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<span class="signature">Kathryn Carroll<br /> Intern, One Billion Strong<br /> J.D. Candidate, St. John's University School of Law Class of 2013<br /> Google Voice: (347) 455-1521</span>
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<p> <br /> *** Hear No Evil: UES Residents Rally Against Audible Crosswalks<br /> By Jennifer Arellano 1/09 4:37pm<br /> <br /> The sound of silence is popular on the UES.<br /> <br /> Last week, angry Upper East Side residents sounded off at Community<br /> Board 8 meeting.<br /> <br /> The cause of the controversy? Noise pollution from audible crosswalk<br /> signals that help blind pedestrians cross safely.<br /> <br /> Residents argued that the crosswalk signals would exacerbate the<br /> existing “noise pollution” of the Upper East Side and amount to a waste<br /> of money, according to DNAinfo.<br /> <br /> There are 48 of these audible crosswalks at intersections all over the<br /> city.<br /> <br /> A DOT liaison said the sounds would not be as conspicuous as the<br /> crosswalk at East 59th and Lexington Avenue. They adjust according to<br /> street noise, according to DNAinfo.<br /> <br /> Critics questioned the very existence of blind pedestrians.<br /> <br /> At the CB8 meeting, Peter Renehan said “I’ve never once seen a blind<br /> person cross the street by themselves. These people are assibecause we<br /> are a neighborhood. We don’t need more noise to assist people to cross<br /> the street.”<br /> <br /> Renehan also told DNAinfo: “At 2 or 3 in the morning, how many blind<br /> people do you see walking down the street in our neighborhood?<br /> <br /> “This is just horrible,” Dr. John Jacoby, said. “We can’t sleep enough<br /> on this corner already.”<br /> <br /> Others argued that the audible crosswalks would make crossing the<br /> street more dangerous for the visually impaired.<br /> <br /> “I think we’re sending them into a problem. If you send a<br /> sight-impaired person from north to south or south to north, you’re not<br /> taking into consideration that cars are turning in,” board member Rita<br /> Popper told DNAinfo.<br /> <br /> The Observer reached out to several city advocacy groups for the blind<br /> or visually impaired to see if they agreed with residents’ reading of<br /> the situation.<br /> <br /> 'Karen Gourgey, Chair of PASS Coalition, and is totally blind, said<br /> there’s a misconception that blind people only appear around certain<br /> places.<br /> <br /> “We have jobs, or we go to school, or we go to shows and all around the<br /> city,” she explained. “If you all who have 20/20 vision are getting<br /> enhanced safety information don’t you think it might be important to<br /> emphasize to us, who might have reduced vision or no vision, to have a<br /> walk sign as well?”<br /> <br /> Ms. Gourgey said that blind pedestrians shouldn’t have to rely on<br /> others. “Even in Manhattan, you can’t assume that there’s always going<br /> to be someone there. Somebody’s life should not be dependent upon<br /> that.”<br /> <br /> The president of the American Council of the Blind of New York, Pratik<br /> Patel, who is totally blind, said he crosses Upper East Side streets<br /> all the time. Mr. Patel said that they requested more<br /> audible signals because the changes that made the city friendly to bike<br /> lanes and traffic flows created more difficulties for blind<br /> pedestrians. He said residents’ uninformed comments hurt the<br /> perception of the blind community and don’t elucidate the public’s<br /> understanding of the difficulties of traveling independently.<br /> <br /> Both Ms. Gourgey and Mr. Patel said they would be happy to explain the<br /> need for audible crosswalks to residents. “We want to be in dialogue<br /> with everyone and make them understand and at least hear our<br /> views,” Patel said.<br /> <br /> Chuck Warren, co-chair of the Transportation Committee, said they will<br /> hold another meeting in March and open discussion with advocacy<br /> groups.<br /> <br /> The DOT issued this statement via email: “Safety is DOT’s top priority,<br /> and the agency always welcomes discussions with communities across the<br /> city to make streets even safer for everyone.”<br /> <br /> As of now, there are no plans to install audible crosswalk signals on<br /> the Upper East Side.<br /> <br /> </p>
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