New York City Adds Bike Lanes, Bus Lanes; Gains Happy Commuters
New York City is known for its congested streets and sidewalks, and of course its frustrated commuters. However, this video from STREETFILMS shows a very different side of commuting in the big apple. The video shows how New York City is embracing a Complete Streets policy. And how the addition of bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes and pedestrian islands is making commuting faster, easier and (most importantly) safer. These projects are also improving the quality of life for local residents, making everyday commutes more pleasurable, particularly for pedestrians and bike riders. Here are a few of the impressive stats from the video:
• 1st and 2nd Avenues – Select Bus Service has improved bus speeds by 20%
• 9th Avenue re-design – Cut pedestrian, bike and auto injures by 56%
• Prospect Park West – Speeding on Prospect Park West has dropped, while driving times have remained nearly the same. Before the project 3/4 of drivers were speeding, now only 1/5 drivers speed.
San Francisco is also implementing many similar projects – but for the time being at least, NYC seems to be at the forefront of Complete Streets policies.
To see the potential of complete streets check out the video above.