Public meeting on redesign of West End Avenue in Manhattan

[dgolub]

I got an email from my assemblyman yesterday about a public meeting being held on Thursday to discuss plans to redesign West End Avenue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  There is a flier available on the city's web site at http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb7/downloads/pdf/West%20End%20Avenue%20Public%20Meeting%20MTG%20(2).pdf for anyone who's interested.  I'll probably be there.

[mtantillo]

I got an email from my assemblyman yesterday about a public meeting being held on Thursday to discuss plans to redesign West End Avenue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  There is a flier available on the city's web site at http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb7/downloads/pdf/West%20End%20Avenue%20Public%20Meeting%20MTG%20(2).pdf for anyone who's interested.  I'll probably be there.

With most through vehicle traffic one block over on Broadway, I don't see why West End needs 2 traffic lanes in each direction. Sounds like a perfect candidate for some cycle tracks and other ped/bike improvements.

[cl94]

I got an email from my assemblyman yesterday about a public meeting being held on Thursday to discuss plans to redesign West End Avenue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  There is a flier available on the city's web site at http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb7/downloads/pdf/West%20End%20Avenue%20Public%20Meeting%20MTG%20(2).pdf for anyone who's interested.  I'll probably be there.

With most through vehicle traffic one block over on Broadway, I don't see why West End needs 2 traffic lanes in each direction. Sounds like a perfect candidate for some cycle tracks and other ped/bike improvements.

Completely agree. What I'd do is put parking lanes along the curb, a bike lane in each direction, and a left turn lane at intersections. You could probably fit that in with minimal reduction in sidewalk width. The right lanes are already blocked by parked cars and the left lane (when it isn't a turn lane) gets backed up by people turning left. A right turn lane is completely unnecessary as turns on red aren't allowed within the city limits.

In the city (at least in Park Slope), bike lanes are pretty utilized and tend to be kept clear. South of 96th Street, there isn't a good bicycle route on the Upper West Side west of Columbus Avenue and CPW (unless you include the relatively inaccessible trail on the other side of the Henry Hudson). Enough people over there have (and use) bikes to warrant lanes.

[Duke87]

This project is not on on NYCDOT's list, so apparently this is still in the conceptual phase.

Without knowing what exactly is proposed it's tough to comment.

The road does seem ripe for some modernization, though. For inspiration one might consider this proposal for Broadway in Queens, a section of street which has a similar current configuration. This entails reducing travel lanes from four to two, using half the removed space to add dedicated left turn lanes, and the other half to add space along the edges that bikes may use.

[dgolub]

All right, I went to the meeting tonight.  What they're proposing is to eliminate a lane in each direction and use the space to create a center lane for left turns and widen the parking lanes.  They're also talking about banning left turns onto West 95 Street and West 97 Street and creating pedestrian safety islands at those two intersections.

By the way, some of the people at the meeting were incredibly rude and kept interrupting the speaker.  I can understand now why NYCDOT doesn't like dealing with the public.

[cl94]

All right, I went to the meeting tonight.  What they're proposing is to eliminate a lane in each direction and use the space to create a center lane for left turns and widen the parking lanes.  They're also talking about banning left turns onto West 95 Street and West 97 Street and creating pedestrian safety islands at those two intersections.

By the way, some of the people at the meeting were incredibly rude and kept interrupting the speaker.  I can understand now why NYCDOT doesn't like dealing with the public.

So, basically the proposal for Broadway?

[dgolub]

All right, I went to the meeting tonight.  What they're proposing is to eliminate a lane in each direction and use the space to create a center lane for left turns and widen the parking lanes.  They're also talking about banning left turns onto West 95 Street and West 97 Street and creating pedestrian safety islands at those two intersections.

By the way, some of the people at the meeting were incredibly rude and kept interrupting the speaker.  I can understand now why NYCDOT doesn't like dealing with the public.

So, basically the proposal for Broadway?

What proposal for Broadway?

[cl94]

All right, I went to the meeting tonight.  What they're proposing is to eliminate a lane in each direction and use the space to create a center lane for left turns and widen the parking lanes.  They're also talking about banning left turns onto West 95 Street and West 97 Street and creating pedestrian safety islands at those two intersections.

By the way, some of the people at the meeting were incredibly rude and kept interrupting the speaker.  I can understand now why NYCDOT doesn't like dealing with the public.

So, basically the proposal for Broadway?

What proposal for Broadway?

Failed to specify. Broadway in Queens, as linked above. That's what happens when a city has 3 Broadways.

[dgolub]

All right, I went to the meeting tonight.  What they're proposing is to eliminate a lane in each direction and use the space to create a center lane for left turns and widen the parking lanes.  They're also talking about banning left turns onto West 95 Street and West 97 Street and creating pedestrian safety islands at those two intersections.

By the way, some of the people at the meeting were incredibly rude and kept interrupting the speaker.  I can understand now why NYCDOT doesn't like dealing with the public.

So, basically the proposal for Broadway?

What proposal for Broadway?

Failed to specify. Broadway in Queens, as linked above. That's what happens when a city has 3 Broadways.

You're missing one.  There's Broadway in all five boroughs, although the one in the Bronx is a continuation of the one in Manhattan, so it's four rather than five.

[Alps]

All right, I went to the meeting tonight.  What they're proposing is to eliminate a lane in each direction and use the space to create a center lane for left turns and widen the parking lanes.  They're also talking about banning left turns onto West 95 Street and West 97 Street and creating pedestrian safety islands at those two intersections.

By the way, some of the people at the meeting were incredibly rude and kept interrupting the speaker.  I can understand now why NYCDOT doesn't like dealing with the public.

So, basically the proposal for Broadway?

What proposal for Broadway?

Failed to specify. Broadway in Queens, as linked above. That's what happens when a city has 3 Broadways.

You're missing one.  There's Broadway in all five boroughs, although the one in the Bronx is a continuation of the one in Manhattan, so it's four rather than five.

He's acknowledging that Staten Island is part of New Jersey.

[cl94]

All right, I went to the meeting tonight.  What they're proposing is to eliminate a lane in each direction and use the space to create a center lane for left turns and widen the parking lanes.  They're also talking about banning left turns onto West 95 Street and West 97 Street and creating pedestrian safety islands at those two intersections.

By the way, some of the people at the meeting were incredibly rude and kept interrupting the speaker.  I can understand now why NYCDOT doesn't like dealing with the public.

So, basically the proposal for Broadway?

What proposal for Broadway?

Failed to specify. Broadway in Queens, as linked above. That's what happens when a city has 3 Broadways.

You're missing one.  There's Broadway in all five boroughs, although the one in the Bronx is a continuation of the one in Manhattan, so it's four rather than five.

He's acknowledging that Staten Island is part of New Jersey.

It should be. Call it North Amboy and all would be good.

[dgolub]

He's acknowledging that Staten Island is part of New Jersey.

It should be. Call it North Amboy and all would be good.

Well, all of Staten Island would be a bit big for that, but Tottenville might be a good candidate North Amboy or East Amboy.  I mean, they already have Amboy Road there.  Now if only they could build a local street/pedestrian bridge continuing Amboy Road across the Arthur Kill, there would be a way for people who don't have cars to get across without having to go through Manhattan...