Friday, July 25, 2014

First signs of the Alphabet City-Tompkins Square Slow Zone



You may have noticed a few new street signs around the neighborhood.

The Department of Transportation has installed signs showing the new speed limit for part of the East Village under the Slow Zone Initiative, which is expected to launch next month. (Read the background about all this here.)



Yesterday, crews started putting in speed bumps on several streets, including East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C and East Sixth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D …


[Photo by Dave on 7th]

The map below shows the designated Slow Zone — First Avenue east to the FDR, and from East Second Street north to East 14th Street.


[Click image to enlarge]

In addition to the 20 mph speed limit (15 mph near schools), a Slow Zone area features speed bumps (21 here) and new striping and signage to slow drivers.

CB3 member Chad Marlow helped put the plan in motion for the East Village early last year. In 1995, a drunken driver struck Marlow's father on Harlem River Drive, an accident that left him with quadriplegia and a severe brain injury. His father died 13 years after the accident.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Call for an East Village 'slow zone' (34 comments)

More about the timing of the Tompkins Square/Alphabet City Slow Zone

Alphabet City-Tompkins Square Slow Zone to take effect in August

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Signs with a yellow background are advisories and are not enforced as law. That's why they don't say "speed limit." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advisory_speed_limit

Anonymous said...

Great news. Hope it works. We'll see after a few months.

creature said...

Walking in the street on 6th St this A.M. I tripped over one. I need to watch where I'm going.

Anonymous said...

Are those speed bumps or tire spikes? They seem very high and narrow compared to real speed bumps.

Anonymous said...

The speed bump on 8th St is barely a ripple. I tried it out last night coming home in the car and if I hadn't known it was there might not of even noticed it. Not a fan of speed bumps but if you are going to do it at least do it right.

Anonymous said...

It's a waste of tax dollars in my opinion. Nevermind, no one cares & happy friday!

Anonymous said...

Yep. Just as useful as the sign on our block that say : "No Honking $250 Fine"
The sign cost us tax payers about $5000. Return on investment? ; $0

Anonymous said...

Promising. I hope it works.

A better (and more lucrative for the city ) tactic would be to actually enforce traffic laws, fine reckless drivers more consistently, and and remove licenses from repeat offenders .

- East Villager

Anonymous said...

seems somewhat pointless -- drivers are rarely able to hit 20-30 on most crosstown streets anyway with the traffic. the avenues are more an issue.

moe said...

Well let's see. These days eating in the EV sucks. Drinking in the EV sucks. Paying rent in the EV sucks. Walking around at most times in the EV sucks.

So now I can add, driving in the EV sucks. Thanks.

FMC said...

And the rebranding of the EV as a "nightlife district" - safer for drunk people to wander in and out of the roadway - continues.

Anonymous said...

You know which streets have speed bumps and <15-20 mph speed limits? School zones. These areas are now populated by kids as in kidults, thus the Slow Zone. Should be the Drunk Zone or the WOO Zone.

Anonymous said...

Yep, Anons, totally; those schools every couple of blocks are empty. Only drunken "kidults" in this neighborhood. Hate on the asshats all you want (and I'll join you in that), but EV has a lot of children and yes, elderly, who benefit from slower traffic speeds. And not just them; I'm neither a kid, nor elderly, and still appreciate these measures for my own safety.

If driving in the EV "sucks", maybe you should get out of your pink limo and take PATH from Jersey next time you visit, moe.

moe said...

Say shmarty at 8:49, sounds like you do need these measures to protect your own safety, for sure.
By the way, I "visit" the EV pretty much every day for the last 32 years, since that's when I moved here.
Pink limo? Close, small black truck that I drive for a living. Park it in front of my building, or as near as possible.

moe said...

Oops meant 8:34, mr shmarty was earlier than I even knew.

Anonymous said...

If you live with people driving 35 mph down your street, I would say that THAT sux

Anonymous said...

There are lots of children attending school and elderly people who live and stand to benefit