Tset

Cars are frequently blocking the crosswalk and making it really unsafe for pedestrians to cross. Needless to say, people on wheelchairs, elderly people, parents with strollers, etc. are more exposed.

This intersection of Canal and Allen has great potential but remains one of the least-pedestrian friendly intersections in the neighborhood. The impact on street life is clearly visible when compared to the blocks in almost any other direction. DOT has made strides improving Allen Street, but it still often feels like a raceway with drivers speeding up or down to the East River arteries. The protected bikelane is great, but it too has proven to be so popular and relatively uninterupted that bikers and particularly motorized bikers and deliverymen use it like a bike freeway. I've personally witnessed several accidents of bikers and pedestrians blindsided by other bikers going faster than the car traffic, or zig zagging around the double parked intercity bus traffic on both Allen and Canal. Some calming measures to slow down cars and bikes at intersections would help, as would completing the Allen mall upgrades and fixing the street grading on Canal at Allen that floods in the rain with huge puddles forcing pedestrians to jump out into the car lanes.

There are several mini-distribution centers located here. They operate early in the day (5am to late morning), and when operating see intense delivery and pick up traffic with front loaders, pallets, and truck double parking. This spills across the roadway lanes, which is particularly problematic for Allen St's many MTA buses, fire trucks, private intercity buses, and large delivery trucks to pass, causing minor backups and lots of early morning honking (including the airhorns of stuck fire/EMS/police vehicles) at this critical stretch intersecting Canal St. Assuming this distribution facility is vital for supporting Chinatown's great local businesses, the use itself is not problematic--the primary problem is the informal spillover that suddenly cuts down the travel lanes, creating a bottleneck. Could DOT help with some simple measures to efficiently separate the distribution traffic from the through traffic? A few ideas: traffic cones separating lanes at peak AM hours, special loading designations ton the street itself to help organize loading zones, more reserved curbside commercial space at key hours.

This far eastern end of Canal Street is significantly different than the other areas of the street, with far less traffic. DOT should take advantage of this by fostering a pedestrian and community friendly street environment by building on previous successes: the temporary open streets temporary closures of Canal between Orchard and Essex as well as the popular plazas on Division/Canal and Canal at East Broadway. Investing in more permanent and expanded plaza and pedestrian space, including further down Division, would support business and the community while also discouraging drivers who speed through this area because of the relative lack of car traffic on Canal, which poses extra risk given that pedestrians see that same lack of traffic as a reason to be more relaxed and make vibrant use of the street. DOT should help cement the status of this eastern end of Canal near Seward Park as one of the area's great neighborhood hubs.

There is a lot of double parking, vehicle traffic, and bike lane conflicts in this area due to the numerous intercity bus companies with arrivals and departures here. This multiblock area of Canal and Allen Streets is essentially an informal bus terminal, which is not a problem in-and-of-itself in that this is an important niche of the travel market and this neighborhood a well-established gateway. The problem is that there is little formal infrastructure appropriately recognizing, supporting, and coordinating this unique traffic environment. The conflicts are not just the large charter busses themselves, but many passengers getting dropped off or picked up by idling private cars, with the adjacent fire station and the large amount of commercial vehicles from nearby local-distribution centers all competing. Beyond impacting traffic, I would imagine the amount of inefficient diesel bus and car idling in this area significantly impacts air quality for residents in the immediate area. DOT should study and test ways to better facilitate these uses--for the benefit of the buses, passengers, and neighbors.

Missing crosswalk and sidewalk on west side of Varick between Laight and Canal