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For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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please read and discuss http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/impacts_of_bus_rapid_transit_plan_PvCbTKtz3ZL01yKaoespeJ
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The traffic on this street is absolutely terrible. Before they implement any type of BRT they should consider dealing with the things on this street that contribute to congestion, like say double parking, which makes any drive along Nostrand near unbearable.
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So let me get this straight. 1) The street will continue to have parking on both sides. 2) One lane of traffic will be converted to BRT ( does this mean that there will be some sort of barrier to prevent incursions?) and 3) Sidewalks will be widened so that there is no need for buses to pull into the curb (I'm guessing this is similar to what was done on Broadway in lower Manhattan, which only works because there is no parking any time on the streets) Does this sound like the people who instituted this plan have NEVER been on Nostrand? Do they not understand the rampant double parking at all hours of the day and night in front of open parking spaces? Do they not get the fact that there are delivery trucks pulling up from 6am until 7pm dropping off goods, and private haulers that start their evening runs from 7pm until 3am picking up trash and recycling from businesses? Absent adding truck loading spots on both sides of each block (which means less parking) and a traffic blitz on double parking (which has never, ever happened) this is going to be a nightmare.
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Are DOT and MTA going to argue that the increased bus service (both in terms of speed and frequency) will bring more people to this strip of Nostrand? ....I have no idea. But I do wonder if the community is simply being informed of a done deal.For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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whynot_31 » But I do wonder if the community is simply being informed of a done deal.
I think so. Once again poorly thought out and poorly executed urban planning. -
It would seem that the MTA is suggesting that consumers would be better served if they took the bus rather than the car to do there shopping. Has anyone considered this possibilty? Is anyone also aware that bike ridership is up in the double digits for the past two years consecutively in NYC? Also, cars contribute to global warming, and they kill pedestrians. Maybe we should take a hard look at the "behind the wheel" mindset that seems to be driving mechant concerns. The new Pulp and Bean coffee shop on Franklin Avenue has a great picture of Franklin Avenue from the early 1900's. Nary a car in sight! Is the idea that cars are progress just an illusion? Are we running hard to catch up just to end up further behind? I think all of these issues are worthy of some serious thought before we condemn MTA's new bus plan.
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Great points, Captain, and I couldn't agree with you more! But good luck getting many other people on board. People loooooooove their cars and are very loathe to part with them.
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All that said, the Post lost lots of credibility today. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/10/shocking-allegations-levi_n_352314.html Whatever legitness their street operation has is overwhelmed by the notion that it's a load of bs from Australian (ie British, basically) attitudes about Brooklynians.
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Anonymous
Posts: 9,622I keep reading this as "rabid transit" and giggling. carry on
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Lamar, at what point was the Post reputable? ...I linked it b/c I was tired of reading about gunshots and coffee shops. Anyway, yes Captain, my sense is that most of the stuff that is being bought on Nostrand could just as easily be transported home via bus as cab/personal car. The city has lots of BRT (bus rapid transit) lanes in the works....For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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"But consider the source..." was all I was getting at.
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http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/sbs/whatis.htmFor better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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the top right-hand corner photo in the link you posted is of a seattle bus, which is exactly what i meant. i lived in seattle for 3 years, where pub trans falls on its face if the community isn't behind it. As is apparently the case on Nostrand (double-parking, etc.) Pub trans works if and only when there's a legit amount of neighborhood need. And in that vein I was calling out the Post: bunch of silver-spooned carpetbaggers.
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They have these in Oakland (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) and they work just fine, but we also have parking enforcement that will ticket idling cars and double parkers on a consistent basis, which could go a long way to improve the reliability of the B44 before implementing BRT. I still fail to see why so many people in this city drive. It's totally strange to me to drive within 1/2 mile of your home for goods and services. Maybe it's because I grew up in a place with astronomical gas prices that I would rather save the money and walk or take the bus the mile to Trader Joe's and Target.
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So I actually paid attention as I was walking to the train station yesterday and I saw the following: 1) Nostrand between Park/Sterling: 2-3 business owners/ employees parking their own cars at meters and going into their establishments. At least 1 small panel van loading construction materials out of a storefront basement 2) Nostrand between Sterling & St Johns: One 18-wheeler (53 ft) taking up 5 meters unloading goods for the Met Food store. Another smaller truck (20 ft) double parked on the same side of the street also unloading goods for the met. A 20 ft truck parked illegally at a meter on the opposite side of the street unloading produce for the Korean green grocer. Couple exiting car parked at meter and going into Dr. office (owners or pharm reps). 3) Nostrand between St. John's & Lincoln: Locksmith's van parked at meter in front of his store. Large truck parked at meter with advertisement in rear window for VIP Clothing (shop located on opposite side of street). 4) Nostrand between Lincoln & EP: Car pulled into meters, owner exited went into bodega on corner came out immediately with paper, drove off. Car parked at meter went into cleaners. Small truck parked at meter illegally unloading goods either for greengrocer or for pharmacy. Its not clear to me that any of this activity will be changed with the advent of BRT. The problem is that BRT is designed to speed the movement of people, while a significant portion of traffic on Nostrand is commerce and industry related. Those same business owners that drive to their shops often use their personal vehicles to pick up goods and make deliveries related to their business.
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Three years later, the plan has received federal funding:
http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/11/14/city-receives-federal-funding-for-full-nostrand-avenue-select-bus-route/
Photo: Streetsblog
P.S. I am very pleased that Nostrand is no longer known as a place of regular gunshots. A lot has changed since this thread began!
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
While all this money and activity is focused on our section of Nostrand, there are crickets about the section between Myrtle and Fulton which is so horribly maintained that the bus routinely drives along at 5-10 mph to avoid hitting potholes, ruts, sinkholes and other obstacles caused by no maintenance. That section hasn't been repaved in almost 20 years.
If the city wants to speed up the B44, repaving that area and requiring utility companies not just to patch, but completely repave following their repairs would go a long way. You'd probably knock 15 minutes off the trip time if those two things happened.
Also, I just realized this plan has a pretty significant re-routing of the northbound bus. Looks like the B44 will no longer travel down NY Avenue. That's going to suck for people who used to use the B44 to connect to the A train. Now instead of being able to transfer from the bus to the train right at the station, you'll have to make the walk from Bedford to Nostrand on Fulton Street.
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Depending on how far they are coming from, the time lost walking a few blocks to the A may be made up for by the "express lane" savings.
9.3 miles is probably our longest BRT line.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
My understanding is that DOT is doing major reconstruction work (repaving, etc.) on Nostrand in conjunction with the BRT project.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/brt/downloads/pdf/2012-06-nostrand-sbs-newsletters.pdf
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Well, the project deserves kudos if its going to actually fix that, although I notice that the plan is to start SBS service PRIOR to the completion of the construction on the northern portion. Not sure that anyone is going to see the benefits of a faster trip through the construction zone.
As for the time differential on the train transfer, it may turn out to be a wash, but a lot of bus users are schoolchildren and the elderly, both groups of whom probably don't need to trek a couple of extra blocks in incliment weather.
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Making the bus faster may result in more riders of the impatient, healthy variety.
It might end up being a classic culture clash.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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