Archinect - News

New York City plans to raise crosswalks to make hazardous intersections safer

2022-03-02T14:56:00-05:00

The white-striped crosswalk sits on top of a hump of asphalt. Pedestrians barely notice as they rush across, but drivers are in for a bumpy ride if they do not slow down. The crosswalk in northern Manhattan was raised four inches in the fall to try to slow traffic and make pedestrians more visible as they navigate a busy intersection where 26 people — including 14 pedestrians — have been injured in motor vehicle crashes in the past five years.

Following a surge in traffic deaths in New York, in which a total of 273 people, citywide, were killed in crashes last year, the highest since 2013, Mayor Eric Adams wants to raise hundreds of crosswalks across the city. With more people on the streets, occupying outdoor spaces opened up due to the pandemic, the return of traffic has increased safety risks. There are currently only 17 raised crosswalks out of the roughly 40,000 intersections across the city, which is a part of the streetscape where most injuries and deaths occur.

Starting this year, New York plans to add 100 raised crosswalks every year. This type of intervention has proven to be effective in improving safety and is relatively quick and inexpensive to install. The city also plans to redesign 1,000 dangerous intersections this year and will additionally target other problem spots such as parking lots and gas stations. The new crosswalks will be financed by city and federal funding.

SPF:architects' "Rainbow Bridge" is now open in Long Beach, CA

2018-02-08T20:13:00-05:00

SPF:architects' new pedestrian bridge, named "Rainbow Bridge", is now open to the public of Long Beach, CA. The bridge provides a connection between Long Beach's Convention Center and Performing Arts Center.

Rainbow Bridge by SPF:a located in Long Beach, CA. Image: SPF:a.

Previously, moving between these spaces required navigating loading docs and HVAC equipment on a stretch of the Seaside Way. Initially conceived of as a simple elevated sidewalk, the walkway developed into a much fuller project. Visitors can now not only easily connect between these two spaces, they can also enjoy an architectural experience along the way.

Rainbow Bridge by SPF:a located in Long Beach, CA. Image: SPF:a.

The finished project is a 600-foot bridge consisting of 76 custom-welded bent-steel ribs framing the top, and approximately 1,200 cubic yards of poured-in-place concrete shaping the base. The bridge canopy features 3,500 color-changing LED node lights, which can be programmed and synched to music to...

Trading the L Train for a giant inflatable condom?

2016-06-30T17:58:00-04:00

In 2019, New York City's Hurricane Sandy-damaged L Train tunnel will shut down for repairs, making it tricky to get across the East River without a new form of transport. In a competition sponsored by the Van Alen Institute to find alternatives, AECOM suggested building a fiber-glass fabric tunnel for pedestrians that could also double as a projection space.

The tunnel, which an AECOM designer likened to an inflatable condom in this DNA info article, would have segments above and below the water line in order to enable river traffic to pass over it.

However, the super-sized prophylactic ended up being a hard sell, losing out to the docking ferry proposal "Transient Transit" (pictured above) designed by BuroHappold Engineering and Kohn Pederson Fox Associates for the competition's $1,000 prize.

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Russian pedestrian infrastructure that teaches you a thing about avant-garde art

2015-11-18T18:25:00-05:00

Pedestrian crossings made up of fragments of famous works of avant-garde art have appeared in a residential area in the Russian city of Khimki, located just northwest of Moscow. Fragments of the work of Piet Mondrian, Kazimir Malevich and Vasily Kandinsky feature on five pedestrian crossings in the “Gorod Naberezhniy” complex, chosen for their frequent use. Together with the zebra stripes, there are signs which provide information about the artwork and artist.

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