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Working to Reclaim Public Space for the Public Good on the UWS

Nearly a century of cars cluttering the curb is more than enough. (Image: StreetopiaUWS; original cartoon from the The New Yorker, 1927 – source).

New York City streets are a case study in the status quo. 

Technological changes set in motion a century ago (mass adoption of the automobile), supercharged a half century later by policy (allowing overnight street parking), and entrenched over decades by habit and entitlement (expecting parking to be free) have turned our streets into a subsidy to car owners. So ubiquitous are rows of parked cars, that few people alive can remember things being any other way.

To make matters worse, most of those cars sit idle 95% of the time, which makes for an extremely inefficient use of public space.

For perspective, if every household on the Upper West Side owned a car, those vehicles placed side-by-side would require a parking lot the size of Central Park. Line those vehicles end-to-end, and they would stretch from here to Cleveland. 

Cars simply don't scale as an urban transportation technology. Upper West Siders understand this, which is why the vast majority of households don’t own a car, and only a tiny fraction use a car to commute. 

The absurdity of devoting all this curb space to private cars is finally beginning to change, and not a moment too soon. We recently penned an op-ed to share some thoughts on DOT's Smart Curbs pilot and why the implications are so important for the future of the Upper West Side and all of New York City.   

The status quo doesn't last forever, and this moment might just be the historic nudge we need to set equitable change in motion. With any luck, people born a decade or two from now won't have any memory of when the curb was used exclusively as a parking lot.

Livable Streets News You Can Use 

Transforming public space to prioritize people over cars doesn't have to be the frustrating, incremental slog we experience here on the UWS. In fact, the status quo can change quite quickly with bold leadership and a nimble, responsive process. Take five minutes and let yourself be inspired by the City of Paris is doing.  WATCH >

Given the stubborn status quo, it's sometimes hard to picture NYC streets as spaces for sauntering and socializing. Which is why DOT's Summer Streets program is so valuable. When New Yorkers get a chance to experience the potential of our most abundant public space, it inspires possibilities in all corners of the city, including the UWS.  READ >

We helped organize support last year for a DSNY trash containerization pilot in Community District 9. That pilot has been a huge success and is set to expand to the entire district by early 2025 with upgraded bins and trucks. While there are still kinks to work out, like getting bins for all buildings into the curb lane, this is a huge step in the right direction.  READ >

Take action and make change

✅  Daylighting at CB7 Transportation Committee Meeting – It's time once again to make the (unassailable) case for universal daylighting on the UWS. The CB7 Transportation Committee will be discussing a proposed resolution on Tuesday, February 13th at 6:30pm. Tell CB7 to join community boards across the city in asking NYC to follow state law and save lives. – ATTEND >

✅  Smart Curbs Online Feedback Map – There's still time to share your thoughts on DOT's Smart Curbs pilot. The online feedback map is an opportunity to make targeted observations about a range of conditions within the pilot area. Some things to highlight might be sidewalk crowding, lack of daylighting/curb extensions, the need for bike parking, and more. – GIVE FEEDBACK > 

✅  Request a Bike Rack at Your School – Does someone in your life attend school in NYC? Make sure to tell them about a new application from the DOT that allows schools to request a bench or bike rack in front of their school building. It's a simple way to incentivize biking to school and improve the arrival and dismissal experience for everyone. – MAKE A REQUEST >

✅  Congestion Pricing Comment – The only way the UWS will realize its potential as a livable neighborhood is with reliable transit, more space for people, and, crucially, fewer cars. Congestion pricing is a monumental step in that direction, and we're just months from it taking effect. You have until March 11, 2024 to voice your support and weigh in on the right side of history. – COMMENT >

✅  Join Your Community Board – Want to get into the weeds in the fight for a more livable city? Why not join your local community board. Applications for CB appointments in Manhattan are due to the Manhattan Borough President's office no later than February 23, 2024. Click the link for more information and helpful advice on how to apply. – APPLY >

Items of interest

🔘  Another case for getting cars out of cities: parking garages are crumbling on the UWS and across the city.

🔘  Also, rats.

🔘  When it comes to School Streets, Tirana, Albania is running circles around New York City. 

🔘  A decade into Vision Zero, and NYC still has a frustratingly long way to go. 

🔘  Meanwhile, people-first street design has dramatically reduced serious injuries and eliminated traffic deaths in Hoboken for a seventh straight year.

🔘  There’s a plan to reduce driving in New York State and put car-centric infrastructure (and its long list of harms) in the past, where it belongs. 

🔘  And finally, people who ride a bicycle to work have better mental health. (We could have told you that.)

Pass it on

“If we can somehow do something about the cars, then the city becomes better, safer, cleaner, and more social.”

–Baruch Herzfeld, CEO and co-founder of PopWheels, musing on our current dilemma.

377 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10013

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