Flood Mitigation Project Update: Parking Issue

By now all the residents of West 12th Road are aware that the issue of parking on both sides of our street has once again reared its ugly head regarding the “Shared Space” design concept and final plans for the flood mitigation project (street raising and new bulkhead) here on West 12^th Road. 

Synopsis of Parking Issue

As we understand it, the problem stems from the fact that the total width of the proposed “Shared Space” street, minus that footage allocated for the A.D.A. required walkway on the north side of W12th Road as well as that footage to be used for parking and resident access on the south side of the street would not leave sufficient footage for unimpeded two way vehicle traffic on the street.

Apparently D.O.T. requires a minimum of 18 feet to allow for two-way traffic and the reduced footage (as noted above) on W12th Road would leave only approximately 16 feet.

The City has indicated that, as a result of the insufficient footage available for two-way traffic, it may require a regulation enforcing parking on only one side of the street.

The RBA Design Group has offered a compromise which would allow for parking on both sides of the street providing that:

1.  All fire hydrants (which would be relocated to the south side of W12th Road) would individually  require 30 feet of prohibited parking (15 feet on both sides of each hydrant), and,

2.  30 feet of prohibited parking on the opposite side (north side) of the street directly across from each hydrant to provide a "turnaround space" for two cars traveling up and own the street to pass each other safely.

Comments

The city's recommendation to require a regulation enforcing parking on only one side of the street because of "insufficient footage" to allow for two-way traffic indicates both a profound ignorance of the "Shared Space" concept as well as a complete disregard for quality of life issues regarding the residents of West 12th Road.

"Shared Space” is a term used to describe a particular street scape design philosophy primarily aimed at changing the impact of motor traffic in public spaces used by pedestrians which includes two main design criteria: 

The reduction/removal of traffic control devices

and,

The reduction/removal of barriers between pedestrians and vehicles 

The design philosophy states that these design treatments enable reduced vehicle speeds due to drivers no longer assuming they have priority and being forced to be aware of other road users. The reduced speed and increased awareness results in an "environment of care" where the use of the space is more balanced between all road users.

As an aside, DOT has stated that should the "shared space" design be accepted by the residents of West 12th Road, they would also reconfigure the top end (Cross Bay Boulevard) access to our block in a manner which would ensure all entering vehicles are slowed to an appropriate speed and made aware that they are entering on to a "shared space" street.

"Shared Space" removes the traditional segregation of motor vehicles, pedestrians and other road users. Conventional road priority management systems and devices such as curbs, lines, parking, signs and signals are replaced with an integrated, people-oriented understanding of public space, such that walking, cycling, shopping and driving cars become integrated activities.

In July of 2011, DOT Borough Commissioner McCarthy stated succinctly that on West 12th Road "...everybody walks in the street and parks their cars on the sidewalk....you have actually been utilizing the "shared space" concept as a means of accommodating pedestrians, bicyclists, children and cars on our narrow streets for years."

To now decide to emplace and enforce a "parking on one side of the street only" because of a lack of sufficient footage to allow for two way traffic flies in the face of the precedent set by years of resident parking on both sides of our narrow street.

West 12th Road is not a "two way traffic through street", rather it is a narrow, dead end, road with parking on both sides of the street which presently allows for approximately 12 feet of "traffic" space between cars parked on both sides of the street to allow vehicles to transit while entering or exiting  the block. 

There is an understanding by residents that "vehicle etiquette" gives priority to those vehicles exiting the block.  Resident vehicles entering W12th Road do so slowly, with drivers looking down the block to ascertain if there are any vehicles coming up the block to exit the street before completely entering the W12th Road traffic space.

Once on W12th Road, residents strictly observe a "reduced speed" caution in the operation of their vehicles with the knowledge that both children and adults also utilize the street's traffic area because of the narrowness of the road.

The above situation has existed for decades and, to the best of my knowledge, there has not been any instance of an accident or injury as a result of insufficient traffic space impeding vehicle movement.

Additionally, with the exception of severe tidal flooding, I am not aware of any incident of any emergency, sanitation, utility or commercial vehicle being seriously impeded.

Presently, West 12th Road accommodates the parking of approximately 75 vehicles.  Enforcement of "one side of the street parking only" would result in the loss of almost 50% of these parking spaces. 

The compromise offered by the RBA Group would also result in the reduction of almost 20% of presently available parking spaces.  The 3 fire hydrants presently located on the north side of the street (which has 98' of driveway space) will be relocated to the south side of W 12th Road which has only 39 feet of driveway space.

The displacement of a marked number of presently available parking spaces without an accompanying alternative and realistic parking option to accommodate those spaces is unacceptable.

W12th Road Recommendation to be made to DOT 

Back in July 2011 when DOT and the RBA Group initially proposed the "Shared Space" street design concept to the W12th Road Block Association we were encouraged to "think outside the box" when considering this unique European design.

As with any unique problem, the obtainment of a viable and realistic solution is made inordinately difficult when one depends solely on existing regulations as a means of providing a solution.  Consequently, we are now requesting that DOT and the city do the same and attempt to "think outside the box" to resolve this issue for our small town, a community where a "Left Turn on Red After Full Stop" is permitted on Cross Bay Boulevard. 

As the "Shared Space" design concept is new to New York City, it is recommended that the strict application of regulations be waived for this project as applied to West 12th Road. Instead, this endeavor should be considered as "Shared Space Design Pilot Project" and allow for resident parking on both sides of street without any marked reduction in presently available parking spaces as the street is not a "through street" but a "shared space."

Upon completion of all construction  on W12th Road, the "Shared Space" would be closely monitored by both DOT and residents for a period of  12 months in order to ascertain if the new and unique operation of West 12th Road as a "shared space" design requires adjustments, regulatory or otherwise.

Such a "Shared Space Design Pilot Project" would surely be in keeping with DOT's own street design policy which requires that agency to "Research, test and evaluate new safety treatments, particularly those successfully adopted in other cities."