The BroadsheetDAILY ~ News of Lower Manhattan ~ 2/20/20

Multiple New Bikes Lanes Coming to Lower Manhattan

A network of new bike lanes is planned for Lower Manhattan’s streetscape, with implementation for some of the project slated for later this year.

The first addition to Downtown’s bike grid will consist of dedicated cycling lanes on Broadway and Whitehall Street, extending from City Hall southward to Bowling Green and the Staten Island Ferry, where this route will link with the existing Waterfront Path, which connects the Battery to bike easements on the East River shoreline and in Battery Park City.

This phase of the program — which will have the effect of creating for the first time a protected north-south bike lane through the middle of Lower Manhattan — will be built out in 2020, according to a press conference hosted by Polly Trottenberg, commissioner of the City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) on Wednesday. In tandem with implementing this proposal, the DOT plans to create dedicated traffic turn lanes, pedestrian improvements and commercial loading zones along the same stretch of Broadway and Whitehall Street.

	A schematic showing part of DOT_s plan for creating bike lanes on Broadway.

In a resolution enacted in January, Community Board 1 (CB1) endorsed the DOT plan, saying it, “supports the City Hall to Battery Park Bicycle Connection [because] a protected bike lane on Broadway/Whitehall will provide a needed link for bicyclists using the bike lanes on Centre Street and Park Row who want to travel south through Lower Manhattan.”

In a separate (but related) development, the DOT presented to CB1 earlier this month plans for multiple new bike lanes in Tribeca. This would include moving north- and south-bound routes in Church and Varick Streets so that they are physically segregated from traffic by a lane of parked cars. (Currently, bike lanes exist on these streets, but are situated alongside moving traffic, which exposes cyclists to danger and also presents the opportunity for vehicles to park in the bike lanes, thus blocking them.) The same plan would create entirely new bike lanes on Murray Street, Barclay Street, and Park Place. These lines would be dedicated to cyclists, but not physically separated from traffic.

This map illustrates the DOT proposal to add bike segregated bike lanes to Church Street and the Varick Street/West Broadway corridor in Tribeca, as well as non-segregated lanes to Barclay Street, Murray Street, and Park Place.

These proposals are still in development, and are awaiting final approval and funding. At Wednesday’s press conference, Ms. Trottenberg voiced hope that they would be built in 2021.

All of the new cycling infrastructure planned for Lower Manhattan is part of a borough-wide initiative highlighted by Ms. Trottenberg, which aims to bring ten miles of additional bike lanes to Manhattan as a whole in the years to come.

	90 West Street

The wave of Financial District tenants going to court to demand restitution from years of illegally high rent gathered further momentum last week, when tenants at 90 West Street filed court papers arguing that they are entitled to rent stabilized leases for as long as they live in the building, because the landlord did not provide this benefit (as legally required) in the past. In a story first reported by the Real Deal, the same suit also asks the court to appoint an independent monitor with the power to audit and amended leases (without the landlord’s consent) to conform the legally allowed rents.

To read more…

City Plans to Raise Esplanade in the Battery to 11 Feet Above Waterline

Among the myriad of resiliency projects that are now in the planning stages for various parts of Lower Manhattan, the City is planning to raise the level of the waterfront Esplanade in the Battery to an elevation 11 feet above the current waterline. To read more…

Today’s Calendar

Thursday February 20

St. Paul’s Chapel
The weekly Pipes at One series showcases leading organists and rising stars from around the country in this year-round series at St. Paul’s Chapel, featuring its celebrated three-manual Noack organ. Today, Jeremy Filsell of St. Thomas Church, New York.FREE
https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/music-arts/2019-2020/pipes-at-one

New York Public Library
A three-week series of bilingual storytime with the group Mandarin Seeds. This week’s topic is insects. Children learn all about fruit in Mandarin Chinese through stories, art projects, and puppets. Families dance while singing Mandarin Seeds’ original songs. New York City Public Library, Battery Park City branch, 175 North End Avenue. FREE
https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2020/02/06/music-and-storytime-mandarin-seeds

National Museum of the American Indian
Debbie Reese, a member of the Nambé Pueblo Tribe, is an assistant professor in American Indian Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. An educator, librarian and creator of the blog “American Indians in Children’s Literature,” Reese educates through storytelling. She is also the author of the 2019 book “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People.” One Bowling Green. FREE
https://americanindian.si.edu/calendar#/?i=4

Fraunces Tavern Museum
Evening lecture presented by Matthew Costello. Washington’s resting place at his beloved Mount Vernon estate was at times as contested as his iconic image. In this lecture, Costello will explore the efforts of politicians, business owners, artists, and the American public to shape and reshape the memory of Washington in the popular imagination, centering around Washington’s final resting place. 54 Pearl Street.$5, $10
https://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/events-calendar/2020/2/20-lecture-q-z8ah9

POP Performance: Peter Stathas Dance
Gibney
“In the Garden” is where Peter Stathas Dance resides. It is a gathering of dances that is a continuum of his works from his last show, Leaving and Coming Back.  280 Broadway.$15, $20
https://gibneydance.org/event/pop-performance-peter-stathas-dance/2020-02-20/

Cruise Ships in New York Harbor

Arrivals & Departures

Battery Park City’s Annual Art Exhibit

People visiting should check in with our security desk on the ground floor, where they will be directed to the elevators to the 4th floor. The receptionist will direct them to the show.

Wonderful person, who is a great worker. Reference Available
Working in BPC. Call Tenzin  347-803-9523

Excellent references 12yrs experienced   347-898-5804

Call Hope   anasirp@gmail.com

If you would like to place a listing, please contact editor@ebroadsheet.com