Community Board 4 Transportation committee will examine suggestions for changes to be included in the next franchise contract to be enacted in 2014. This will ensure that the next contract will allow community boards to obtain removal and relocations of phone booths, which are taking a disproportionate space on our sidewalks considering the generalized use of cell phone.
Add your suggestions for phone booths to be removed by clicking on comments below. For clarity give us your information in the following format :
NE corner of 9th av. and 38th Street. with an explanation of why it should be removed.
SW corner of 9th Avenue and W. 44th Street, just off corner on West 44th St.
The phone booth not only blocks the narrow sidewalk with adjacent restaurants and residential buildings, but it also blocks visibility and light imperative for security and safety. Trash and garbage constantly accumulate in and around the booth.
NE corner of 9th Ave and 38th Street. Drunks loiter in and around it. It is being used as a urinal.
NE corner of 9th Ave and 39th Street. Drunks loiter in and around it. It is being used as a urinal.
NW corner of 9th Avenue and 45th Street. Blind spot for drivers turning on to West 45th Street. Drivers cannot see peds crossing south and peds cannot see drivers turning.
From Kathleen McGee Treat,
Chair of HKNA
DATE: April 18, 2011
TO: Members of Community Board 4’s Transportation Committee
RE: Public Telephone Booths
According to NYC’s DoITT there are 66 phone booths between 42nd and 52nd Streets on 9th Avenue.
We all know that the City receives revenue from the companies that sell advertising on these booths – Cemusa, et al. (The same is true of bus shelters, with the advertising posters often obliterating the view of oncoming buses for customers in the shelters!) The scandal is that precious few of these phones work – contrary to Mr. Fergus’ (DoITT) report. This is easy to check – just try making a call. Two out of three of these phones are broken – and will steal your change, to boot!
A booth on 44th Street just west of Ninth Avenue advertises a strip club. Do we need this on our residential blocks? Let’s please get these eyesores that impede pedestrian traffic off our sidewalks. There is no valid reason for so many – particularly the enormous double-wide booths. All of these booths coupled with sidewalk cafes, full bicycle racks and newspaper boxes make for very rough going for New Yorkers in wheelchairs.
Thanks for your help.
from Ken Stewart
never observed in use and located where sidewalk is narrow-
8th Avenue just north of Northwest corner of 55th Street
8th Avenue just south of southwest corner of 56th Street
9th Avenue just south of southeast corner of 56th Street-
On April 26th, at its monthly meeting, The West 44th Street Better Block Association voted unanimously to ask the city to remove the
at 402 West 44th Street.
Location: About 75 feet from the SE corner of West 44th & 9th Ave.
The booth is near the entrance of 402 West 44th, a six story
residential building and alongside 44SW Ristorante and its outdoor café.
Reasons for removal:
• A block resident was mugged by someone lurking inside the booth
• Over the years there have been a couple of near muggings by people
hanging by the booth late at night
People have loitered in and around the booth for:
• Drug dealing and drug use
• Drinking has been a major issue at night. There are usually beer cans and bottles on or around the booth.
• Prostitution has taken place inside the booth involving oral sex and fornication
• Public urination is a constant problem as well as public defecation
• Loiters leave their food containers and other garbage here
• The owners of 44SW Ristorante have been threatened by drunkards
and drug users. A man once attempted to break their side widows
after they asked him to stop urinating by the booth.
The city deceived the West 44th Block Association when the block petitioned the city to remove the booth about eight years ago. We met all of the city requests which included:
* petition for removal – The association gatherd 105 signatures
* Community Board 4 supported removal of the booth
* The Block Association received letters from the commanders of both Midtown North & Midtown South stating the booth was a serious safety threat based on the numerous complaints received by the police.
When all this information was presented to DOITT, around 2003, this city agency refused to remove the booth even though the block association addressed all the criteria asked and even though this was and still is dangerous.
• For the longest time the booth has featured the outline of a nude woman advertising a local gentleman’s club. This ad is not suited for a residential street.
• The booth is near the building’s fire escape; it is just a few feet from a street tree.
Perfect.