| NYC's "Street of the Future" |
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| Written by Joshua Liberles | |||
| Thursday, 04 October 2007 | |||
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The remodeling of seven blocks of Ninth Avenue in Chelsea is based on existing road designs in some European cities. Billed as “the street of the future,” the one-way street will feature a 10-foot wide bike lane on the left side of the road, an eight-foot “buffer zone” with plastic posts and large planters, and a parking lane to the right of that. Cyclists will be separated from vehicular traffic both by the buffer zone and the barrier created by the parked cars. The goal is to encourage New Yorkers who may be scared to ride in traffic to give bike commuting a try. Parking prices along this corridor will increase from $1.50 to $2 per hour; still well under market rate for Manhattan parking. However, thanks to Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed congestion pricing, which would charge a toll to cars driving below 86th street in Manhattan, overall automobile traffic volume should be reduced. Sounds like a good idea in terms of encouraging new people and less experienced riders to give urban cycling a try. However, when cyclists are given a separate riding area, the unfortunate consequence is often marginalization. Bikes have a right to be on roads, and road design and drivers need to accommodate this right. Bike lanes and paths make cyclists less prepared to ride in traffic when alternatives don’t exist. But, more importantly, it fosters an attitude among motorists and urban planners that bikes don’t belong on roads. Via the New York Times Comments (1)
KT
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NYC rules (admit it)! Most New Yorkers are car-free and kick cabs (and other cars) when drivers get out of line. Right on red isn't even legal b/c pedestrians take precedence. We're not too proud to take public transportation, and pledge allegiance to our own subway line. (Yeah, F train to Bklyn.) Most of the traffic clogging streets is from bridge and tunnel folks from NJ and CT suburbs who come to town to buy Kate Spade knock-offs or get drunk on Saturday nights, then barrel home wasted in their Escalades and H3s. 'Tards. |
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Cars are the most inconvenient convenience we have. We're required to have them, but increasingly, we dislike them. At Carectomy, we're trying to figure out how to extract cars from people.
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New York City has found a use for cars that Carectomy patients can be proud of: a (relatively) static barricade to protect cyclists.
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