What is the ACE doing on the north side of the Manhattan Bridge Manhattan approach, at the corner of Canal and Chrystie Streets? There is an ACE sign there but it’s hard to tell what’s going on.

— Posted by Jonathan
Answer:

Jonathan, thanks for asking about the work we’re doing on the north side of the Manhattan Bridge, Manhattan approach. The United States Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, has been retained by the New York City Department of Traffic to construct access control improvements at the entrances of the Manhattan Bridge bikeway and walkway. The measures will prevent unauthorized vehicle access to the bridge, thereby enhancing both the security of the bridge and the safety of pedestrians and cyclists crossing these bridges. The work is expected to be completed in January 2010.

From this week’s City Room Q&A feature with Col. John R. Boulé II

Back in the late nineties, the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg Bridge had stairs from Pitt St to the road level, then another set of stairs up to the walkway/bikeway level. I didn’t like the stairs a whole lot, but I would much rather exit the bridge at Pitt St & Delancey St, where there isn’t so much traffic and you can ride straight up Pitt St, Avenue C, and the FDR service road all the way to 23rd Street. Getting off the bridge and ending up on the Delancey St median, then sharing Clinton St. with the bridge traffic to go uptown, isn’t very pleasant.

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40045986@N00/3544923298/in/set-72157610997741688/

I assumed this was part of the plaza they’re building on top of the bridge and around Forsyth St:

http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/01/dot-nine-new-public-plazas-in-the-works/

“The Forsyth Street plaza will provide additional sidewalk space along the western portion of Forsyth Street to enhance the street environment currently alongside and underneath the Manhattan Bridge. In addition, the project will create an upper plaza on a vacant portion of property adjacent the bridge’s off-ramp so that residents and cyclists traveling off the bridge can enjoy public open space that looks down upon Forsyth Street and the surrounding neighborhood. In total, the project provides up to 10,000 square feet of new public space.”

Name:Forsyth Streetscape and Plaza Reconstruction(HWPLZ008M)
Client Agency:Transportation
Cost:$1 M – 5 M
Phase:Pre-Design
Projected Completion Date:07/17/2012
Scope:Construction of the plaza along Forsyth Street from Canal to Division Street, to include the creation of a plaza on the upper level of the Manhattan Bridge.

- http://gis.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/

It used to be sharpest at the beginning, reducing driver visibility and encouraging acceleration around the corner. Corps has sliced into the road one to two feet off the curb, I think to create a much smoother curve than was there previously.

Maybe this is just plus or minus eighteen inches either way, and a giant waste of cash. But my hunch is it’ll benefit both cars and bikes; letting drivers predict and maintain a reasonable speed, and giving slightly more space to us.

Personally, i’d prefer making that a no right turn intersection, even though that’d increase VMT for deliveries. Making what is essentially a 180 hairpin turn with anything longer than a tandem bicycle seems a recipe for bodywork. But, if they aren’t going to require taking the big Chrystie-Grand-Allen-Canal loop, then i think making the corner less tight is probably a goodness.