Comments on: Houston Street Redesign: The $30 Million Missed Opportunity http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:32:54 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Glenn http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/comment-page-1/#comment-717 Glenn Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:02:19 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/#comment-717 “Safety standards should be non-negotiable, but DOT will defer to community boards when it suits their purpose. And right now their purpose is more cars and trucks.” Amen. Most community boards are very much about increasing safety for pedestrians, but then seem to get very little direction from anyone on how to do that. However, when they ask them how to reduce traffic congestion or noise, the DOT has a quick and easy response - eliminate this bottleneck by widening the road and increase light speeds...that is until the next bottleneck pops up and the cycle continues. To my Community Board's credit they have requested more "Barnes Dance" (all red lights to cars) at heavy pedestrian intersections. I have more ideas, but that would be a great start. “Safety standards should be non-negotiable, but DOT will defer to community boards when it suits their purpose. And right now their purpose is more cars and trucks.”

Amen. Most community boards are very much about increasing safety for pedestrians, but then seem to get very little direction from anyone on how to do that. However, when they ask them how to reduce traffic congestion or noise, the DOT has a quick and easy response - eliminate this bottleneck by widening the road and increase light speeds...that is until the next bottleneck pops up and the cycle continues.

To my Community Board's credit they have requested more "Barnes Dance" (all red lights to cars) at heavy pedestrian intersections. I have more ideas, but that would be a great start.

]]> By: Clarence http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/comment-page-1/#comment-716 Clarence Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:18:04 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/#comment-716 Just to add, here is a video we did of the intersection of Houston and Broadway. It shows how the DOT is just ignoring what is happening. How can you cut a pedestrian refuge by half or more and claim you are not elminating any ped refuge areas? Sure play with words, you are not eliminating any, but you are sure going to make them less safe. 1 1/1 minute video right here: http://www.nycsr.org/nyc/video-view.php?id=7 Just to add, here is a video we did of the intersection of Houston and Broadway. It shows how the DOT is just ignoring what is happening.

How can you cut a pedestrian refuge by half or more and claim you are not elminating any ped refuge areas? Sure play with words, you are not eliminating any, but you are sure going to make them less safe.

1 1/1 minute video right here: http://www.nycsr.org/nyc/video-view.php?id=7

]]> By: ianqui http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/comment-page-1/#comment-715 ianqui Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:49:47 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/#comment-715 Sounds to me like the real question we should be asking is, how does the DOT commissioner get replaced? I don't care if she's a senator's spouse. This is my neighborhood, and the worst part about it is that there's no good safe way for me to get to the west side bike path. We routinely risk our lives on Houston. Sounds to me like the real question we should be asking is, how does the DOT commissioner get replaced? I don't care if she's a senator's spouse.

This is my neighborhood, and the worst part about it is that there's no good safe way for me to get to the west side bike path. We routinely risk our lives on Houston.

]]> By: ananda http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/comment-page-1/#comment-714 ananda Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:28:49 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/07/25/houston-street-redesign-the-30-million-missed-opportunity/#comment-714 For what it's worth, the current Houston Street reconstruction does not go "from its ramps onto East River Park to its flow into kayak launches at the Hudson", as you said. Rather, as stated here: http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/houston_street_reconstruction_14688.aspx it only goes as far east as the Bowery. One can assume that there will be a separate capital reconstruction of the eastern half of Houston. Perhaps DOT will come up with a superior plan for that. For what it's worth, the current Houston Street reconstruction does not go "from its ramps onto East River Park to its flow into kayak launches at the Hudson", as you said. Rather, as stated here:
http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/houston_street_reconstruction_14688.aspx
it only goes as far east as the Bowery.

One can assume that there will be a separate capital reconstruction of the eastern half of Houston. Perhaps DOT will come up with a superior plan for that.

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