Map of Smart Curbs pilot area on Manhattan’s Upper West Side (DOT)
The city is getting ready to roll out its ‘Smart Curb’ pilot on the UWS and is looking for local input.
There will be two sessions for the community to give feedback on the program after the holidays. One will be in person on Monday, January 8 at 6:30 p.m. at 100 West 84th Street (P.S.9). The second will be on Zoom and will take place on Wednesday, January 10 from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. You can register here.
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ILTUWS first reported on the details of the Smart Curb pilot back in September. Essentially, it’s an attempt to alleviate traffic by making better use of the city’s valuable curb space. Right now, that curb space is – even with the addition of outdoor dining – almost entirely used for (mostly free) parking.
That means fewer lanes for drivers and a lot more traffic, especially when you factor in all the double parking it causes when delivery drivers have to pull over and stop for drop-offs. That’s a problem this pilot, which is taking place from 72nd to 86th streets between Broadway and Central Park West, is hoping to fix.
The choice to start with Upper West Side is no coincidence. This an ideal spot to test a neighborhood-focused curb use plan. Despite being one of the densest residential neighborhoods in the United States, we have one of the country’s lowest vehicle owner ship rates (approximately 73% of people who live here don’t own a car, according to a DOT press release).
“As our city evolves, it’s clear our curb space no longer reflects New Yorkers’ needs,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Our curbs need to be smarter, and that education is happening through using new methods and technologies that can reduce friction and provide New Yorkers with more usable space.”
The feedback sessions may not be happening until January, but in the meantime, the city wants help gathering data. They’re asking people to report any curb related problems they encounter in the neighborhood using their online feedback map which was created for just this purpose. These problems currently fall into 13 categories including bike related issues, double parking and lack of public space.
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“Upper West Siders, we want to hear from you! Through our ‘Smart Curbs’ pilot, NYC DOT will be taking a blank-slate approach to how we allocate our curb space to better meet the demands of today and tomorrow—and make our streets safer for everyone,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Your voice is critical in guiding our plan to develop this pilot, which would provide new curb uses like loading zones, bike parking, carshare, public space, and other innovations.”
So if you have thoughts on the pilot program make sure swing by the meetings and speak your mind. This is no time to curb your enthusiasm.
Once again, the details on the two sessions and the feedback map can be found below
- Monday, 1/8, 6:30 pm, in person at P.S. 9 Sarah Anderson, 100 West 84th Street
- Wednesday, 1/10, 6:30–8 pm, via Zoom. Register at https://bit.ly/
SmartCurbsUWS - Feedback Map: https://nycdotprojects.info/
project-feedback-map/feedback- map-11
The city’s full report on the curb management action plan can be found here.
Spell out exactly what “smart curb” means. Does one have to use an “app” on a smartphone to access these “curbs”?
This reporting is largely jibberish.
“Your voice is critical in guiding our plan to develop this pilot, which would provide new curb uses like loading zones, bike parking, carshare, public space, and other innovations.”
Ish,
So gibberish that doesn’t say what the program would do or how it would work.
The Gothamist is a tiny bit better.
You should request a subscription refund
Cyrus:
Having looked at the NYC website, which is gibberish too, I think the point is to NOT say exactly what this program (test or otherwise) entails.
“owner ship” should read “ownership”. Come on, man!
“approximately 73% of people who live here don’t own a car, according to a DOT press release”
The DOT is wrong. The 73% is the percentage of households without a car. However census data shows that the larger the household the greater likelihood that it has a car. Indeed, almost 40% of the population in the UWS lives in households with cars.
PARKING, PARKING, PARKING. It seems evil for anybody to mention the city’s solution to multiple issues is take away parking. I cannot remember the last time I could drive to an appointment upstate and have available parking on my block when I get back a few hours later. Average time to find parking within one mile of home is 45 minutes!
Charging drivers to go below 60th street will flood streets above the vehicle penalty tolls with thousands of additional drivers. Putting bike sheds in parking spots, City Bike racks, dining shacks, charging stations all remove parking spots.
Do any drivers share my frustration with our city planners afraid to create innovative new parking solutions?
Stop taking parking away from your residents and constituents wtf is wrong w you? We have huge problems in our city and you’re focusing on taking away our parking!??
DO NOT ADD PARKING METERS ON 72ND STREET. WE HAVE BUS STOPS ON BOTH ENDS ALREADY. IT’S DOUBLE PARK LAND ALREADY AND PARKING IS MORE EXPENSIVE HERE THAN ANYWHERE. TO LOSE SPACES WHEN PEOPLE ALREADY PARK UP HERE FROM MIDTOWN AND WHEN (NOT IF) CONGESTION PRICING HAPPENS….YOU WILL NEVER ROLL BACK THIS TRAVESTY YOU HAVE OUTLINED. DO NOT TAKE AWAY PARKING SPOTS OR ADD METERS. DO NOT. AND IF YOU HAVE A HANDICAP STICKER YOU CAN NOT USE IT IN MANHATTAN. WE WILL FIGHT YOU.