Metro.usMyMetro Events http://www.metro.us Tue, 21 May 2013 23:41:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Councilman Greenfield to lobby for cleared pedestrian bridges http://www.metro.us/newyork/news/2013/02/26/councilman-greenfield-to-lobby-for-cleared-pedestrian-bridges/ http://www.metro.us/newyork/news/2013/02/26/councilman-greenfield-to-lobby-for-cleared-pedestrian-bridges/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:03:37 +0000 Danielle Tcholakian http://www.metro.us/newyork/?p=116198 Stuck New York City buses off 5th Avenue in New York December 27, 2010 after a blizzard dropped 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) of snow in the area. (Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images) Stuck New York City buses off 5th Avenue in New York December 27, 2010 after a blizzard dropped 18 to 20 inches of snow in the area. (Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)[/caption] City Councilman David Greenfield will be introducing legislation on Wednesday that aims to augment the way pedestrian bridges are cleared after a snowstorm. Greenfield said the bill is motivated by complaints — many from seniors and senior centers — that too often, pedestrian bridges go uncleared after a blizzard, making the already-steep bridges especially treacherous. [related tag= "city council"] "I hear from seniors that they can't walk by or if they walk, they fall," Greenfield explained. "These pedestrian paths at train stations have become a blind spot for the Department of Sanitation." The bill calls upon the Department of Sanitation to include in their annual report a list of all the pedestrian bridges in the city, as well as a plan for how they will clear all bridges after a snowstorm. That plan would explicitly outline which agency is responsible for various bridges, as that can vary. Greenfield said that a major problem in the past has been finger-pointing among city agencies shirking responsibility. "You get the blame game," Greenfield said. "Every agency blames a different agency." Since many of the pedestrian bridges are located near or connected to train stations, sometimes the onus is meant to be on the LIRR or the MTA, Greenfield said. The councilman emphasized the importance of knowing who is responsible prior to the snowstorm, not after the fact. That way, he said, when reports come in of snowed-over pedestrian bridges, he and other councilmembers can advocate for their constituents effectively, contacting the proper agency right away. The Department of Sanitation said they could not respond to questions about their responsibility for pedestrian bridges without being given exact locations, but they did acknowledge that they are responsible for clearing some bridges.   Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat]]> Stuck New York City buses off 5th Avenue in New York December 27, 2010 after a blizzard dropped 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) of snow in the area. (Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)
Stuck New York City buses off 5th Avenue in New York December 27, 2010 after a blizzard dropped 18 to 20 inches of snow in the area. (Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

City Councilman David Greenfield will be introducing legislation on Wednesday that aims to augment the way pedestrian bridges are cleared after a snowstorm.

Greenfield said the bill is motivated by complaints — many from seniors and senior centers — that too often, pedestrian bridges go uncleared after a blizzard, making the already-steep bridges especially treacherous.

“I hear from seniors that they can’t walk by or if they walk, they fall,” Greenfield explained. “These pedestrian paths at train stations have become a blind spot for the Department of Sanitation.”

The bill calls upon the Department of Sanitation to include in their annual report a list of all the pedestrian bridges in the city, as well as a plan for how they will clear all bridges after a snowstorm.

That plan would explicitly outline which agency is responsible for various bridges, as that can vary.

Greenfield said that a major problem in the past has been finger-pointing among city agencies shirking responsibility.

“You get the blame game,” Greenfield said. “Every agency blames a different agency.”

Since many of the pedestrian bridges are located near or connected to train stations, sometimes the onus is meant to be on the LIRR or the MTA, Greenfield said.

The councilman emphasized the importance of knowing who is responsible prior to the snowstorm, not after the fact. That way, he said, when reports come in of snowed-over pedestrian bridges, he and other councilmembers can advocate for their constituents effectively, contacting the proper agency right away.

The Department of Sanitation said they could not respond to questions about their responsibility for pedestrian bridges without being given exact locations, but they did acknowledge that they are responsible for clearing some bridges.

 

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Broadway is most dangerous for pedestrians, report says http://www.metro.us/newyork/uncategorized/2013/02/26/broadway-is-most-dangerous-for-pedestrians-report-says/ http://www.metro.us/newyork/uncategorized/2013/02/26/broadway-is-most-dangerous-for-pedestrians-report-says/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:59:19 +0000 Laura Shin http://www.metro.us/newyork/?p=115884 Broadway is the most dangerous road for pedestrians, but pedestrian deaths have decreased in New York City, a new report says. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)  Broadway is the most dangerous road for pedestrians, but pedestrian fatalities have decreased overall in New York City, a new report says. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)[/caption] A new report shows that Broadway, running through Manhattan and The Bronx, is the most dangerous roadway for pedestrians with a total of 17 deaths over a three-year period, The Daily News reports. It gets worse further up north, with most of the accidents occurring above 96th Street. Only one pedestrian died south of 96th Street, according to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign report. The implementation of pedestrian plazas and lane closures has made Broadway safer south of 96th Street, the campaign's executive director explained. Still, the city is safer overall for pedestrians, with the number of pedestrian fatalities down by 27 percent. [related tag="local"] The report breaks down data for every county in the tri-state region. Other dangerous roads in the city include Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan and Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens, both with seven fatalities over a three-year period, and Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn with six fatalities.]]> Broadway is the most dangerous road for pedestrians, but pedestrian deaths have decreased in New York City, a new report says. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)
Broadway is the most dangerous road for pedestrians, but pedestrian fatalities have decreased overall in New York City, a new report says. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

A new report shows that Broadway, running through Manhattan and The Bronx, is the most dangerous roadway for pedestrians with a total of 17 deaths over a three-year period, The Daily News reports.

It gets worse further up north, with most of the accidents occurring above 96th Street. Only one pedestrian died south of 96th Street, according to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign report. The implementation of pedestrian plazas and lane closures has made Broadway safer south of 96th Street, the campaign’s executive director explained.

Still, the city is safer overall for pedestrians, with the number of pedestrian fatalities down by 27 percent.

The report breaks down data for every county in the tri-state region. Other dangerous roads in the city include Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan and Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens, both with seven fatalities over a three-year period, and Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn with six fatalities.

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