In reality, this is more of a "catch-up" phase for NYC on contemporary design and sustainable transport practice. There are many other cities around the world already at another level in terms of performance and measurable outcomes on transport sustainability, and those are the places that are showing the leadership for NYC to be willing to try "new" ideas (that are actually many decades old).

Good luck though.

Chris Hale
UQ - Centre for Transport Strategy
c.hale2@uq.edu.au

WOW. This is an inspirational view of street transformation indeed!

Could we please have someone as awesome as Janette Sadik-Khan working at LADOT?
Los Angeles needs to experiment like this.

Thanks again for this wonderful piece!

While I wouldn't categorize the reactions expressed on this local board: http://chelsea.clickyourblock.com/bb/showthread.php?t=1293 as typical or anything like representative, I worry sometimes that the forward-looking people at the DOT may be outstripping the grass roots in their attempts to move change so quickly.

While there hasn't been pressure to remove the lanes, coverage in (otherwise fairly progressive) local papers tends to focus on the perceived downsides (e.g. http://chelseanow.com/cn_56/ninthave.html) and Community Board 4's vote against the conversion of the 8th Avenue buffered bike lane to a configuration like that on 9th Avenue was disheartening. Apparently the project is going ahead anyhow, which is probably a good thing - I suspect that once it is in place the advantages will become more obvious, but again I worry about the wisdom of pushing these changes so quickly.

We wish her and her team even greater success in the years to come and feel sure what is happening to New York will encourage other cities to recognize sooner than later that is the quality of street life and not the massive highways and flyovers built for cars that gives personality to a city.

Jane Jacobs' spirit lives on.

I am living in Bordeaux now which from 1950s onwards dismantled its tram systems and made itself car centric--that was until 2003 when the mayor (Alain Juppé) inaugurated the tram which now has just shy of 100 stops with new stops being opened each year (and four more just this week!). The riverfront transformed from a large road to a large quay with shops and tons of open space with a one lane road in each direction, a separated bike path and a tram in each direction. The riverfront is now a major artery for bike traffic and is safe and beautiful. Every day you see thousands of people walking all along it. Bordeaux has problems, many of its separated bike lanes suddenly ending forcing you into the streets. This is especially true where the tram line takes the space forcing bikers onto the rails. But it is an amazing success story overall, despite its need for improvement. The biggest thing is the culture. A great many of the streets are multi-use and cars are used to riding with bikes and don't try to pass them so when you are riding together on the same street there is less to fear.

I mention this because while NYC has progress it is barely the tip of the iceberg. There are very limited separated bike paths. No tram... the BRT is a start but it needs enforcement as we have seen from the pictures. So, while the progress is great we need to keep the pressure on so I can see a city at least as bike and transit friendly as Bordeaux when I come back.

Other cities certainly are looking to NYC!

I know that having a group like Transportation Alternatives and the Streetsblog/Streetfilms empire is an important part of the recipe for success.

Anyway, don't let up, but understand how much you are truly pushing the envelope in NYC. Pat yourselves on the back.