Bicycling
May 6, 2008
Design Competition Trying to Hook Biking Visionaries
Bike garages in other cities: Top photos, Long Beach, CA; bottom right, Amsterdam; bottom left, Chicago.
Last week the Forum for Urban Design announced details of a competition it's holding to solicit plans aimed at making Red Hook an extremely bicycle friendly neighborhood. The competition involves submitting design proposals to FUD that consider the possibility of building a bike garage in or near the Smith-9th Station; envisioning a bicycle network for Red Hook; and identifying possible funding sources for the project. Judges for the competition, which has a grand prize of $4,000, will include officials from NYC Transit and the DOT. One of the main points of the competition, whether or not it actually results in a design that's put into play, is to "introduce the concept of a bike garage to an audience in New York City," according to Lisa Chamberlain, executive director of FUD. "It’s a good place to try it on small scale. Another good place to have it would be in Downtown Brooklyn," near Borough Hall, though Chamberlain notes that "it would be much more complicated there than in Red Hook." Bike garages have been built in cities like Amsterdam, Berkeley and Seattle, and they deter theft and shield bicycles from the elements.
Could Red Hook Become a Biker Haven? [Brownstoner]
The Bicycle Master Plan Design Competition [FUD]
May 1, 2008
Greenway Plans Rolling Along; 5 miles Expected in 2 Years
Grand plans for Brooklyn Greenway, the waterfront pedestrian and bike path, are on the brink of moving forward, according to a story in this morning's Eagle. The Greenway currently spans 14 miles. Half a mile of the route planned for Columbia Street is slated to be complete by the end of the summer, and design work for the Williamsburg-Greenpoint segment is expected to begin soon. "The overall picture is that we’re moving into design,” says Milton Puryear, vice chairman and director of planning for the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative. “We’re hoping that we can get five miles constructed within the next two years. When you’re coordinating with multiple agencies, it can take years.” The entire project could cost around $50 million, and Rep. Nydia Velázquez, whose district includes most of the future Greenway, has raised $6.6 million in federal funding for the Red Hook, Navy Yard and Greenpoint sections and $8 million for the Sunset Park section.
Greenway Along Brooklyn Waterfront Begins To Take Shape [Eagle]
Photos from the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative.