Neither transmania (my word), nor transcenter (City of White Plains word) are real words but they reflect a couple of perspectives of the area around the train station.
I'd still like members of the Common Council to go from their homes to their meetings at city hall using public transportation; bonus points for returning that way, too. How about once just for the experience?
http://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/DocumentCenter/View/1576
That's a link to a document from the mayor's office dated October 29, 2015. Here's the full title:
MAYOR ROACH NAMES STAKEHOLDER TASK FORCE FOR
RE-DEVELOPMENT OF WHITE PLAINS TRANSCENTER
Group to Assist in Planning for Revitalized TransCenter Area
How many of you have heard about this?
It contains a bunch of stuff that sounds good. Read it for yourself. The task force has 13 members, several of whom represent the usual and expected interest groups:
- MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority): "a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S. state of New York, serving 12 counties in southeastern New York, along with two counties in southwestern Connecticut"
- Westchester County
- New York State
- developers
- bank
- real estate
- hospital (?)
- residents, none of whom seem to live downtown.
Absent are residents who live in downtown White Plains apartments. I checked the public property tax roll for some of the "residents" and they all seem to live in houses with not even a view of the transmania mess near the train station.
Apparently having such representation on this task force never even occurred to anyone. Why start now, right? White Plains is ruled and run by those residents who live in houses away from downtown. It's been that way for at least 50 years and will likely remain that way for another 50 years.
Hudson Yards and Battery Park City: should they be models for development around the White Plains train station? Friday, November 27, 2015
Why reinvent the wheel or simply issue building permits for ever more mundane, unrelated, unimaginative buildings?
_____________________
Monday, November 30, 2015
Friday, November 27, 2015
Hudson Yards and Battery Park City: should they be models for development around the White Plains train station?
hydc.org
Hudson Yards is the area of Manhattan bounded by West 42nd and 43rd Streets, 7th and 8th Avenues, West 28th and 30th Streets, and Hudson River Park.
Since 2001, the City of New York, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the State of New York have collaborated on extraordinary planning initiatives to create a development program that will transform the Hudson Yards area into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented mixed-use district. The new Hudson Yards district will accommodate a major and vital expansion of the Midtown central business district, as well as job growth and new housing for the City's growing population.
__________________________
bpca.ny.gov
http://bpca.ny.gov/about/who-we-are/
"Battery Park City is the premier model of modern city living. An urban oasis, our parks, programs, and waterfront perspective offer residents and visitors an unrivaled experience of New York."
SHARI HYMAN President & COO
__________________________
Why reinvent the wheel or simply issue building permits for ever more mundane, unrelated, unimaginative buildings?
Hudson Yards is the area of Manhattan bounded by West 42nd and 43rd Streets, 7th and 8th Avenues, West 28th and 30th Streets, and Hudson River Park.
Since 2001, the City of New York, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the State of New York have collaborated on extraordinary planning initiatives to create a development program that will transform the Hudson Yards area into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented mixed-use district. The new Hudson Yards district will accommodate a major and vital expansion of the Midtown central business district, as well as job growth and new housing for the City's growing population.
__________________________
bpca.ny.gov
http://bpca.ny.gov/about/who-we-are/
"Battery Park City is the premier model of modern city living. An urban oasis, our parks, programs, and waterfront perspective offer residents and visitors an unrivaled experience of New York."
SHARI HYMAN President & COO
 |
| Rector Park |
Why reinvent the wheel or simply issue building permits for ever more mundane, unrelated, unimaginative buildings?
Saturday, November 14, 2015
CNA requirements for meeting downtown, not almost in Scarsdale.
We welcome you finding us a downtown location providing free space & free parking suitable for up to 50 people and including free use of their A/V equipment and we'd be happy to consider it.
Doesn't sound too serious.
wpcna.org "The White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations (WPCNA) coordinates the neighborhood associations in White Plains, NY."
And why is free parking so important? Is it that people who live in the houses near Scarsdale and Harrison cannot afford downtown parking fees? People who live downtown could simply walk to the meeting.
"A/V equipment"? Say what? VHS or Beta? I'm guessing they are not looking for an Internet connection or HDMI ports.
District-Based Voting Sunday, February 24, 2008
You can see why CC members do not and cannot represent the interests of the majority of WP residents who live downtown in apartments. They all live in houses, mostly in the same area. None live downtown. With District-Based Voting most of them would not be on the CC.
WP might as well have its city government decisions made by people living in Scarsdale. Our CC members may be well intentioned but they visit downtown as non-residents do: they drive in, park, do some stuff and drive back. Most of their decisions are based on driving and parking. That's why WP is so extremely pedestrian hostile.
Two suggestions in addition to implementing District-Based Voting:
1. eliminate all reserved parking at city hall for all CC members and department heads (especially traffic and planning);
2. challenge CC members to go to and from a CC meeting by either walking or taking public transportation.
________________________
CNA: White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Like the WP Common Council, CNA is house heavy. Check the member organizations ...
Five are in the Gedney area alone. No wonder they dwell on nonsense like Railside and Orchard Street, which affect a handful of houses that border the respective properties. Every condo and coop in WP should be members. Meetings should be held in a location that does not require a surveyor to determine whether it is within WP...
