However, I completely agree with Taylor that the Queens exit off the Pulaski Bridge is very intimidating. Crossing Jackson at that confusing intersection is scary and both 49th and 50th Avenues are one way the wrong way to get you to Vernon or the waterfront.

I rode on the sidewalk on the SE side of Jackson down to 50th and then rode with traffic across Jackson and turned left on Jackson to get to 51st Ave. to Vernon. There’s got to be a better way, esp. with the new bike parking.

Any significant change in parking, tolling or transport policy needs to be pushed from above (hello Mike where are you since the tragedy of CP-killing by anti-city Silver) as the locals will push for no change at all to anything at all.

Take the power from the ill-informed and self-serving locals and push through whatever you can without the interference of Albany. Forget pathetic Deb Glick’s non-existent outer-borough workers and daily hospital visitors and do what is best for the city as a whole.

RPP citywide. Toll all the bridges. Two-way and rational tolling at all crossings. And tell the teachers that they can take the subway to work like everyone else.

Your original post begins with the disclaimer that you’re in favor of bike lanes and then goes on to compare the DOT to the Kremlin (“The agency is grateful for votes in favor, but ignores votes in opposition, so why bother vote at all? It’s a little like the recent election of the new president of Russia.”)

Your larger point is that the DOT should consult more with the local community.

We agree on that point.

I’m only saying that by suggesting this should be done via CBs assumes that CBs are authentically democratic voices of the community. In my experience, they are not. Maybe I was too harsh by saying they’re ALL dysfunctional — surely there are some good ones and apparently you’ve seen them in action — but my point is that the CB system fundamentally is flawed. It’s one reason why the DOT only half embraces it.

This is especially true if you compare the CB system with other approaches, such as the participatory model made famous by Porto Alegre, Brazil.

I’m not arguing about whether local opinion should matter. I’m arguing about the process of involving it.

http://www.qgazette.com/News/2003/0312/Political_Page/011.html
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2005/0316/Feature_Stories/022.html

We all agree on turning over more of that street space to bicycles, so don’t confuse that issue. We’re talking about how to allocate the rest of it.

Yes, because the underlying political philosophy of those in charge is that public resources should be allocated not based on need, or willingness to pay, but on the perpetuation of unearned privileges.

That’s what New York politics is about, and will be about until the current cast in the state legislature (which also includes the Boro Presidents who appoint the community boards) is overthrown.

So you are saying that the situation is vastly different in New York than in every other major city that has permit parking. As with everything else NY has to come up with something different that will only lead to more debate and nothing getting done.

If I ready you right, because the non-drivers should have equal rights to the streets let’s let anyone use them just to prevent local residents from having priority? So commuters, illegal registrants and yes Aunt Flo from Hackensack have the same rights as residents whose taxes fund the streets?

That really doesn’t make sense. Restrict parking to local taxpayers, sell visitor passes like LA does, and take away parking spaces to allow bike lanes and other non-parking uses.

I completely disagree with the momos’ statement, “It’s the rare community board meeting that isn’t dysfunctional and dominated by a few ranting extremists who completely distort sound public-interest decision making.” Perfect? Hardly. But this statement is grossly perjorative, as is the follow-up; “Everyone knows it’s the rare Community Board that is thoughtful, collaborative and realistic.” I’ve worked with perhaps ten community boards and I would say that the opposite is true.

I could go on at length about community boards — Elect the members? Does anybody remember how wonderful school boards were? — but that’s not the topic here. I just don’t care to have my words twisted around.

The next TA Queens Committee meeting is this Monday, 5/12, from 6:30p-8p at the Greater Astoria Historical Society at 35-20 Broadway up on the 4th floor. All are always welcome.

That might have been closer to the time of 2001-02, when Aaron was more getting involved with Brooklyn T.A. Aaron, any recollection?

Perhaps the objection is to having drivers pay more of the use of scarce street space than non-drivers. Local streets have always been equally funded by drivers and non-drivers, via local taxes, not federal and state gas taxes. And the free bridges are still free.

So guess what? Drivers won’t pay more, drivers shouldn’t get more. Take it away.

“From the people we could identify – which I remember being at least half the board – it was almost 90%. The rate of household car ownership as a whole back then in our CB? Somewhere around 35%.”

That is true of the entire political class, from top to bottom.

From the people we could identify – which I remember being at least half the board – it was almost 90%.

The rate of household car ownership as a whole back then in our CB? Somewhere around 35%

So a Community Board isn’t necessarily representative of its citizens.

It’d be interesting to find that # out for all boards presently…

The DOT could come and determine the current situation is not safe and needs fixing. They offer the community a chance to determine their preferred solutions, either from a set of alternatives or to build one from scratch.

Walking to the Sculpture Garden or Costco at Broadway involves putting one’s life in the hands of motorists drunk on the excitement of discount bulk shopping, as the traffic/pedestrian signals at that intersection are simply a joke. It’s often easier to walk a bit up or down Vernon, dash out into the road and hope that no recently-licensed teenager is coming around the bend at 60MPH. (Speeding is a major problem all along Vernon.) Broadway/Vernon is the T-intersection of two two-lane roads and yet it manages to be one of the most menacing places to pedestrians and cyclists Astoria. Also, I used to live a block off of Vernon near Broadway and there is never a shortage of parking. (I can’t speak to the parking situation in Hunter’s Point.)

I also feel like I should be clutching a rosary every time I get off the Pulaski bridge from Brooklyn, as it presents you with a choice to be made going downhill on a blind curve with about 8 feet to decide: make a hard right onto highway-sized Jackson (with no bike lane and an immediate bridge-entrance 6-point intersection to navigate) or take the sensible approach and fly directly across Jackson and into the relative safety of pedaling the wrong way down 49th.

Anyway, does anyone know when the next TA Queens Committee meeting is?

Mike has informed me that CB2 will be having a special meeting this Tuesday, May 13 at 6:30 at Sunnyside Community Services. Among the topics that will be discussed are another pair of bike lanes on Skillman and 43rd Avenue. I’m hoping that these lanes will have an easier time, since they do not require removal of parking, and they are supported by a broad coalition in the community, including the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce. Joe has expressed support for safety improvements on Skillman Avenue, and these bike lanes will slow traffic.

http://saferskillman.org/?p=55
http://saferskillman.org/?p=50

But to be more precise: local community input is a necessary piece of the process. In NYC this occurs via the extremely flawed institution of the Community Board.

Let’s not conflate local input with the institution itself. Everyone knows it’s the rare Community Board that is thoughtful, collaborative and realistic. We need a far more inclusive and accountable system in NYC than the Community Board, which isn’t even elected!