New York City?
This summer you contacted City elected officials and helped stop the NYPD from pushing through another proposal to restrict biking and walking in NYC. Now, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and all Councilmembers must hear from civic groups, teachers, tour guides and all New Yorkers who walk and ride bikes. Our elected officials need to hear that the Police Department's proposed changes to the parade permit rules are no different from the rules proposed over the summer and that they will stop people from biking and walking in New York City. This is bad for the health and safety of New Yorkers and for the environment and economy of New York City. Unless the City Council speaks up again, the NYPD will soon hold complete authority in determining what groups can and cannot bike and walk down the street.
Stay updated on T.A.'s website and on the Assemble For Rights coalition website or contact Assemble for Rights at info@a4rnyc.org. |
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| Governor-Elect Spitzer: NYC Needs Automated Traffic Enforcement | ||||
Bus lane blockers, speeders and red light runners threaten to make a mockery of City Hall's new efforts to boost bus ridership, biking and walking.
Though the NYPD has stepped up traffic enforcement in recent years, it has hardly made a difference in the big picture. Motorists still speed, run red lights, block bus lanes and terrify walkers and cyclists. This problem requires nearly constant enforcement, which would be impossible even if the NYPD doubled its current level of traffic enforcement. Automated traffic enforcement cameras are the answer. In London, bus lane enforcement cameras are keeping drivers out of bus lanes and speeding up buses. A recent study found that on average, speed cameras reduce personal injury accidents by some 25%. While Mayor Bloomberg has fought to introduce thousands of automated traffic enforcement cameras, he has been unsuccessful because New York's uncooperative State Legislature has to sign off on them first. Were he to throw his weight behind automated enforcement, Governor Elect Spitzer could help get Mayor Bloomberg what he wants: the authority to deploy as many speed, red light and bus lane enforcement cameras as necessary to make New York City streets work safely and efficiently. Let Governor-Elect Spitzer know that camera-enforcement is a long overdue, commonsense way to enforce existing traffic laws. The 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week enforcement power of a well placed camera saves lives and tax-payers' dollars.
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| Where Will All the Bike Lanes Go? | ||||
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With 240 miles of bike facilities to build in the next four years, the DOT is increasingly looking to citizens and community groups for advice and support.
The DOT, for example, recently solicited suggestions from the Bronx Greenway Taskforce about the design and placement of greenway routes as well as on-street bike lanes.
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| A New DOT Symbol For "Take the Lane" | ||||
Finding your way to the East River Greenway by bike got easier recently thanks to the DOT’s installation of shared lane pavement markings on Delancey Street leading from the Williamsburg Bridge biking and walking path to the bicycle/pedestrian bridge over the FDR Drive. The new markings, made up of a pair of chevrons above a standard cyclist stencil and called "sharrows" (shared-lane arrows), encourage motorists to share the road with bicyclists and work like bread crumbs on low traffic streets, connecting bike lanes and paths and popular destinations. The "sharrows" are fifteen feet long. This new design in the DOT’s toolbox is a step in the right direction for NYC.
The DOT should look to other pavement markings to improve these bicycle stencils. On the same stretch of Delancey between the bridge and greenway, school crossing signs are twice as large as the "sharrows." Berkeley, California uses thirty-foot tall bicycle symbols and arrows to mark "Bicycle Boulevards," which are traffic calmed, priority cycling streets. The New York City DOT should use ten- to fifteen-foot tall bike symbols and ten- to fifteen-foot tall chevrons coupled with bicycle signs to encourage city drivers to share the road with bicyclists. This is the first time DOT has installed shared lane markings since the Spring of 2003 when they tested them on a six-block section of University Avenue in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx.
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| As DOT Paints, T.A. Toasts | ||||
Dozens of bike commuters joined T.A. in celebrating the installation of Astoria's new 20th Avenue bike lane Thursday morning. Our free commuter breakfast drew members of Community Board 1, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Transportation, local businesses and representatives from Councilmember Vallone and Borough President Helen Marshall's office to show their support of bicycling in Queens.
Watch the T.A. E-Bulletin for future bike lane openings as DOT continues to roll out 240 new miles of bicycling facilities. |
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| 311 to the Rescue | ||||
Report: potholes, parking permit abuse, unfilled street cuts, broken pavement, shifted steel plates, unramped steel plates, non-skid resistant steel plates, broken traffic lights, broken pedestrian signals, missing traffic signs, dangerous construction conditions, missing bike lane stripes, greenway potholes, greenway debris, newsracks blocking the sidewalk
Request: bike racks, bike maps, information on transportation for the disabled, SI ferry information |
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| Attend a Contested Streets Screening | ||||
Haven't seen the documentary that is sweeping the city and the nation? Now's your chance to spend a cozy November evening with some hot ideas.
