Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Bee-Line Bus Schedules and Maps
http://transportation.westchestergov.com/bee-line/timetables-and-maps
White Plains is mentioned 15 times.
White Plains is mentioned 15 times.
Bee-Line bus map.
http://transportation.westchestergov.com/images/stories/pdfs/2014SysMapEng.pdf
There is a blowup of White Plains. Let us know if you find buried treasure.
There is a blowup of White Plains. Let us know if you find buried treasure.
Message to Westchester DOT and county executive.
I've written to the Parks Dept. about the County Center parking lot but they won't do anything.
1. Seniors should get a discount for daily parking.
2. Everyone should be able to park for, let's say, two hours and pay less than the $7 for all day parking. The county might make money by having more people use the lot, instead of keeping it easy for the workers who take the money and the bureaucrats who administer.
3. How about something other than daily and monthly? Like ten trip or weekly, you know, to match what the MTA has for the trains? Geez, does that require so much imagination?
Then more people can enjoy the mindless graffiti that the county executive allows on the pathway near the White Plains train station.
Bee-Line: how would you use it to get around White Plains?
http://transportation.westchestergov.com/bee-line/trip-planning
511NY offers a comprehensive trip-planning tool to simplify the process of planning your trip in and around Westchester County.
(Note: The 511NY trip planning tool does not support Internet Explorer; please use the Mozilla Firefox Google Chrome Browser to generate trips).
Simply enter your starting address and destination address, and transit options will be provided (including rail/bus options).
_______________________
I use the Chrome browser so I clicked the link:
https://www.511ny.org/NotFound?aspxerrorpath=/tripplanner/default.aspx
It opened a page with this:
You can't make up stuff like this.
Has anyone tried getting around White Plains using the Bee-Line buses? If so, how did you figure it out?
When, if ever, have White Plains Common Council members, commissioners, etc. used the Bee-Line? How about the county executive?
511NY offers a comprehensive trip-planning tool to simplify the process of planning your trip in and around Westchester County.
(Note: The 511NY trip planning tool does not support Internet Explorer; please use the Mozilla Firefox Google Chrome Browser to generate trips).
Simply enter your starting address and destination address, and transit options will be provided (including rail/bus options).
_______________________
I use the Chrome browser so I clicked the link:
https://www.511ny.org/NotFound?aspxerrorpath=/tripplanner/default.aspx
It opened a page with this:
Server Error
You can't make up stuff like this.
Has anyone tried getting around White Plains using the Bee-Line buses? If so, how did you figure it out?
When, if ever, have White Plains Common Council members, commissioners, etc. used the Bee-Line? How about the county executive?
Monday, December 21, 2015
Graffiti on Bronx River Pathway.
The pathway is the non-vehicular walking/cycling county trail that is intertwined with:
- Bronx River
- Bronx River parkway
- train tracks.
It's a terrific resource that can be accessed without driving far, if at all. Unfortunately, despite repeated messages to the county executive in recent years, graffiti has become increasingly prevalent along the path near the White Plains train station, especially to the south. County police are never seen patrolling or otherwise attempting to deal with this blight. The police are not at fault. The fault lies with the bureaucrats who administer the county, primarily the county executive who has done little or nothing to remove or prevent graffiti.
The vandals have taken control. They spray concrete and stonework alike. It's the same mindless big letters it's been for decades elsewhere. Or simple tags. Nothing original. Certainly nothing worth defacing public property and introducing a sense of lawlessness and danger that lessens the worth of the path and its use by residents.
Email for the Westchester county executive: ce@westchestergov.com
- Bronx River
- Bronx River parkway
- train tracks.
It's a terrific resource that can be accessed without driving far, if at all. Unfortunately, despite repeated messages to the county executive in recent years, graffiti has become increasingly prevalent along the path near the White Plains train station, especially to the south. County police are never seen patrolling or otherwise attempting to deal with this blight. The police are not at fault. The fault lies with the bureaucrats who administer the county, primarily the county executive who has done little or nothing to remove or prevent graffiti.
The vandals have taken control. They spray concrete and stonework alike. It's the same mindless big letters it's been for decades elsewhere. Or simple tags. Nothing original. Certainly nothing worth defacing public property and introducing a sense of lawlessness and danger that lessens the worth of the path and its use by residents.
Email for the Westchester county executive: ce@westchestergov.com
Saturday, December 19, 2015
NY Times streetcar article about Brooklyn and Queens.
