POINT OF VIEW

Community Board 8's Broadway decision was the right decision

Posted

(re: “Board asks Broadway planner, ‘Weren’t you listening?’” June 15)

Bronx Community Board 8 should be commended for passing a resolution that reflects the myriad of objections to the Broadway corridor plan following two well-attended public hearings.

The entire community is in agreement that safety and traffic calming measures must be implemented on Broadway. However, it is no surprise that the methodology used by the bicycle and greenway division of the transportation department addressed safety issues almost exclusively through the lens of adding protected bike lanes at the expense of other options.

Unlike the mixed-use bike trail in Van Cortlandt Park, this one-mile bike lane on Broadway doesn’t even connect to anything else north or south of it.

In order to accommodate bike lanes and bus boarding islands, DOT proposes narrowing Broadway’s travel and parking lanes by 20 feet between West 242nd Street and the city line. 

This necessitates cars parking in the middle of Broadway next to the new protected bike lane with only a two-foot buffer. This will force drivers and passengers to exist and enter their cars dangerously close to the travel lane on one side, or speeding bikes on the other side, in order to access the sidewalk.

Narrowing travel lanes also removes the current flexibility for cars, buses and trucks to navigate around the scores of cars and buses that double-park on both sides of Broadway during sporting events at Van Cortlandt Park. Residents are correct to demand a plan for the reality of the inevitable increased congestion, gridlock and delayed emergency response times.

Then there’s also the law of unintended consequences. Residents living near Broadway will experience a decline in their quality of life and deterioration of their infrastructure as increased congestion on Broadway results in increased truck or car traffic on our bucolic side streets.

There were 28 merchants between West 242nd Street and Mosholu Avenue who signed a petition in opposition to this plan. Among other things, they testified that the proposed 100-foot bus bulb would limit parking and access to their businesses. A few years ago, Councilman Oliver Koppell nixed a similar DOT proposal at West 242nd Street where the Westchester buses turn around.

The public hearings have energized this community to solve the problems on Broadway. New York Police Department deputy inspector Terence O’Toole praised the addition last year of two additional traffic lights and crosswalks on Broadway, and asked for additional studies. Police reports indicate that the vast majority of pedestrian fatalities involve jaywalking. 

Community Board 8’s resolution urges study of additional traffic lights that can be staggered so vehicles won’t exceed 25 mph. This has been successfully implemented in other parts of the city. Their resolution also calls for repainting all faded crosswalks, installing countdown clocks at every intersection, lengthening the crossing times, and implementing delayed green for pedestrian safety. 

These are all critical measures that DOT can implement immediately.

This plan is based on the false narrative that the only way to slow down traffic is by adding protected bike lanes to narrow the roadway. What this community needs and deserves is for DOT and our elected officials to respect CB8’s 26-5 vote.

Let’s continue the dialogue with all stakeholders to implement changes that will increase safety on Broadway without the negative impacts that would inevitably result from this flawed plan.

One of the authors, Laura Spalter, is a member of Community Board 8.

Rob Spalter, Laura Spalter,

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