http://newtasteuws.com/ 

I’m involved in an effort at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, one of the largest and most influential synagogues on the Upper West Side , to develop a plan for greening our street, the 200 block of West 88th Street , between Broadway and West End Avenue . The Environmental Action Hevra, one of several committees in the synagogue’s social justice/social action program, has adopted this as its primary objective for this year. Using the UWSSR Blueprint as our handbook, we’re examining various options, including chicanes to divert through traffic, angled parking to replace parallel parking, secure bike parking, curb extensions, etc. In short, pretty much the whole set of street modifications for a residential side street that are depicted in the Blueprint. We hope to make ours a model block and hopefully to extend the redesign to neighboring blocks.

Before devising a specific proposal to the DOT, which we expect to pass through the Community Board, we plan to build local support by meeting with other residents and businesses on the block to explain the project and its benefits in terms of greater safety for pedestrians and cyclists, cleaner air, reduced noise, and an altogether more pleasant and congenial environment. With a lot of work, we hope to see a proposal before the DOT within six months.

Meanwhile, Hazon (www.hazon.org), an organization that promotes environmental awareness and action in the Jewish community, has recently begun working with other Upper West Side synagogues to promote similar Livable Streets initiatives appropriate to their particular locations, though none are as far advanced in considering such projects as B’nai Jeshurun. They are also being encouraged to show their support for improvements like protected bicycle lanes by sending post cards and signing petitions to Community Board 7 and the DOT. Stay tuned for more developments.

Dear Upper West Siders:

I want to thank you again for coming out last Thursday for the launch of the Blueprint for the Upper West Side.  It’s been almost exactly a year since the birth of the Upper West Side Streets Renaissance (UWSSR) and our celebration at PS 87 was a terrific way to begin year two.  If you haven’t already, take a look at the great StreetFilm about the event.

But now what?  How do we move forward with the agenda outlined in the Blueprint?  The short answer is “start talking”.  Let your neighbors know what the UWSSR is doing for the neighborhood you share. Are you part of your block association?  Bring blueprint copies to the next meeting and suggest that the association get involved.  If there’s not a block association on your block, start one!

As you know, the UWSSR website has a ton of information, including templates for advocacy letters, a community blog, and discussion lists that let you easily connect with fellow residents.  Get involved with your local Community Board – we’re having a Community Board Signup Meeting on November 24th, and we would love to see you there.  Write letters to the editor at your local paper.  But most of all, just start talking to the people around you – the teachers, neighbors, workers, friends and family who make your neighborhood what it is.

And if you want to get involved, but would like more information about the contents of the Blueprint for the Upper West Side, you can request an informational session with our Community Liaison, Tila Duhaime.  Contact her at tila@transalt.org to schedule a time for her to meet with your group.

Ultimately, it is Upper West Side residents who will decide the future of the neighborhood.  For years that privilege has been in the hands of those who prioritize the movement of automobiles over the safety of our children and our seniors.  It’s time that we take it back.

Yours,

PG

We’ve added a new page of letter templates to the site to make it even easier to make yourself heard on the UWS issues that matter to you.

They’re separated by individual letters, that you send yourself, and group letters, which you can use to gather support from other people in the neighborhood.  

So take them, use them, re-write them, customize them.  The important thing is to make sure the people that represent our neighborhood are hearing about these issues.

If you’re reading this, chances are the answer is  yes! So here’s the deal: apply to join your local community board (CB).

This year I had the opportunity to witness my local CB first hand, and testified alongside others in support of the cross-town bike lane on 106th Street.  We won, and while it’s far from perfect, it’s a start.

One would think that on the Upper West Side, a bastion of progressive voices, getting this bike lane improvement would have been a no brainer.  Think again!  DOT worked hard to win the hearts and minds of the CB at several meetings, and so did those of us in the neighborhood who supported the improvement. What was clear from the interaction was that DOT takes CB input very seriously, and that a “livable streets positive” board will get things done faster with DOT than one that is not. We won, but it was close.

Any reader of StreetsBlog knows the score: it’s time that more people are heard at our CBs who want to increase and improve pedestrian and cyclist spaces. And now’s your chance to do it by applying to join the transportation committee of your local board.