Brooklyn to Queens, but Not by Subway
Imagining a Streetcar Line Along the Waterfront
Critic’s Notebook
By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN APRIL 20, 2014 The New York Times
So here’s an idea: bring back the streetcar.
____________________
Watch the four minute video. No, White Plains is not Brooklyn or Queens but consider the concept.
Imagining a Streetcar Line Along the Waterfront
Critic’s Notebook
By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN APRIL 20, 2014 The New York Times
So here’s an idea: bring back the streetcar.
____________________
Watch the four minute video. No, White Plains is not Brooklyn or Queens but consider the concept.
Why are buses allowed to barrel down residential Barker Avenue?
I'm guessing that the buses are coming off Interstate 287 onto North Broadway heading south to the Transcenter (Transmania as I call it) near the train station. The buses make a right onto Barker Avenue and barrell down hill.
Barker Avenue is a residential street with eight apartment buildings for two blocks. It turns into Water Street where there are businesses. The city could ban buses from going down Barker and instead have them go one block further south on Broadway and make a right onto Hamilton Avenue, which has no residential buildings. Hamilton is already pedestrian hostile and wouldn't be made much worse with some buses.
It's appalling that the city does not seem to consider stuff like this. It's all about moving vehicles. Oh, and parking. Lots of parking.
Barker Avenue is a residential street with eight apartment buildings for two blocks. It turns into Water Street where there are businesses. The city could ban buses from going down Barker and instead have them go one block further south on Broadway and make a right onto Hamilton Avenue, which has no residential buildings. Hamilton is already pedestrian hostile and wouldn't be made much worse with some buses.
It's appalling that the city does not seem to consider stuff like this. It's all about moving vehicles. Oh, and parking. Lots of parking.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
High Line for White Plains?
Thinking outside the box.
Maybe from the train station.
I think an old plan was for there to be a pedestrian walkway above street level. A White Plains High Line might be a distinguishing element to consider, both for the cool factor and also for the practical fact that it would give pedestrians an alternative to walking along some of the functional equivalents of interstate highways.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Parking and Traffic Commission
I just had a productive conversation with deputy commissioner Tom Soyk. I am encouraged that more has been done in the recent past, including a 2007 study of a local "bus" system, which seemed prohibitively expensive. Both Soyk and Mayor Thomas Roach seem pretty open to doing things differently and not just building more parking garages. However, it's up to those of us who live downtown in apartments to participate in the public information gathering sessions of Transcenter Task Force to express that and not let the only voices be those of house owners demanding more parking garages. The first public meeting will probably be in February.
By the way, there's a taxi committee, which may consider more flexible policy, including allowing White Plains pedestrians hail a cab. Wow, like the Big Apple.
By the way, there's a taxi committee, which may consider more flexible policy, including allowing White Plains pedestrians hail a cab. Wow, like the Big Apple.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Commissioners
Some key commissioners. The email ID for Mayor Thomas M. Roach is troach@whiteplainsny.gov The form is first initial, last name @whiteplainsny.gov I'm guessing that works for the commissioners. I had written to Tom Soyk in 2006 when I think he was Traffic Commissioner and that odd domain below worked back then and did not reject recently. The newer form also did not reject tonight. My recent message to Soyk was sent Dec. 9, 2015 to the old form. No reply yet.
It was a tedious process, digging through each department individually to find the names, which should all be in one place.
Building: Damon Amadio, P.E.
Finance: Michael A. Genito
Law: John Callahan, Corporation Counsel
Planning: Christopher Gomez, AICP
Parking & Traffic: John Larson, Commissioner
Tom Soyk, Deputy Commissioner/City Transportation Engineer
tsoyk@ci.white-plains.ny.us tsoyk@whiteplainsny.gov
Public Works: Richard G. Hope
Public Safety: David Chong, Commissioner
James Bradley, Police Chief
Richard Lyman, Fire Chief
Recreation & Parks: Wayne Bass
It was a tedious process, digging through each department individually to find the names, which should all be in one place.
Building: Damon Amadio, P.E.
Finance: Michael A. Genito
Law: John Callahan, Corporation Counsel
Planning: Christopher Gomez, AICP
Parking & Traffic: John Larson, Commissioner
Tom Soyk, Deputy Commissioner/City Transportation Engineer
tsoyk@ci.white-plains.ny.us tsoyk@whiteplainsny.gov
Public Works: Richard G. Hope
Public Safety: David Chong, Commissioner
James Bradley, Police Chief
Richard Lyman, Fire Chief
Recreation & Parks: Wayne Bass
CCWPNY is now a WP city group.
