|
East 30th Street Re-Opened
East 30 th Street, between 1 st Avenue and the FDR Drive was
re-opened on July 5. The street is now configured as it
was prior to 2001 with one traffic lane flowing eastbound and
parallel parking along the north and south curbs.
The most significant change for the employees and students of the medical center
is that the street is now open to the general public and will soon become used by
more vehicles as motorists find it is the fastest route to the southbound FDR Drive. With
that increased traffic, we are going to have to take more precautions when crossing
the street.
Another significant change is that pedestrians will now have unrestricted access
to the street; therefore, we will all need to pay more attention to our surroundings. Although
this is a safe area in New York City, we need to follow some basic safety rules:
Parking:
- Both sides of the street are No Standing Zones with exceptions
for MD Plates and Medical Examiners Vehicles as per the signage.
- No Standing according to the New York State Vehicle and Traffic
Law means: A vehicle may stop or stand only long
enough to actually discharge or pick-up passengers. Although
the popular belief is that you are permitted to park as long
as you are sitting in the car, this belief is wrong and a No
Standing summons in New York City is $185.00 plus towing fees
starting at $150.00.
- Parking of motorcycles on the sidewalk is also illegal.
Security:
- Security Officer present 8:00AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through
Friday at the Schwartz Lecture Hall Entrance.
- Off-hours and weekends entry by card
access only.
- Fire exit remains unrestricted.
- Chief Medical Examiners checkpoints
and east and west end of blocks have been removed and a new
post just west of the ME’s tent is now manned.
- NYC Department of Human Resources
Police are present outside the Men’s Shelter.
- Street is now unrestricted to pedestrian
and vehicle traffic.
- The entrance is monitored by Closed
Circuit Television System and recorded at all times.
- The New York City Police Department
has been contacted and asked to increase their patrols on
E. 30 th Street.
Safety:
- Do not block your hearing by listening to an IPOD or similar
device while in the street. This takes away one of your
vital senses and you may not hear that vehicle coming or sounding
its horn.
- Use the Security Van at night when traveling from the Medical
Center to Bellevue Hospital. You can reach the van by calling
(212) 263-5120.
- Report suspicious persons to the Security Department immediately.
- Travel with a buddy when possible.
- Do not open the door for someone you don’t know.
- Take a moment and make sure the door closes behind you. If
it doesn’t, please close it and report it to the Security
Department.
The re-opening of E. 30 th Street is a change that requires
us to change some of our behaviors. Many of us have
gotten used to it being closed and as a result stopped using some
of the habits we practice on every other street in New York City. We
are very fortunate to be located in an area with a very low crime
rate but that doesn’t mean we can wander about without paying
attention to our environment. Just getting into the habit
of looking around and noticing what’s going on will help
to keep you safe. In the beginning it will take a conscious
effort to look up and down the street and note what’s unusual
or different but after a while it will become second nature to
you and you will enjoy the benefits of having a heightened sense
of awareness.
Please feel free to contact the Security Department if you have
any concerns, suggestions or comments.
|
