Life in the streets. Documenting the culture of intersections.
Street narratives, public service announcements, ideologies, and other stories from the asphalt.
Do you feel strongly about an intersection? Please share your street story!
Snap some photos or a quick video with your digital camera. Record an audio file, write a haiku, paint a picture.
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The Hidden Treasure of Jaywalking
In Manhattan, creative jaywalking is an environmental positive, because it makes traveling on foot easier: it enables pedestrians to maintain their forward progress when traffic lights are against them, and to gain small navigational advantages by weaving between cars on clogged side streets - and it also keeps drivers on their guard, forcing them to slow down. -David Owen (via Living Car-Free in Big D)I definitely agree with this statement, and not because I like pedestrians more than drivers and somehow feel that rules shouldn’t apply to everyone. Legally, of course, traffic laws do apply to everyone. But there is a difference in justice of those traffic laws, a difference that reflects the natural hierarchy of vulnerability among road users.
via Pedestrianist
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The Rudeness of Drivers in NYC.
“Think about, when was the last time you did something that inconvenienced 200 people? That guy did it right there.”
Mark Gorton, Open Planning Project, In response to a car blocking the crosswalk.
Link
Documenting Yield-Law Violations in New York City, but Where Are the Police? →
Motorists commit about three potentially life-threatening traffic violations every minute at city intersections, clocking in at a stunning 157 each hour, according to the Transportation Alternatives report: From Chaos to Compliance.
And drivers don’t give way to pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles 24 times every hour — even though that same crime caused the second-most crashes in the city two years ago, the transit advocacy group’s study found.
- An average of 117 violations an hour
- Drivers disregarding traffic signals 44 times an hour — a total of 350 incidents
- Drivers disregarding traffic signs 23 times an hour — a total of 180 incidents
- Drivers disregarding roadway markings 16 times an hour — a total of 127 incidents
- Drivers failing to yield to pedestrians 14 times an hour — a total of 113 incidents
Video
When New York City opened up new pedestrian zones in the heart of Midtown this summer, naysayers predicted a traffic nightmare. Nearly two months later, we’re still waiting for the much-feared Carmaggedon.
In this video, Streetfilms funder Mark Gorton takes us on a tour of Broadway’s car-free squares and boulevard-style blocks, where conditions have improved dramatically for pedestrians, cyclists, and, yes, delivery truck drivers. As Mark says, the counterintuitive truth is that taking away space for cars can improve traffic while making the city safer and more enjoyable for everyone on foot. There are sound theories that help explain why this happens — concepts like traffic shrinkage and Braess’s paradox which are getting more and more attention thanks to projects like this one. While traffic statistics are still being collected by NYCDOT, there’s already a convincing argument that Midtown streets are functioning better than before: To understand it, just take a walk down Broadway.
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New York State Intersection Parking Law
viaParking or standing is not allowed:
In addition, you may not park your vehicle within 50 feet (15 m) of a railroad crossing. Sources: http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmanual/chapter07-manual.htm#prk-reg
- In front of a driveway.
- Within 20 feet (6 m) of a crosswalk at an intersection.
- Within 30 feet (10 m) of a traffic light, STOP sign or YIELD sign.
- Within 20 feet (6 m) of a fire station driveway, or within 75 feet (23 m) on the opposite side of the road.
- Along a curb that has been cut down, lowered or constructed for access to the sidewalk.
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103rd Street Repaired - Parking Removed
I’m pleased to report that this “Dangerous Intersection” is a thing of the past, thanks to the responsiveness of the NYC Department of Transportation and Margaret Forgione, DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner. On May 4, Forgione emailed:
Our Borough Engineering Office completed an investigation of this location. As a result, a new order was issued to establish a “NO STANDING ANYTIME” zone south of the bus stop at West 104th Street to include the east-west crosswalks at West 103rd Street on the west curb of Riverside Drive. This is being implemented to improve the visibility of on coming traffic around the curve and improve the safety environment of pedestrians and cyclists crossing Riverside Drive. This order has been submitted to our sign maintenance unit for installation.
And here are the results after daylighting: a clear view of oncoming traffic, and a new, safe crossing:
Thank you DOT, “If you see something say something,” isn’t just a good thing to do if you see a suspicious package: with this kind of responsiveness from DOT, it can also help us eliminate dangerous intersections. — Peter Frishauf 5/31/09
Here’s how the same intersection looked before daylighting, just a few months ago, when I first wrote about this intersection on StreetsWiki:
via http://www.livablestreets.com/projects/dangerous-intersections/103rd-street-and-riverside-drive
Video
Daylighting is a simple pedestrian safety measure achieved by removing parking spaces adjacent to curbs around an intersection, increasing visibility for pedestrians and drivers and minimizing conflicts. It’s beneficial to young and old, but is especially helpful to children, who often cannot see, or be seen by, oncoming traffic. By removing parking adjacent to the crosswalk, the child does not have to wade into the street to see vehicles entering the intersection. At the same time, drivers don’t have to roll into the crosswalk to see if pedestrians are waiting to cross.
Compare the photos below, showing the sight line difference with and without a parked car.
Neighborhoods around NYC and beyond are nearly shouting for daylighting to be implemented for safer streets. Streetfilms went to Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan to check out what some neighborhood leaders have to say. And though we love the concept, we think the term, Daylighting, is a little stale. So how about some suggestions? As you’ll see, we came up with one, “Pedestrian Peek-a-boo,” but we’re sure there are others out there.
Learn about daylighting on Streetswiki. via StreetFilms
Intersection 911 is a project of BOZZmedia