Somewhat by accident I created the first group on the WP city website:
CCWPNY is the name of the Google Group for residents in apartments in downtown White Plains. One objective is to balance the influence of house owners as represented by the CNA organization. Make WP less pedestrian hostile. Get more involved in the quality of life, including the new revitalization of the train station area.
Join up.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Google Group CCWPNY: Condos and Coops of White Plains, NY.
Google Group: CCWPNY
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ccwpny
If you live in an apartment in downtown White Plains, join up. Maybe we can influence things for the better.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ccwpny
If you live in an apartment in downtown White Plains, join up. Maybe we can influence things for the better.
Taxi cabs: it's time to deploy them around downtown.
In New York City a pedestrian can hail a cab. It's been that way for decades. For some reason White Plains has not allowed that.
With plans for thousands of new apartments to be constructed, it's time to not simply revisit that issue but to change the policy. In keeping with the mayor's objective of implementing change very soon in conjunction with the Trancenter revitalization, freeing the taxis is a quick and simple matter.
Since White Plains would also benefit from some simple means of getting residents to and from the train station, relying on the Westchester County Bee Line bus system seems much too passive. Ideally, White Plains needs it's own system: bus or trolley or whatever. Perhaps a simpler initial idea would be to designate taxi areas where cabs may wait for passengers. This could start during rush hour to determine its viability. There are obvious places: Lake Street, Old Mamaroneck Road, etc. That can be worked out.
We should start thinking about this and any new ideas to reduce the number of all those short car trips. It's a ridiculous situation. We cannot continue to build more and more large parking garages.
If downtown residents living in apartments don't get ahead of this, the decision makers will revert to their usual unimaginative ways.
With plans for thousands of new apartments to be constructed, it's time to not simply revisit that issue but to change the policy. In keeping with the mayor's objective of implementing change very soon in conjunction with the Trancenter revitalization, freeing the taxis is a quick and simple matter.
Since White Plains would also benefit from some simple means of getting residents to and from the train station, relying on the Westchester County Bee Line bus system seems much too passive. Ideally, White Plains needs it's own system: bus or trolley or whatever. Perhaps a simpler initial idea would be to designate taxi areas where cabs may wait for passengers. This could start during rush hour to determine its viability. There are obvious places: Lake Street, Old Mamaroneck Road, etc. That can be worked out.
We should start thinking about this and any new ideas to reduce the number of all those short car trips. It's a ridiculous situation. We cannot continue to build more and more large parking garages.
If downtown residents living in apartments don't get ahead of this, the decision makers will revert to their usual unimaginative ways.
Transportation around WP: message to deputy commissioner Tom Soyk.
| from: | Ken | ||
| to: | Tom Soyk | ||
| date: | Wed, Dec 9, 2015 at 4:50 PM | ||
| subject: | Transportation around WP. |
If apartment building owners want to establish a system of vans, trolleys, etc. to move around WP, is there any kind of public assistance or partnership that be provided by the city, county, etc.?
Obviously, the objective is to reduce all those short car trips and need for parking. Thanks.
_________________________
No reply yet.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Transcenter plans.
If people who live in apartments in downtown do not exert some influence, then the people who live in the houses in the suburbs of White Plains will, as usual, make the decisions. And that means only one thing: more parking garages. And anything else that makes it more convenient for them to drive to and from downtown in their cars.
Monday, December 7, 2015
TransCenter revitalization: information and some initial thoughts.
Mayor Roach named 13 members to his TransCenter revitalization task force in October 2015 but they will not meet until February 2016. Supposedly the task force will seek public opinion. The city has state money to spend on this, including hiring a consulting firm, which will create a website to help facilitate. The task force is expected to complete its work by the end of 2016.
One objective is practical short term change that will have immediate impact. Long term everything in the area is in play, including:
- both parking garages
- city owned ground level parking lots
- auxiliary parking lot owned by the Gateway building on South Lexington
- fire station, which needs to be rebuilt but will likely remain at that location.
It's unclear whether the MTA has air rights to sell above the train station. So far MTA has not indicated any construction plans.
Work has begun on the site for two new twin towers at 55 Bank Street where a flat city parking lot had existed south of Main Street. There will be about 550 rental apartments, including 20% affordable. The complex will have about 6,300 square feet of retail space, which obviously will be needed or else all those new residents will be driving their cars every time they need a loaf of bread or quart of milk. And with thousands more apartments likely over the next decade or two (this is White Plains, where nothing is built easily or quickly or with any real planning), a supermarket seems like a must.
