Photo by Stacie Joy
The city is starting to publicize a street-improvement project for Avenue B, with notices recently posted along the corridor.
The plans aren't new. The Department of Transportation has been discussing changes to Avenue B for several years. Last summer, DOT officials presented the proposal to the Community Board 3 Transportation, Public Safety, Sanitation & Environment Committee and later to the full board, while also seeking feedback from residents through an online survey (flashback).
Among the planned changes:
• A northbound one-way conversion on Avenue B between Seventh Street and 10th Street
• Painted curb extensions along the corridor, with a focus on intersections near schools
• A contra-flow bike lane between Seventh Street and 10th Street
• Additional bicycle shared-lane markings ("sharrows")
• New truck-loading and no-standing regulations
The DOT says the project is intended to expand public space, add bicycle infrastructure and update curb regulations.
According to the posted notice, implementation began this month.
The sign includes a rendering of a proposed streetscape treatment modeled after changes made on Berry Street in Williamsburg.
We'll see what residents make of the changes once they begin taking shape on B.
As with any change involving traffic, bicycles and parking, expect opinions.
This sounds good to me. During Covid, I was one of the volunteers setting up barricades every morning to make Avenue B an “open street” and with some ongoing traffic-calming barricades, it’s maintained a calm vibe. I look forward to these more permanent enhancements.
ReplyDeleteI commend your good heart, but those barriers inflamed and enraged the drivers. They speed up and drive recklessly around the barriers which funnels and aims the traffic at terrorized pedestrians.
DeleteAt one of their tabling events DOT acknowledged that the barricades were frequently complained about by pedestrians.
DeleteThank you to the neighbors who volunteered and created this push, and to those who carried it forward. 💐 Yes, to more permanent enhancement…. Hopefully it goes even further after this.
ReplyDeleteDOT has become so obnoxious and never listens. Nobody needs or wants this except maybe bike activists which also doesn't really make sense. All you're doing is taking parking away from residents and making it incredibly annoying when I'm in a cab trying to get home and they have to make a maneuver to C and around costing me more money and time. Leave the grid and the Manhattan hustle alone! What is the point of this.
ReplyDeleteHere's a thought: Get out of the cab and walk, assuming you don't have a disability.
DeleteOh no, not the parking, won't somebody think of the cars! Take the train.
DeleteYou never go in a car? You don't see why cars are used sometimes instead of trains? What are you even talking about. Yes, cars need places to park, clearly. Why is that an issue for you? Weird thing to care about.
Deleteit wasn't the 'bike activists' that did this... not at all
DeleteAlso, due to light changes or whatever a few years ago, traffic southbound on A gets backed up a lot, so this will make it worse, having a random blockade in the middle of one of our main avenues. So weird.
ReplyDeleteYeah we should pedestrianise Avenues A through D. Take the FDR if you want to drive.
DeleteTake the FDR if you want to drive... what does that mean? People don't usually just joyride. I have work to do, family things to do, items to carry, etc. Most of that for me personally is in a cab, it's annoying to interrupt the flow of traffic for no reason. You have some issue with modern times and vehicles, not everyone lives in fantasy land.
DeleteNo complaints here. Ave B is so narrow it's kind of wild to have two-way traffic, especially with all the deliveries and such.
ReplyDeleteThis makes good sense and sounds good to me!
ReplyDeleteLove to see it!
ReplyDeleteMore traffic. All we need are three speed bumps, instead.
ReplyDeleteI always find it easy to bike on Avenue B - hope we don’t lose any of our dwindling parking spaces!
ReplyDeleteTransportation Alternatives was pushing for this big time. When they were canvassing for signatures I said I am a bicyclist too and I don’t want this project. I support many of their project ideas but not this one.
ReplyDeleteLike we don’t have so many more things the DOT could spend money on in our neighborhood…
Make Avenue A one way downtown and Avenue B one way up town in their entirety. Both Avenues are too narrow and dangerous for 2way traffic. Why change only 3 blocks when the other 11 blocks are a traffic hazard??
ReplyDelete