On Monday, December 6th, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the I Challenge Myself (ICM) Cycling Smarts team at the George Washington Educational Campus teamed up and presented a proposal at the Community Board 12 Manhattan NYC Traffic & Transportation Committee Meeting. Initially, ICM reached out to DOT asking for safety improvements on Amsterdam Avenue as it raised concerns not just for cyclist, but pedestrians and community members.
Since then, DOT School Safety & ICM have been working closely together to develop a safety proposal for the street and have met for a series of field meetings and design workshops to study the area and develop improvements.
Students were able to measure and track the speed of drivers in real time, noting that 63% of drivers go above the 25mph speed limit, including one driver almost doubling the limit at 49mph. There are a lot of drivers who are neglecting the rules and it is affecting others in the community. This includes long-term truck storage in a No-Parking zone, vehicles not moving for weekly cleaning, and car washes parked in bike lanes. The team proposal targets concerns such as speeding, reckless driving, disorganized driving, wide streets and unmarked parking spots, and safety for both cyclists and pedestrians
During their live presentation, there was a former ICM Ride Leader, Omar, who endorsed the proposal, and added,
I am very familiar with this area, both as a pedestrian driver and cyclist… If losing 9-12 parking spots keeps our children safe, I can’t see anyone arguing against that… I can’t see anyone saying “‘no” to this.
You can also watch the meeting recording (timestamps included) linked below.
Timestamps:
– 29:30 Start of the presentation with Elena Lunyova
– 32:55 Jonsly Sanchez presents
– 36:50 Ana Rodriguez presents
– 38:26 Johanna Garcia presents
– 56:46 End of presentation, Q&A begins
– 57:28 Former ICM ride leader Omar