City hopes to make Morningside Ave. safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists

[Harry]

 

A busy Harlem street would be narrowed from four lanes to two to slow down motorists along a 11-block stretch where more than 100 people have been injured in just the last five years. In exchange for the lost lane of traffic in each direction, Morningside Ave. between 116th and 126th Sts. would get turning bays to prevent cars from getting backed up behind vehicles making lefts. The Department of Transportation plan is not only about cars. Other “traffic calming” measures include new pedestrian space at some entrances to Morningside Park and in new medians, and some new traffic signals — all designed to help walkers. Such changes are long overdue, said Community Board 9 Chairwoman Georgiette Morgan-Thomas.

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[peacemak3r]

Narrowing 4 lanes down to 2 lanes won't necessarily bring down speeders, they did that over at Gerritsen Avenue (two lanes to one lane) and people still zoom down that stretch. But then again, it's a start.

 

Creating a turning bay may not help as well because if the block is a popular block during rush hour or any other hour, it'll still be backed up. (Example: Beverly Road turning bay southbound on Ocean Parkway/Prospect Expressway.)

 

Lastly, those center medians can definitely slow down drivers and cut back on recklessness.  But you'll still have those occasional douches who will try to cut last minute before the median in the no lane zone if the picture depicts what it should look like. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Narrowing 4 lanes down to 2 lanes won't necessarily bring down speeders, they did that over at Gerritsen Avenue (two lanes to one lane) and people still zoom down that stretch. But then again, it's a start.

 

Creating a turning bay may not help as well because if the block is a popular block during rush hour or any other hour, it'll still be backed up. (Example: Beverly Road turning bay southbound on Ocean Parkway/Prospect Expressway.)

 

Lastly, those center medians can definitely slow down drivers and cut back on recklessness.  But you'll still have those occasional douches who will try to cut last minute before the median in the no lane zone if the picture depicts what it should look like. 

lol... Gerritsen Avenue is wide and has plenty of room for folks to drive for long stretches without having to stop so it shouldn't come as a shocker for the DOT since most folks in Gerritsen Beach drive anyway if they're not going to the city.  Aside from that it's the only main road in the neighborhood so I suppose people try to make up lost time having to make their way over to Gerritsen Avenue.

[Turbo19]

If anything I would assume another incentive to reduce traffic lanes would be to add bike lanes in the future. Sounds like it won't be too bad.

[aemoreira81]

The street is pretty curvy...I don't see a problem with this...provided that the turning lanes are of sufficient distance. In Spring Creek Towers, the main thoroughfare, Pennsylvania Avenue, which used to be three lanes each way, was narrowed to two lanes each way.

 

On what is being done to Morningside Avenue: 4th Avenue through Bay Ridge is next.