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UES Residents: Audible Crosswalks For The Blind Are Disturbing Our Peace
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 7, 2013
Modified Jan 7, 2013
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 7, 2013
Modified Jan 7, 2013
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Residents on the Upper East Side are fighting the DOT's plans to install more audible crosswalk signals that assist the visually impaired because their noise shatters the serenity of the softly ruffling pages of magazines in rhinoplasty clinic waiting rooms. "How much noise pollution do we need?" Peter Renehan asks DNAinfo. "I've never once seen a blind person cross the street by themselves. These people are assisted because we are a neighborhood, we don't need more noise to assist people to cross the street."
While we're editing exclusive video of Sasquatch and Jimmy Hoffa having a drink at The Carlyle, here's footage of blind people crossing streets in New York City BY THEMSELVES.
Renehan and others complain that the crosswalks, which blast excerpts of "Girls Girls Girls" and howler monkey mating calls use chirping tones to alert the blind when to cross and when the light is about to change, are unnecessary, especially late at night. "At 2 or 3 in the morning, how many blind people do you see walking down the street in our neighborhood?" And why are they leaving their apartment without their driver?
Right now there are 48 audible crosswalks in the entire city, with several more to be installed at 72nd, 79th, 86th, and 96th Streets. "The sounds adjust based on ambient noise," a DOT liaison explained, noting that the signals would be louder when it's necessary to be heard over the clamor of trucks or NIMBY moaning.
CB8 boardmember Michele Birnbaum explained why she opposed the signals:
"Whether or not it has merit for some is not necessarily the reason to have them installed. You can prove to me that this would be good on many street corners, but that doesn't mean that the majority of people in the community want it."
Speeding, wrong-way delivery cyclists are bad. But traffic signals that prevent blind people from being hit by speeding, wrong-way delivery cyclists (or motor vehicles) are worse.
Tagged
dot
nimby
ues
upper east side
visually impaired
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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