Sierra Club Join the Sierra Club as they screen Contested Streets: Breaking NYC Gridlock at their monthly meeting. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with invited speakers: Councilmember John Liu, Sam Schwartz of Sam Schwartz PPLC, Bruce Schaller of Schaller Consulting, Stefan Schaefer of Cicala Filmworks (the director of Contested Streets) and Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. The Wagner Transportation Association The Wagner Transportation Association cordially invites you to a Double Feature Screening of Contested Streets and Taken for a Ride. It will be an ice cream social--bring your pillow and get ready to watch the movie on the 'big screen'. Please RSVP to cjk295@nyu.edu. |
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| Save the Date: T.A. Holiday Party | ||||
The best times we've ever had are when we've been walking or biking around NYC. And the best people we've met are the ones who walk and bike with us. So what could be more fun than a party with people who like to walk and bike?
Join us and our friends on Thursday, December 14th for the annual T.A. Holiday Party. We'll have some wine and beer and munchies. We'll have a photo booth and some good music too. And did we mention valet bike parking? Bring yourself and some friends and we'll have a great time. T.A. members get in for free, all others $10 or join T.A. at the door and get a warm fuzzy feeling (plus free admission). Thursday, December 14th, 7:30-10 pm |
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| Sign Up a Friend and Get a Free Movie! | ||||
Want a free copy of the groundbreaking documentary Contested Streets: Breaking NYC Gridlock? Get your friends to join T.A.! Until the end of the year if someone joins at the $30 level or higher and gives the name of a current T.A. member as a reference, that member gets a free DVD.
Did you know that only 15% of T.A. E-Bulletin subscribers are T.A. members? If each E-Bulletin reader were a T.A. member we would dramatically increase our advocacy budget and our voice at City Hall! |
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| Job Openings | ||||
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Transportation Alternatives Web Coordinator Transportation Alternatives seeks an enthusiastic web designer/developer to work on our website and e-communications. You will design and produce new web content, manage the upkeep of our online presence and create/implement ideas that will improve the usability of our large, trusted website. Applicants should have solid technical skills, excellent attention to detail and, above all, passion for the goals of T.A. Women, people with disabilities and people of color encouraged to apply.
Employment Opportunities with New York City DOT Greenway Planner: Highway Transportation Specialist - Level I Engineering Position: Director of Bicycle Program (Civil Engineer - Level 2) Other Positions at DOT: Highway Transportation Specialist, Level 2 - Traffic Operations/Bicycle Group |
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| Letters to T.A. | ||||
Busting Illegal Parkers Dear T.A., To whom should I report illegally used parking permits? In my neighborhood there are three girls who park (coming and going frequently) Monday through Friday using an active firefighter's permit in the window. This has been going on for months. I do not trust the NYPD to do anything about it. I think it is loaned, rented or maybe stolen. Thanks, Dear Essie, As you are keenly aware, illegal permit parking degrades the quality of life of our neighborhoods, and it seems that no one will tackle the issue head on. That said the first step is to report the problem to your precinct directly or by calling 311. For either option, you should get the license plate number, permit number, details of the parking regulations on the street signs where they park (i.e. no standing anytime), time of day, intersection or street number. If you call 311, you will have the option of leaving the comment anonymously or not, and we recommend that if you are comfortable leaving your information, you should. Also ask that the operator give you a complaint number for follow up. 311 should give your complaint to the precinct within 8 hours and you should be able to track the problem until it is resolved (if it is resolved). Manhattan Bridge Woes Dear T.A., Why are they closing the north bike path a year after they finally re-opened it? Please tell the DOT to keep it open. Thanks, Dear Jason, Thanks for getting in touch. I completely understand your frustration. As a regular commuter I am also disappointed by the closure. Unfortunately there is not much that can be done. The closure of the Manhattan Bridge bike lane is part of the Manhattan Bridge Rehabilitation Project. The Manhattan Bridge is aging and sorely in need of repairs. The bike lane will be closed from October 2006-October 2007. The new route will definitely take some getting used to, but to be positive, it is at least excellent that the pedestrian route will be shared and bicycle activity on the bridge will not be disrupted. It is also good news that they have closed the lower level of the bridge to cars, and the DOT has publicly encouraged motorists to take a different route in and out of Manhattan. This means a lot less car and truck traffic around the bridge entrances/exits in Manhattan and Brooklyn! Remember to periodically check the T.A. website's Take Action page for the varying ways you can help out on our campaigns. Even though there's not much that we can do about the Manhattan Bridge issue, there is a lot of important work to be done. Thank you for being such a great member. T.A. Gets it Done Dear T.A., About a month ago, I contacted T.A., notifying you of an obstacle on the Shore Parkway Greenway (near the Belt Parkway) at the intersection with Pennsylvania Avenue. I had crashed into a 4" steel pipe built into the pavement there, right in the middle of the bike path, when I was riding my bike there; it was pure luck that I wasn't hurt much more seriously than I was. I was back there yesterday, and I was a little surprised to see that this steel obstacle had been removed, and the hole filled in. This might have been a coincidence, or you guys contacted the City who then fixed it--I have to guess it was the latter. So thanks a lot, the TA does great work. My renewal membership is on the way. Best, Transportation Alternatives is a member-supported non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Join T.A. today!
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