By Gus Saltonstall
One of the Upper West Side’s busiest corridors looks a little different.
New poles were recently erected on both sides of West 96th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues.
“I’m wondering if you know anything about the newly erected structures on the sidewalks at approximately mid-way between Amsterdam and Columbus,” Susan Fein wrote in an email to West Side Rag. “My guess is it’s either for a camera or a traffic light. Do you have any idea which, or is it something else?”
West Side Rag set off to find out more about the new structures.
The poles did not seem to have cameras or lights attached to them, but we did note that they reached over the relatively new 96th Street bus lanes. In December of 2024, the city and MTA installed dedicated bus lanes along 96th Street from West End Avenue to Second Avenue.
The Rag reached out first to the MTA about whether the state agency had information about the new silver poles, but a spokesperson redirected us to the New York City Department of Transportation.
Then we got our answer.
“This [the new silver poles] is to mount overhead ‘gantry’ signage to indicate the lane is ‘Bus Lane Only,’” a DOT spokesperson told WSR in an email on Monday.
The signage is expected to be fully installed by the end of October, the DOT spokesperson added.
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Festivus Poles!!
Thanks I was wondering what that was.
They will be for flocking cameras
Wait, so enormous lettering on the pavement and a totally different color surface needs to have overhead signage added?
Is this a relative of someone in elected office or staff who builds the poles and signage getting a sweetheart contract deal with our tax money?
Or is it that there are actually that many woefully stupid motorists that need overhead signs to know that the clearly marked bus lanes are bus lanes?
Westside Rag should look into that. Spending serious money on what clearly appears to be unnecessary begs questions.
“Or is it that there are actually that many woefully stupid motorists” – ummm yes. When you walk around, do you see the driver behavior? I play a “game” with my kids at our intersection to see how many light cycles it takes before a driver runs a red light. Never takes more than a few minutes.
How many more e-bikes run red lights?
Pedestrians cross against the light far more often than cars do. More often than bicycles, too, though perhaps because there are more pedestrians than cyclists. Maybe not at 96th and Broadway, which is pretty chaotic, but crossing side streets? Always!
I wish these poles were cameras! Drivers are constantly running red lights and blocking the cross walk, it’s genuinely not that hard to follow traffic rules and if drivers won’t do it we need to double down on cameras and enforement
We need to double down on urbanism being discredited. Urbanism must be discredited the way every other -ism has been discredited whether its Nazism, communism, fascism, ableism, classism or racism. You are weaponizing street safety to push an agenda where people who do not fit you culturally are beneath you. EVSA isn’t weaponizing street safety the same way you have. Urbanists have done nothing more than sow more extremism and divisiveness to the point that even if they have a point or two, they cannot be trusted at all. It’s the same issue with other culture war issues too.
You know what would stop people running red lights? Installing a second pole with signage to let people know they need to stop at red lights. Nevermind the visual clutter and significant cost, this is a great way to minimize red light running. Signage about stopping at red lights needs to be the next priority and should also be installed elsewhere along the same corridor as poles and signage for bus lanes.
“You know what would stop people running red lights?”
Law Enforcement. The answer is Law Enforcement.
There is a lot of law enforcement, the 20th and 24th precincts and Manhattan police precincts focus heavily on enforcing traffic violations that would never be as strictly enforced or with as many tickets elsewhere. Not only that the tickets NYPD officers issue in Manhattan do not get plead down to 0 point tickets like outside NYC.
Red traffic lights in NYC are simply suggestions.
I agree though I will also say thatwhen I am waiting to cross at an intersection, there is a good chance a driver will run the red light. But it is nearly guaranteed an e-bike will.
That’s not necessarily a sign of stupidity. It could simply be criminal, antisocial, or selfish behavior.
Likely! And in that case, the giant new signs won’t make a difference. They’ll just muck up everyone’s Manhattanhange photos 😀
If you’ve been behind the wheel the last several years, I’d go with stupid drivers. But first one is definitely possible.
Please report any bus that does not pull all the way over to the curb. Passengers should not have to step into the roadway to board or disembark.
Have noticed recently a bunch of bus stops with new trees – and so if bus doesn’t pull to a precise location at the stop, passengers exiting the back door end up in the tree.
Love trees but don’t understand why City is planting multiple trees at Manhattan bus stops, especially as real need for trees is in the boroughs.
“in the boroughs?” LOL! But we know what you meant.
Need to immediately tow and impound any car in the bus lane that is concealing their license plate to avoid a ticket.
That’s the consequences of cameras, deal with it.
The DOT is unbound by any oversight whatsoever and does whatever it pleases.
Not even our “elected leaders” are informed before they show up and alter a roadway. Shouldn’t they be held accountable to someone?
Lots of basic work that DOT needs to be doing but is not – for example, street and pothole repair like messed up street in front of the fire station 66th and Amsterdam.
Also DOT keeps planting at pedestrian islands – but doesn’t bother to maintain, address weeds, trash etc.
BREAKING NEWS: City erects city infrastructure to support city services!
More at 10!
How about spending our tax money to actually fix the roads instead of wasting it on signs that are repetitive? I hope I have helped to create a safe and respectful space where a broad spectrum of voices can be heard. Gee whiz.
Flock cameras to read license plates.
Looks to me like they’re installing a mid-block traffic light!
Please get rid of privately owned vehicles in Manhattan!!!
These poles will come in handy when congestion pricing gets moved up to 96th Street.