T.A. Offers Reward for Park Slope “Post-Automobile Street” Designs
9th St. and 4th Ave.: "A dangerous crossing that divides surrounding neighborhoods and inhibits street life."
Transportation Alternatives is seeking proposals to reinvent the intersection of 9th Street and 4th Avenue in Park Slope. "Designing the 21st Century Street," a competition open to the general public, will reward the three most promising submissions with up to $6,000 in prize money.
TA lays out some of the obstacles at hand on the competition web site:
Ninth Street is excessively wide and allows motorists to travel at speeds greater than the posted City speed limit of 30 miles per hour. Furthermore, Ninth Street was recently treated with a new bicycle lane that leads people to and from Prospect Park. Though the reasons for placing a bike lane on this street are clear ... the bike lanes have attracted some controversy because of the rampant double-parking that occurs in the neighborhood.
Fourth Avenue has a raised median to separate travel direction for the length of the avenue. At this intersection, the median has been shaved away to create dedicated turning lanes. This is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and is not a safe refuge for pedestrians, particularly the children and elderly, who can not make it across the street in the allotted time.
To be contenders,
TA says, "Competitors must re-imagine this intersection as a healthy,
safe and sustainable street that serves pedestrians and bicyclists
first, while functioning as a transit hub and truck route."
Jury members include city planning and transportation staff, along with "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz and Danish planner Jan Gehl. Entrants must register by July 18 and submit proposals by August 18.
Care to get the ball rolling, Streetsbloggers?
Photo: Transportation Alternatives
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Tuesday’s Headlines Pick the Low-Hanging Fruit
Greg Shill argues that if a transformative road redesign isn't possible, it's time to talk about second-best strategies.
How to Fight a Texas-Sized Freeway Battle
A new book explores how Texas advocates are fighting back against destructive highway expansions. But what happened to those projects since it was sent to the printer?
S.F. Fire Apologies for Tweeting About Imaginary Bike Rule
There is no rule in California that says cyclists have to ride single file — but the San Francisco Fire Department tweeted about it anyway.
You Wouldn’t Like Monday’s Headlines When They’re Angry
Which state has the worst road rage? Consumer Affairs magazine looked at a variety of factors to come up with an answer.
When it Comes to Federal Infrastructure Grants, Size Does Matter
Cities and municipalities with larger budgets and staff are more likely to win competitive federal infrastructure grants, the Urban Institute has found.
