Opinion
A turn for worse: Truck trashes tree on 12th
BY ELISSA STEIN
On Fri., July 13, a signifi cant
chunk of a statuesque tree in
front of 79 W. 12th St. was
shorn off by a truck that didn’t successfully
make the turn off Sixth Ave.
This was not the fi rst time the tree
had been hit, and the next day the city
marked it to be taken down, saying it
was too weak to survive the accident.
The awning in front of the building
was irreparably damaged by the heavy
branch’s fall and needs to be replaced,
as well.
According to the city’s Department
of Transportation, it is illegal for trucks
of this size to be driving on side streets.
But, there’s no signage on 12th St. stating
that, and since there is little visible
regulation by the police or D.O.T., large
trucks traversing side streets happens
on a regular basis.
So now, one of the Village’s treelined
blocks will have a gaping hole,
which will take years to fi ll.
This unfortunate accident, in which
fortunately no one was injured, leads
to bigger questions and highlights serious
issues. As of now, the city plans
to move forward with an experimental
(their word) 14th St. “busway/truckway,”
which includes a vehicle ban on
cars traveling across the city between
Ninth and Third Aves. on 14th St. This
will result in through traffi c being
shunted to side streets. Since 12th and
13th Sts. are the closest to 14th St. that
run from river to river, they will absorb
much of the overfl ow.
In addition to that dramatic increase
in traffi c, vehicles now cannot make
left turns from 14th St., so trucks
have been, and will continue to use
side streets for that purpose. Currently
there is a temporary restraining order
against the busway plan in effect until
Aug. 6, when a hearing is scheduled to
determine whether to issue a preliminary
injunction.
While the city and monied forces
beyond are working hard to vilify cars,
there are key points that are buried underneath
their “bikeways and People-
Ways for everyone” rhetoric.
First, Manhattan is an island and vehicles
are necessary to bring goods to
stores, and provide services to business
and residents. This borough is home
to residents of mansions as well as city
housing projects, those who can easily
take mass transportation and others who
cannot, people who ride bikes and people
who use wheelchairs, a destination for
commuters and a home to residents.
This fl ippant attempt to cut traffi
c congestion in order to shave a few
minutes off travel time has made our
streets more dangerous. The death of a
beautiful tree is a shame. But incidents
and accidents are becoming more commonplace
and the mayor and D.O.T.
need to listen to people who are the
most affected.
Stein is a Village resident, writer and
community activist.
PHOTO BY ELISSA STEIN
A truck, which was not even supposed to be on W. 12th St., wrecked
this tree near Sixth Ave.
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Schneps Media CNW July 18, 2019 23