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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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
Intersection 911 is a project of BOZZmedia