CB members are appointed by the borough president, and in Manhattan that’s Scott Stringer. You’ll need to commit to attend full board meetings once a month and the committee meeting (ideally transportation) that meets once a month too. The real opportunity is to  take advantage of being on the board and make the values of Livable Streets heard and felt!

If you think you can help and make a difference, you must apply by Jan. 15th. for a 2-year term that starts on April 1.  There are 25 vacancies to be filled, so chances of getting on a board are very reasonable.

Please consider joining. 

Application to join a Manhattan Community Board

More information about Community Board Membership

 

We can have more and better Livable Streets.  And you can help!

The Columbia Spectator reports on the progress being made by the UWSSR in creating a more bike- and pedestrian friendly Upper West Side, highlighting visions which have become a reality. Support from local and state officials is helping the plan forge ahead. Click here to read more.

Thanks everyone who came out to help officially “welcome” the new bike lane to the community. With food, lemonade, and free bike goodies giveaways, it was a great time.

 Thanks Innovation Bike Shop for Hosting!

 Jean from DEBNA welcoming all

 Bike Raffle

 And the lane is “official.” We promptly all went up the street and told that guy in the van to move…

Future cyclist and T.A. Member!

As New York City braces for the impact of the ongoing financial turmoil on Wall Street, governments, non-profits, commuters and neighborhoods will face a stark choice in the months and years to come. The choice will be whether we will let the lack of financial resources dramatically reduce of quality of life, or if we can find ways to actually improve quality of life with less resources.

The state and city governments, as well as the critical state authorities like the MTA and Port Authority will no doubt face severe shortfalls in tax revenue over the next few years. In times like this, the natural government response is to simultaneously cut services across the board while increasing transit fares and other user fees. At the same time, local non-profit service delivery organizations that could potentially pick up the slack and provide basic services to people in need will be acutely impacted by lower donations over the next few years.

If we allow this downturn to degrade our neighborhoods and our mass transit infrastructure, we will face the negative cycle of the 1970s and 80s all over again - people and businesses will flee the city for the suburbs and choose to drive  to work.

We need to stay ahead of this cycle and start planning for a lower cost, more efficient and livable city. In many ways, getting automobiles off the streets & off the curb and making better public spaces are part of the solution.

Most people in the Upper West Side and indeed the whole city don’t own cars and even fewer rely on their cars on a regular basis. Drivers often have mass transit alternatives or should have as much encouragement as possible to rearrange their home - work situations to rely less on their cars.

Why? Because drivers, particularly those that rely on free street parking are costing this city a tremendous amount of money everyday and are the main impediment to a whole host of street improvements that would cost very little, but would dramatically improve quality of life.

As an example, since today is Park(ing) Day, let’s just imagine a city in which the residents and merchants on each block controlled it’s own curbside space. The building with lots of elderly residents could opt for a space to allow it’s residents easy pick-up and drop-off. The bagel shop on the corner might like the foot traffic from a taxi stand. The grocery store could have an special spot for delivery trucks to load and unload. The medical office could have a spot for the access-a-ride to make pick-ups and drop-offs. And of course some residents would choose to simply extend the sidewalk and make a nice little place to relax. If they could keep the money, I’m sure some buildings would opt for short term parking, but probably at a high rate

What’s the last thing people would like to have right in front of their building? Free overnight parking for anyone to use…

But that’s the collective decision that we seem to have accepted since any one of the above is seen as imposing a “cost” on “local residents” that want to park their car cost free on those streets. But if we were to poll the majority of residents on that block and offer them some rational alternatives that would return a benefit to them - in the form of access for elderly/disabled, less double parking, faster buses, safer streets, lower costs in stores, more cab sharing and more public space - it’s clear that we would have a radically different approach to the allocation of curbside space.

In a time of declining financial resources, there’s a resource right outside our front doors that is waiting to be realized - if only we take back our streets from freeloading drivers.

This past Saturday, a handful of happy UWS cyclists met up at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at 10am. Their destination? Summer Streets, of course!

It was a beautiful day to be outside, an opinion shared by the thousands of New Yorkers that the UWS riders encountered when they arrived at Summer Streets. Though the crew quickly dispersed into the jubilant crowd, a great time and a great ride were had by all.

Sad you missed it? Don’t be! There will be another ride to Summer Streets this Saturday, meeting at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at 7.50am. Don’t miss it as we bring the party to Summer Streets for the second weekend running!

See you there!