For over a year, CHEKPEDS has been designing a Safe Pedestrian Crossing, that will provide Safe Crossing for ALL people, ALL the time.
The Raised Pedestrian Crossing has been selected as one of the projects that you can vote for, as part of the Participatory Budgeting process Council Member Johnson initiated in our community. The selected projects will add up to $ 1 million of real money included in the City’s next year capital budget. Join us to view the details at the project Expo before you vote in April.
Project Expo
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 6:30 to 8pm
40 West 20th Street (# 1, F, M, M5, M7)
Correct spelling of my name: Keith Rodan (community member since 1995)
For some reason, my initial comment wasn’t published. Oh well, here we go again:
A quarter million seems like too much for a speed bump with stripes on top. Can we have a cost break-down, Corey? Maybe that money could go for a sort of community Works Project Administration (remember FDR in the 30’s?) program to get unemployed people out there working under proper supervision, of course. Not that that could happen in our wildest dreams – anymore -but that’s how our subway system got built in a decade or two. Importing guest workers from Mexico or even China would cut the cost by 100K, at least.
Don’t get me wrong, the speed bump is a great idea, and much better than a pedestrian bridge over traffic, or underground (not possible anyway), but it hurts that our bureaucracy system is apparently so inflexible that we’re essentially deprived of public hands-on participation opportunities in actually rebuilding and revitalizing our neighborhood. We need to work on this.
The issue is not one of projects but of safety, which Chekpeds continues to address admirably.
And how does importing “guest workers” from other countries put the city’s unemployed to work?
No, I was suggesting that importing guest workers – not that we would or could – cuts the $250K cost perhaps by half. But how much more meaningful if the labor could be done by people from the community, and in particular those who are young and unemployed?
Of course, that could never happen nowadays, since companies have locked-in contracts with the city, but I’m just saying things seem to have gotten done cheaper, quicker and more efficiently back when there was less red tape and more of a will to build a great city and infrastructure – like our subway system.
Also, about this project: It’s not clear that these bump crossings are for every block or just a few. It would certainly slow down traffic (great!) but raise quite a whine from drivers. I personally would like to see all private vehicles removed from 9th Ave. or at least a lane eliminated in favor of much-needed widening of sidewalks on both sides. How much better would this be for everybody? The street should be for public transit, and emergency and service vehicles…and the rest for an enhanced quality of life for its citizens. Do you, or people in the neighborhood have any idea how much dust and airborne particulate pollution is generated by cars? One look at the dust collected annually in a typical apartment’s window ventilator should be convincing, let alone the dust and dirt that settles on all surfaces by the week. By comparison, there’s nowhere near these accumulation levels in upstate communities. And btw, it’s in our lungs. I think the statistic is, that on average, the city dweller has 5 years less of a life expectancy (!)
Keith, I think we’re on the same page but your margin notes cloud what you have to say, which clearly is of value.
I personally don’t care what motorists think or how loudly they whine. Pedestrians are not killing motorists. Do you think they would favor shortening sidewalks and getting rid of bike lanes. I have no doubt.
I can also be given to flights of Utopian fantasy, but pedestrian safety requires more pragmatism. I’m old enough to remember when things were different and done differently. Whether things got done faster, better or more efficiently is subjective.
I think those speed bumps, even on a street or two, would go along way to creating pedestrian safety. I say create, because it does not yet exist.
Be well. Be safe.
Michael, I don’t quite follow your statement: “I personally don’t care what motorists think or how loudly they whine. Pedestrians are not killing motorists. Do you think they would favor shortening sidewalks and getting rid of bike lanes. I have no doubt.”
Please explain. You seem to be saying you have no doubt pedestrians (or motorists) would favor narrowing sidewalks and eliminating bike lanes?
As far as safety goes, I believe there are few pedestrian traffic fatalities and injuries here in Midtown on the Westside, compared with, say, Queens (“Avenue of Death”) Boulevard, however if you are a resident and a walker, you can hardly be unaware of the difficulty navigating our crowded sidewalks, what with the plethora of restaurants and bars along the avenue, or crossing the street when vehicles often block the crosswalks so carelessly.
Yes, we’re on the same page re: pedestrian safety, and I’m hardly against the streetbump experiment, but can you explain where, or how my ‘margin notes’ are clouding my comment, please? As for utopian fantasies, I’m no visionary, but am reminded of how much more successful urban quality of life (and safety) is demonstrated in community models- European in particular – where automobiles have been reduced or eliminated.
As for ‘be well’, thanks for the sentiment, but please re-read my above comments and check the filter in your own ventilator, if it hasn’t been changed lately – – if you think we’re in a healthy neighborhood.
Clearly you will go on forever if you get the chance, the hell with the issue. My part of this particular conversation is done. You may now have the last word.
If you can make crossing the street accessible for the disabled, then you make it safer for everyone. That’s what is so exciting about the CHEKPEDS plan: it’s a win for all users in all weather and drivers too.: it’s terrible for them to hit people. Come to the presentation tomorrow and hold criticsm until you see it.
On the cost , we had estimated the cost to be between $14,000 and $25,000 per raised crossing. DOT came back with $250,000 . That seems excessive but they only had one week to do it , so my guess is they grabbed a number out of thin air with lots of padding to be protected.
After the first prototype we will have a much better estimate and hopefully will be ready to roll out to other intersections.