"making the city a glorious experience"

That's the goal of New York City, which is completing the first phase of the High Line Park, reclaiming parts of the waterfront, creating more space for pedestrians and bicycles and bringing back summer streets.

Biking Initiatives: The city has formulated an array of plans that encourage -- and protect -- cyclists. For example, 200 new miles of bike lanes will be installed by early this summer, part of the DOT's 1,800-mile master plan scheduled for completion by 2030. Free cycling maps are available at area bike stores or online (see below). To park your bike, look for any of 35 new sheltered racks. For a more fashionable lockup, artist-musician David Byrne has created nine racks (eight in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn) that double as objets d'art. For more information on NYC biking: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bikemain.shtml.

Governors Island: On weekends between May 30 and Oct. 11, visitors to the 172-acre island can bike or hike along seven miles of pavement, including a 2.2-mile trail along the periphery. The recent addition on the southern end completes the loop. Free bike rentals on Fridays; a fee of $15 per two hours is charged for the rest of the weekend.

Starting Memorial Day weekend, the city will ban cars from Broadway around Times Square (north of 42nd Street) and Herald Square (north of 32nd Street), thus creating three acres of open space for pedestrians. The pilot plan, which also adds greenery at 25 locations, runs through the end of the year, at which point officials will determine whether to continue the arrangement. Info: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/broadway.shtml.

Manhattan Waterfront Greenway: "The entire West Side has been effectively turned into a recreational waterfront site," said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "You can walk the entire length of the island without ever crossing a city street." The 16-mile route along the Hudson River extends from Battery Park to Inwood Hill Park and is part of a 32-mile master trail that will eventually circle the island. The factories, piers and other vestiges of old commerce have been replaced with boardwalks, cafes, lawns, recreational centers, boathouses and other becalming attractions. For maps: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/mwg/mapshome.shtml.

Summer Streets: Officials plan to reprise the summer event in which, on three consecutive Saturdays, cars were not allowed on a 6.9-mile route from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park. Special attractions will be sprinkled along the way; last year's fest featured sidewalk chalk art, yoga, hopscotch and a limited supply of free loaner bikes. Info: http://www.nyc.gov/summerstreets.

The DC area also has quite an expansion of bike/ped facilities coming up (Shirlington Underpass, Wilson Bridge, Bike Station, Met Branch Trail, Smartbike expansion) and I really think we ought to try our own Summer Streets (or Street). I think you could close East Capitol between the captol and Lincoln Park without much disturbance. And with the shading from trees and view of the Capitol, it would be perfect.

Comments

[gwadzilla]

why am I not seing this sort of thing in Washington DC?

[Washcycle]

We are seeing some of this but on a DC scale (NYC is 7 times larger by acre and 16 times as populated)

DC has 40 miles of new bike lanes, a master plan, free cycling maps, A bike station - though not covered bike parking, and artistic bike racks they just unveiled.

We don't have summer streets, but that may happen soon; and DC is slowly taking street space and setting it aside for pedestrians (see Columbia and 18th, the Starburst and 5th and Mass NW)

DC is trying to make the Anacostia into a greenway, build the Met Branch, repair the Watts Branch and the Oxon Run Trail and build a South Capitol Street Trail.

So DC isn't exactly sitting on its hands. There has been a gap lately which may be blamed on poor DDOT leadership - something that appears to be changing as Gabe Klein has asked to come to a BAC meeting (that may be a first) and is showing signs so far of being a good Director.

DC also has unique problems. Much of the land in DC is out of DC's control (NPS, DOD and other federal agencies own a lot). DC is small and often has perimeter issues - the Suitland Parkway, South Capitol and Oxon Run trails could all be better with some help from a certain Maryland county. Perimeter issues impact the TR Bridge, Chain Bridge and Met Branch as well. Finally DC has to deal with Federal oversight that NYC doesn't have to worry about.

DC is not Copenhagen, but it has earned its Most Improved designation from Bicycling Magazine. We're on the cusp of a flood of new facilities coming on line and there is quite a bipeline behind that.

Give Gabe Klein a year and I think you'll be impressed.