A weekly roundup of good deeds, missteps, heroic feats and epic failures in the tri-state region and beyond.
WINNERS
New York City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer – Sunnyside Gardens, Woodside and Sunnyside will be included in two new slow zones coming to Queens.
Linden, NJ – Linden’s City Council passed a unanimous resolution in support of “the renewal of the red light camera program in the interest of public safety” – a powerful statement in the face of increasingly vocal opposition.
Connecticut – ConnDOT adopted a departmental Complete Streets policy which “enables the alignment of transportation funds to encourage improvements for non-motorized users,” such as the road diet planned for East Hartford and the addition of bike racks to 50 train cars.
Alexion Pharmaceuticals – New Haven, CT’s Gateway Community College has received a $250,000 subsidy from the company to halve bus fares for college students over the next five years.
Retirees – Americans are outliving their ability to drive safely, and nonprofits are stepping in to connect housing choice and transportation options for the aging.
LOSERS
New York City Police Department – The NYPD appears to be impeding progress of Vision Zero initiatives by defending hit-and-run drivers to the press.
Astoria Community Board 1 – According to attendees, Board members showed a bias against bicyclists while rejecting three livable streets projects at a recent Board meeting.
Kips Bay Horizon condominium owners – The condo owners have filed a lawsuit against the NYC DOT over a bike lane that was previously amended in response to complaints from the owners and subsequently approved by the local City Council Member Dan Garodnick, and local Community Board 6.
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey – Despite the fact that the new bridge will have a bike/ped path in addition to more and wider lanes, the agency is considering spending an additional $130 million on two new ramps connecting the new Goethals Bridge to the NJ Turnpike to ease anticipated congestion.
Massachusetts – The state’s automatic gas tax index was repealed by a close margin yesterday, resulting in “more traffic congestion and potholes without the $2 billion in long-term funding.”
San Francisco, CA – The car-centric City is considering tolling pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.
In the case of the sanitation truck as in the case of some bus accidents, it could well be that the pedestrian was not in the line of sight of the driver when he walked in front of the truck. In the second case it is unlikely but possible that view of the pedestrian was blocked although the driver should have noticed the impact. With a truck or bus, the impact is less noticeable.
In all cases the NYPD should do a decent investigation and some of the examples cited in your article should be grounds for serious disciplinary action of the officer(s) involved.
Note also that pedestrians should be aware of their surroundings and not be texting or so wrapped up in their cell phones or I-Pods they don’t watch where they are going.
Americans(Retirees) you say are outliving their ability to drive safely.
Wasn’t I reading about a NYC cabbie still working in his nineties? Would you make that generalization about older workers who drive to work?
Of course, not driving yourself does not rule out access by car with a considerate driver. Again, whether you reside close to destinations does not eliminate the need of the most convenient and quickest mode. Being around the corner or twenty miles distant if you are infirm or handicapped you need the set of wheels. Or, do you assume once you give up the keys you stay at home.