[Photo last weekend by Vinny & O]
In an effort to improve access for the FDNY along Avenue B, the
Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition announced new placements of the wooden and metal barricades that help keep the Open Street free for pedestrians and cyclists.
Per their social media posts from yesterday: "Please don’t move them out of these positions. We want #Loisaida Open Streets to continue & we need your help to ensure that!"
Reps for Engine 28/Ladder 11 at 222 E. Second St. between Avenue B and Avenue C had previously expressed concern about accessing Avenue B with barriers placed in certain positions. (Not sure how they navigate Avenue B between Second Street and Fourth Street when it is closed for outdoor dining on weekends.)
The local volunteers came together last month to form the coalition, painting and repairing the barriers that are up along the Avenue from Sixth Street to 14th Street daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The city announced the Open Street plan in late May to help residents safely get some fresh air while social distancing.
Previously on EV Grieve:
• New community coalition helping keep Avenue B safe for cyclists and pedestrians
23 comments:
We need to keep Avenue B as a Slow Zone 5MPH, local traffic only, shared space with walkers and bicycle riders. Now, when the street is not favorable for through traffic the amount of drivers using it is much lower then before, it is safer and quieter. We also need to remove the storage of cars and create more space for people to use. Once parking is not allowed on Av B between 6th and 14th streets curb access will be available for deliveries: for businesses and home deliveries. At any hour of the day multiple FedEx, UPS and USPS trucks are operating yet have zero designated loading zones. This will also free up more space for businesses to operate outside: we wanted to seat down and have pizza at Gruppo 2 days ago, couldn't do it because the outdoor dining area allowed by the city is limited to one parking spot that is in front of the business . Easy solutions that can be enacted instantly.
Sorry to say, but as worthy as this program is and as much as I applaud the efforts of the volunteers, no one is walking in the street. Cars universally ignore the barricades. Walking in the street on Avenue B feels no different than walking down any "unprotected" street.
I walk or ride my bike on Avenue B every day. I see other people doing the same thing at the time.
Time to pull the plug on this. No one, other than a handful of automobile prohibitionists, ever asked for it.
It’s plainly a flop, as noted, not much different than any other street. You can recite all the TransAlt talking points you want, but the proof is in the pudding.
@7:45am: I suggest checking out Avenue B on weekend evenings. It’s a 10 block long family-friendly party with a Parisian café vibe, but with a mix of cultures. An absolute success and one that should be made permanent
Also, everyone who lives in the city should be an automobile prohibitionist, for the health of the city
Feels less safe than walking an ordinary street, because of the car-free pretense. Without enforcement, it's probably not a great idea to simply declare a street a pedestrian zone. Those of us who read the news know how trustworthy and conscientious and cautious the average motor vehicle operator is. Right?
It's obnoxious how they closed Ave B between 2 and 4 on weekends for a few businesses. Poco gets expanded, noisy as hell, sidewalk. blocking drunk brunch and Hairy lemon, who just opened like a year ago has big loud crowds yelling at sports games. Asinine.
@choresh storage of cars? it's called parking. vehicles are used for many practical reasons. get over yourself. I know "streetspac" is all you think about, but other people have different uses and needs. Compromise and reason is important. If you give that o people, they'll be more accommodating to you as wel.
Just close off the street already. There’s basically no reason for local traffic on B. It’s not a commute road or major road, it’s basically a side street. Just close it off.
I’m there with the kiddo in stroller every day. Thank you volunteers for making this happen.
A reminder to pedestrians in the street that you should walk AGAINST traffic flow.
I walk in Ave B whenever I can. I face the direction of traffic so I can see what's coming.
I ride a bike too.
if I drive (car is stored in a garage) I take the long route to avoid Ave B except for one block. I agree that free car storage has got to go even if it means garage pricing goes up so much I have to give up car ownership.
I make sure to walk on the street everytime I walk along Avenue B. Plenty others bike and walk, and the more people do it the more effective it is.
It’s called car storage since most vehicles are not moved for extended period of time. I documented a month worth of the parking circulation on Av B between 7th and 10th streets. Even with twice a week Street cleaning lots of vehicles stayed at the same spot for 7-10 days. One car was parked for 30 days, one for 14. And this is just out of 32 spots. The info was presented at Community Board 3 transportation committee that adopted a resolution calling for curb reform, protected bike lanes and or slow zone. Parking spots are metered. When they’re free they become storage spots. Also bear in mind that 80% of households in the area does not own cars cars and so never get to use the street space. Last but not list: I invite you to count how many out of state plates you can count on the vehicles that are stored on the street.
"Please don’t move them out of these positions" - It's the cops who move it to the sidewalks every day after sunset!
Also, new or not, still doesn't work. Cars traffic flows freely, not even close to 5MPH. Just another NYC show and tell, like the checkpoints at tunnels and bridges, that doesn't really exist.
Have you tried telling drivers, locals and non locals, to not enter the zone? Zero compliance. Those drivers don't read the comments on EVG apparently.
Me too, but I feel in danger doing so each and every time.
For the health of the planet. You don't need to own a car in NYC. Half the cars in the neighborhood don't even ever move, besides for street cleaning.
Absolutely right.
Hairy Lemon's liquor license was suspended!
Fully agree with Coresh. Ave B lends itself to traffic-calming measures. If we build them, the pedestrians and street cafes will come. All we need is a little political will, a little 2020 vision, and some minor infrastructure improvements (planters anybody?). This is a forward movement, a/k/a progress.
I see lots of selfish and aggressive drivers speeding through all the time. Needs to be better or bigger barriers maybe- these are too easy to weave around. Also, why is this tiny avenue a two-way street? Changing it to one-way would immediately open up a lane. And yes, it is "car storage"- same vehicles constantly taking up public space that could be used for so many good purposes besides a personal, tax-subsidized free storage space for your noise/pollution generator.
There is 0.01% chance you practically need a permanent car whilst living in the Village. I’m willing to disappoint that part of the population to make the streets human-friendly again and help the businesses alongside the roads flourish
I love this but so often I am walking in the street and have to move because a car drives around one of the barriers. Is it possible to ban parking from these stretches as well as cars from passing through? Or will that never happen?
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