Friday, April 2, 2010

I wouldn't call the Cross Bronx Expressway an amenity, per se

The NY Times has all but declared the CBE a desirable amenity in this article. The reporter talks with a number of people who watch the traffic go by, and one woman who is hoping to catch a crash. It is disingenuous to say that:
when you live hard by the Cross Bronx, special compromises must be made.

The next sentence doesn't sound much like a compromise:
On Fteley Avenue, where Mrs. Moore lives, the children on her block know not to play past the stop sign where merging traffic lurks.

That sounds like a restriction dictated by traffic, not a mutual agreement between parties.
In any event, any positive value from watching traffic is outweighed by the costs of noise, pollution and safety. It would be worthwhile to consider building above the roadbed and let the nearby residents finding a new diversion.

1 comment:

David said...

My 5 year old would definitely consider living with a view of freeway traffic an amenity. Even better if there is train traffic too.