White Plains needs one citizen, one vote. Both the city government and its official neighborhood entity represent houses, not people. The city's devotion to cars reflects that. Move 'em, park 'em. Get in and out of downtown as efficiently as you can. You don't live there. You live in the suburbs of White Plains in almost Scarsdale and almost Harrison. Who cares what it's like to actually live downtown?
________________________
Cars, the only issue in White Plains Sunday, September 21, 2008
The sole issue in White Plains: move 'em, park 'em.
The sole solution: more lanes, more garages.
This is an escalating cycle that cannot be continued. White Plains has tried some minor things in the past including a free shuttle bus and a few electric car chargers. However, it is still jerking around with planning a city bus system and cannot get the county buses to run during rush hour from all the most densely populated areas:
- Main St. and Mamanoneck Ave.
- Lake St.
- Old Mamanoneck RD ...
White Plains needs elected officials who have the imagination to consider new and different ideas. Otherwise, there will be more speedways slashing through downtown and more monster garages.
________________________
Condo and Coop owners unite: take over city government. Friday, January 2, 2009
I have written consistently about the structural problem with the government of White Plains. Rather than function like all our other legislatures (county, state, federal), which have district representation, White Plains clings to the delusional fantasy that its form is somehow special, that having Common Council members elected at large they magically represent all citizens, rather than a constituency of a geographical district. Baloney. It ain't working.
As has been documented here, including with a map showing where they live, Common Council members represent themselves and their suburban neighbors. Their only issue is driving into and out of downtown White Plains as fast as they can, diminishing any hint of quality of life for those who actually live in White Plains in apartment buildings and who, I am guessing, pay most of the taxes for most of the school kids who live in the suburban houses.
___________________
CNA and CC Maps: CC closer to Scarsdale than WP city hall. Monday, March 2, 2009
... each CNA association gets one vote. The few in the houses make decisions for the many in the apartments.
____________________
White Plains house owners, just secede and become part of Scarsdale. Thursday, September 30, 2010
Doesn't sound too serious.
wpcna.org "The White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations (WPCNA) coordinates the neighborhood associations in White Plains, NY."
And why is free parking so important? Is it that people who live in the houses near Scarsdale and Harrison cannot afford downtown parking fees? People who live downtown could simply walk to the meeting.
"A/V equipment"? Say what? VHS or Beta? I'm guessing they are not looking for an Internet connection or HDMI ports.
District-Based Voting Sunday, February 24, 2008
You can see why CC members do not and cannot represent the interests of the majority of WP residents who live downtown in apartments. They all live in houses, mostly in the same area. None live downtown. With District-Based Voting most of them would not be on the CC.
WP might as well have its city government decisions made by people living in Scarsdale. Our CC members may be well intentioned but they visit downtown as non-residents do: they drive in, park, do some stuff and drive back. Most of their decisions are based on driving and parking. That's why WP is so extremely pedestrian hostile.
Two suggestions in addition to implementing District-Based Voting:
1. eliminate all reserved parking at city hall for all CC members and department heads (especially traffic and planning);
2. challenge CC members to go to and from a CC meeting by either walking or taking public transportation.
________________________
CNA: White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Like the WP Common Council, CNA is house heavy. Check the member organizations ...
Five are in the Gedney area alone. No wonder they dwell on nonsense like Railside and Orchard Street, which affect a handful of houses that border the respective properties. Every condo and coop in WP should be members. Meetings should be held in a location that does not require a surveyor to determine whether it is within WP...
White Plains needs one citizen, one vote. Both the city government and its official neighborhood entity represent houses, not people. The city's devotion to cars reflects that. Move 'em, park 'em. Get in and out of downtown as efficiently as you can. You don't live there. You live in the suburbs of White Plains in almost Scarsdale and almost Harrison. Who cares what it's like to actually live downtown?
________________________
Cars, the only issue in White Plains Sunday, September 21, 2008
The sole issue in White Plains: move 'em, park 'em.
The sole solution: more lanes, more garages.
This is an escalating cycle that cannot be continued. White Plains has tried some minor things in the past including a free shuttle bus and a few electric car chargers. However, it is still jerking around with planning a city bus system and cannot get the county buses to run during rush hour from all the most densely populated areas:
- Main St. and Mamanoneck Ave.
- Lake St.
- Old Mamanoneck RD ...
White Plains needs elected officials who have the imagination to consider new and different ideas. Otherwise, there will be more speedways slashing through downtown and more monster garages.
________________________
Condo and Coop owners unite: take over city government. Friday, January 2, 2009
I have written consistently about the structural problem with the government of White Plains. Rather than function like all our other legislatures (county, state, federal), which have district representation, White Plains clings to the delusional fantasy that its form is somehow special, that having Common Council members elected at large they magically represent all citizens, rather than a constituency of a geographical district. Baloney. It ain't working.
As has been documented here, including with a map showing where they live, Common Council members represent themselves and their suburban neighbors. Their only issue is driving into and out of downtown White Plains as fast as they can, diminishing any hint of quality of life for those who actually live in White Plains in apartment buildings and who, I am guessing, pay most of the taxes for most of the school kids who live in the suburban houses.
___________________
CNA and CC Maps: CC closer to Scarsdale than WP city hall. Monday, March 2, 2009
... each CNA association gets one vote. The few in the houses make decisions for the many in the apartments.
____________________
White Plains house owners, just secede and become part of Scarsdale. Thursday, September 30, 2010
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