Local "mass" transit will be more necessary than ever. Everyone cannot expect to drive to the train station. The city has no plans for city buses and seems resigned to depend on the county Bee-Line bus system. Yuck. The wind swept mess at the current TransCenter where poor people wait for buses is never frequented by city officials. Maybe if they used it, they'd improve it.
Alternatives could include the owners of buildings (rental, condo, co-op) forming a group that hires smaller vehicles to transport residents to and from the train station. Or maybe some cutesy trolley system. Fewer parking spaces near the train station would force people to seek alternatives. More parking spaces simply means more congestion and there can never be enough spaces (or roads) for it to be efficient. Some open space is essential.
Transmania: "Group to Assist in Planning for Revitalized TransCenter Area". Any downtown residents on task force? Monday, November 30, 2015
One objective is practical short term change that will have immediate impact. Long term everything in the area is in play, including:
- both parking garages
- city owned ground level parking lots
- auxiliary parking lot owned by the Gateway building on South Lexington
- fire station, which needs to be rebuilt but will likely remain at that location.
It's unclear whether the MTA has air rights to sell above the train station. So far MTA has not indicated any construction plans.
Work has begun on the site for two new twin towers at 55 Bank Street where a flat city parking lot had existed south of Main Street. There will be about 550 rental apartments, including 20% affordable. The complex will have about 6,300 square feet of retail space, which obviously will be needed or else all those new residents will be driving their cars every time they need a loaf of bread or quart of milk. And with thousands more apartments likely over the next decade or two (this is White Plains, where nothing is built easily or quickly or with any real planning), a supermarket seems like a must.
Local "mass" transit will be more necessary than ever. Everyone cannot expect to drive to the train station. The city has no plans for city buses and seems resigned to depend on the county Bee-Line bus system. Yuck. The wind swept mess at the current TransCenter where poor people wait for buses is never frequented by city officials. Maybe if they used it, they'd improve it.
Alternatives could include the owners of buildings (rental, condo, co-op) forming a group that hires smaller vehicles to transport residents to and from the train station. Or maybe some cutesy trolley system. Fewer parking spaces near the train station would force people to seek alternatives. More parking spaces simply means more congestion and there can never be enough spaces (or roads) for it to be efficient. Some open space is essential.
Transmania: "Group to Assist in Planning for Revitalized TransCenter Area". Any downtown residents on task force? Monday, November 30, 2015
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Planning Board meetings stored online for viewing.
http://whiteplainsny.swagit.com/planning-board/
Note that the domain is not under cityofwhiteplains.com: swagit.com
Also note that all board members have stacks of paper but no computers.
Suggestion:
Houseal Lavigne: A workflow for city planning in SketchUp
This company used SketchUp for the master plan for Flint, MI, population 100,000. White Plains is about 56,000 and still buried in paper.
Note that the domain is not under cityofwhiteplains.com: swagit.com
Also note that all board members have stacks of paper but no computers.
Suggestion:
Houseal Lavigne: A workflow for city planning in SketchUp
Common Council meetings stored online for viewing.
http://whiteplainsny.swagit.com/common-council/
Note that the domain is not under cityofwhiteplains.com: swagit.com
They are not sorted properly, so you need to search for yourself. The dates should be yyyymmdd. That way they would be in proper date sequence.
Note that the domain is not under cityofwhiteplains.com: swagit.com
They are not sorted properly, so you need to search for yourself. The dates should be yyyymmdd. That way they would be in proper date sequence.
Transportation Commission
http://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/index.aspx?NID=155
Members
Thomas Soyk, Acting Chair
Melissa Briggs
Kenneth J. Burford
Commissioner of Public Works
Commissioner of Public Safety
Commissioner of Planning
Commissioner of Parking
Capital Projects Board, Chair
Corporation Counsel (ex officio)Meetings
The Transportation Commission meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 8:30 a.m. in the Common Council Chambers, City Hall.
Such stated meetings may be attended by any citizen who gives advance ...
Members
Thomas Soyk, Acting Chair
Melissa Briggs
Kenneth J. Burford
Commissioner of Public Works
Commissioner of Public Safety
Commissioner of Planning
Commissioner of Parking
Capital Projects Board, Chair
Corporation Counsel (ex officio)Meetings
The Transportation Commission meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 8:30 a.m. in the Common Council Chambers, City Hall.
Such stated meetings may be attended by any citizen who gives advance ...
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