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 ...
Monday, November 30, 2015
Transmania: "Group to Assist in Planning for Revitalized TransCenter Area". Any downtown residents on task force?
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?
_____________________
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?
_____________________
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
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
White Plains needs a Pedestrian Commissioner, part II
See my original post on this eleven months ago:
http://white-plains-ny.blogspot.com/2010/06/white-plains-needs-pedestrian.html
The example I gave at the bottom occurred most recently yesterday while I was crossing Martine Avenue on MLK Blvd., i.e., walking toward the northeast corner of the library: a car was turning left from MLK onto Martine into the crosswalk from the second lane, which does not have a turn arrow. How is that legal much less safe? It's the same physical block as the Public Safety headquarters.
A friend told me that she was struck by a car in a similar situation last year at the corner of that same Public Safety headquarters. What the heck? How about using technology to enforce safety laws, especially those that impact quality of life.
I sent my original post to the members of the White Plains Common Council, including the mayor. Obviously, the problem has not been addressed. Why not? I will send this message to the CC members again but I am not optimistic that anything will be done. That's a sad commentary on White Plains, which could be much more than the convenient compromise that it is, grappling with little more than car issues: parking and traffic movement, as in how quickly can we move cars through downtown with little regard for pedestrians.
The action of that driver near the library yesterday should seem familiar to the CC members. The new mayor lives in NE WP. Another lives downtown. I don't know where the new member lives. The rest live in almost Scarsdale and it could easily have been a CC member making that thoughtless, seemingly inconsequential illegal turn into the crosswalk. To them downtown White Plains is there for their convenience and amusement. They would never consider living downtown but enjoy having the stores and restaurants so close and accessible. Just hop in the car and you're there in a few minutes. That's why we have so many high speed mega lane roads and multi-level parking garages, the architectural feature that defines White Plains.
Downtown has been blighted to support cars to support retail sales tax. Maybe breaking that boom-bust tax dependency would also begin to change public policy that has become so distorted by its accommodation of cars.
White Plains needs a Pedestrian Commissioner more than ever.
http://white-plains-ny.blogspot.com/2010/06/white-plains-needs-pedestrian.html
The example I gave at the bottom occurred most recently yesterday while I was crossing Martine Avenue on MLK Blvd., i.e., walking toward the northeast corner of the library: a car was turning left from MLK onto Martine into the crosswalk from the second lane, which does not have a turn arrow. How is that legal much less safe? It's the same physical block as the Public Safety headquarters.
A friend told me that she was struck by a car in a similar situation last year at the corner of that same Public Safety headquarters. What the heck? How about using technology to enforce safety laws, especially those that impact quality of life.
I sent my original post to the members of the White Plains Common Council, including the mayor. Obviously, the problem has not been addressed. Why not? I will send this message to the CC members again but I am not optimistic that anything will be done. That's a sad commentary on White Plains, which could be much more than the convenient compromise that it is, grappling with little more than car issues: parking and traffic movement, as in how quickly can we move cars through downtown with little regard for pedestrians.
The action of that driver near the library yesterday should seem familiar to the CC members. The new mayor lives in NE WP. Another lives downtown. I don't know where the new member lives. The rest live in almost Scarsdale and it could easily have been a CC member making that thoughtless, seemingly inconsequential illegal turn into the crosswalk. To them downtown White Plains is there for their convenience and amusement. They would never consider living downtown but enjoy having the stores and restaurants so close and accessible. Just hop in the car and you're there in a few minutes. That's why we have so many high speed mega lane roads and multi-level parking garages, the architectural feature that defines White Plains.
Downtown has been blighted to support cars to support retail sales tax. Maybe breaking that boom-bust tax dependency would also begin to change public policy that has become so distorted by its accommodation of cars.
White Plains needs a Pedestrian Commissioner more than ever.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Write-in votes
Message sent to the secret location of the Westchester county executive at:
http://www2.westchestergov.com/index.php?option=com_chronocontact&chronoformname=Email_the_CE
______________________________________________________
Subject: White Plains election for mayor
I voted for myself but my name was misspelled in the final results.
http://www.westchestergov.com/boe99/link24.aspx
The county website has no way to contact the board of election except by going to the office or calling. The lack of e-mail for other than the county executive is inexcusable. And the e-mail for the county executive is well hidden.
1. Were county workers responsible for my vote not being incorrectly counted?
2. Since I printed my name clearly in block letters, how can this be? My intent must have been obvious.
As you must know a United States Senator was re-elected in Alaska in 2010 as a write-in candidate. Write-in votes must be given the same importance as all others.
http://www2.westchestergov.com/index.php?option=com_chronocontact&chronoformname=Email_the_CE
______________________________________________________
Subject: White Plains election for mayor
I voted for myself but my name was misspelled in the final results.
http://www.westchestergov.com/boe99/link24.aspx
The county website has no way to contact the board of election except by going to the office or calling. The lack of e-mail for other than the county executive is inexcusable. And the e-mail for the county executive is well hidden.
1. Were county workers responsible for my vote not being incorrectly counted?
2. Since I printed my name clearly in block letters, how can this be? My intent must have been obvious.
As you must know a United States Senator was re-elected in Alaska in 2010 as a write-in candidate. Write-in votes must be given the same importance as all others.
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