Proposition

The very survival of our cities depends not only upon making our urban habitat more safe and healthful, but also on making it more delightful. The city street is our outdoor living space, our front yard. Today’s urban streets are parking lots with no space for neighborhood life or enjoyment. We need to restore the civilized quality of our streets, exemplified by the Italian Streets of Venice and Bologna, where the pedestrian reigns supreme. The humanity of these Italian Streets can be achieved in Brooklyn without canals or arcades. The design goal is to restore and reinforce our open spaces with trees, creating comfortable, shaded streets in the best tradition of civic design.

To accomplish this - in any design for better streets- demands two fundamental policy changes, notably: slow vehicular traffic, and remove curb parking.

A speed limit of 20 miles per hour on residential streets, and 25 on Avenues, would result in greatly reduced traffic accidents, more bicycle use and ironically would save everyone time, including drivers who now race between traffic lights.

Design Features

Priority of modes:
1. Pedestrian: accessible wider sidewalks with more shade trees
2. Bicycle: 6 foot lanes to allow passing / pedicabs
3. Public Transit: near proposed shared bicycles; & “mini transit”
4. Taxicabs (and Pedicabs); operate & drop-off in median lane
5. Car share stations: reduce private car need
6. Private auto & rental cars: for people who can’t live without cars
7. Local Trucks: priority at certain hours and in loading zones

Remove curb parking, widen sidewalks & add bicycle lanes.

Plant trees and locate bicycle racks in sidewalks with seats and public art.

Narrow motor vehicle traffic lanes: cars 9’, trucks/buses 11’ (traffic calming).

Bicycle traffic signals give bicycles head start over motor vehicles.

Mini Transit: small-scale open trailer buses, continuously operating as 4th Avenue shuttle; all doors open simultaneously at stops in median.

Taxicabs share the center lane & median drop off with mini transit.

All truck loading is on east-west streets: One way: a 15 foot wide curb lane; Two way: special zones at specified hours.

Card operated, shared bicycle stations in the 4th Ave. median.

Card operated private automobile parking, car share & car rental in air rights under F Train.

Public art space by community in widened pedestrian areas.

Directional signs marked on street for clarity & avoids clutter.

The Challenge

This plan represents a pilot project -- a model for the City, and a benefit to everyone who lives in the neighborhood. These plans can be implemented immediately, and do not require new technology. Our proposal; “City As Art”, would result in a net cost saving to the City, without counting the health and fuel cost savings.

Sequence:

1. Build air rights parking
2. End curb parking & limit speed
3. Realign traffic lanes / reconstruct median
4. Widen sidewalks & plant trees
5. Set up mini transit
6. Institute shared bicycles & car share
7. Establish auto rental concession