Urban Street Furniture

[dfwcre8tive]

Good news that this is finally happening! It will clean up the sidewalks downtown a lot.

DOWNTOWNDALLAS BREAKING NEWS
Newsrack Plan Passes City Council
One more step forward in beautifying Downtown Streets!
June 3, 2009. 2:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, June 3, Dallas City Council passed the Newsrack Plan, which essentially allows for the installation of streamlined, multi-unit newsracks throughout Downtown.
“DOWNTOWNDALLAS is greatly appreciative of the due diligence and responsibility The Dallas Morning News has taken to solve the newsrack issue Downtown,” commented John F. Crawford, President & CEO of DOWNTOWNDALLAS. “The new newsracks will unclutter our Downtown street corners, provide a visually appealing means of displaying publications and improve public safety by clearing space on our sidewalks.”

In October 2008, City Council awarded a contract to The Dallas Morning News to provide acquisition, installation and maintenance services for multi-unit newsracks in the Central Business District. City staff and The Dallas Morning News have worked cooperatively to prepare the Plan, which includes location requirements and design criteria as well as a listing of multi-unit newsrack locations and number of racks in each. Publications will rent space within the newsracks, and a lottery system will determine each publications location within the racks.

The original amendments to the Newsrack Ordinance in May 2008 included revised fees for licenses, design standards and location requirements in addition to requiring an implementation plan to be developed. Following the amendments, in October 2008, the contract was awarded through and RFP process to The Dallas Morning News.

The Dallas Morning News has acquired the multi-unit racks and will begin installation in July. A full transition to multi-unit racks is expected by October 2009. DOWNTOWNDALLAS will assist with stakeholder coordination and communication throughout the process.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3660/giffds.gif

[NThomas]

Good news that this is finally happening! It will clean up the sidewalks downtown a lot.

DOWNTOWNDALLAS BREAKING NEWS
Newsrack Plan Passes City Council
One more step forward in beautifying Downtown Streets!
June 3, 2009. 2:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, June 3, Dallas City Council passed the Newsrack Plan, which essentially allows for the installation of streamlined, multi-unit newsracks throughout Downtown.
“DOWNTOWNDALLAS is greatly appreciative of the due diligence and responsibility The Dallas Morning News has taken to solve the newsrack issue Downtown,” commented John F. Crawford, President & CEO of DOWNTOWNDALLAS. “The new newsracks will unclutter our Downtown street corners, provide a visually appealing means of displaying publications and improve public safety by clearing space on our sidewalks.”

In October 2008, City Council awarded a contract to The Dallas Morning News to provide acquisition, installation and maintenance services for multi-unit newsracks in the Central Business District. City staff and The Dallas Morning News have worked cooperatively to prepare the Plan, which includes location requirements and design criteria as well as a listing of multi-unit newsrack locations and number of racks in each. Publications will rent space within the newsracks, and a lottery system will determine each publications location within the racks.

The original amendments to the Newsrack Ordinance in May 2008 included revised fees for licenses, design standards and location requirements in addition to requiring an implementation plan to be developed. Following the amendments, in October 2008, the contract was awarded through and RFP process to The Dallas Morning News.

The Dallas Morning News has acquired the multi-unit racks and will begin installation in July. A full transition to multi-unit racks is expected by October 2009. DOWNTOWNDALLAS will assist with stakeholder coordination and communication throughout the process.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3660/giffds.gif
This is long overdue. Its one step closer to a cleaner and friendlier downtown.

[palchik]

Perfect timinig...just as newspapers are becoming extinct.

[Mena]

Perfect timinig...just as newspapers are becoming extinct.
LOL!

[palchik]

...they should install a bunch of pay phones too.

[Random Traffic Guy]

1/3 less free speech (it supports 1/3 fewer distribution spots)... I can see the problem of the random boxes on the streets but this kind of control of distribution worries me. Too easy to fix a lottery so somebody gets the no-traffic parts of town.

I wonder if the City can ask for (even) better treatment from the DMN since DMN is running this program with City money. I wonder how many bids the City got. I know how that works when a consultant or vendor helps prepare a program for eventual bid ;)

[Mballar]

Perfect timinig...just as newspapers are becoming extinct.
I agree with this sentiment. I'd rather see some type of internet kiosks where one could stop and check the news/email online. I don't know how it could be pulled off, but surely, we could be promoting more electronic media consumption instead of wasteful paper newspaper publications that end up in the trash or as litter on the streets, anyway. I think that the upcoming AT&T Store would be a nice location to try some type of a pilot program where maybe 10 kiosks (open to public) could be placed where individuals could stop and check emails and read newspapers online. . .maybe restrict the kiosks access to certain sites (i.e. DMN, Observer, USA Today, NY Times, and of Course AT&T partners) for like maybe 10 minutes at a time.

[ihavebeenseen]

Here is an Idea.

http://www.bladediary.com/stencils/2009-05-25-A.jpg

http://www.bladediary.com/stencils/2009-05-25-F.jpg

[NThomas]

I agree with this sentiment. I'd rather see some type of internet kiosks where one could stop and check the news/email online. I don't know how it could be pulled off, but surely, we could be promoting more electronic media consumption instead of wasteful paper newspaper publications that end up in the trash or as litter on the streets, anyway. I think that the upcoming AT&T Store would be a nice location to try some type of a pilot program where maybe 10 kiosks (open to public) could be placed where individuals could stop and check emails and read newspapers online. . .maybe restrict the kiosks access to certain sites (i.e. DMN, Observer, USA Today, NY Times, and of Course AT&T partners) for like maybe 10 minutes at a time.
It could be the modern telephone booth! Great Idea!

[mjblazin]

Then we would people hanging around the kiosks to waste time, the same issue that we have in the library.

The purpose of the racks is to try and get the non-DMN paper distributors under control. They are definitely not on the path to extinction. The racks are essentially a utility service for local piblishers, capitalized by the DMN, paid back with profit no doubt by the distributors forced to use them.

[dfwcre8tive]

I agree with this sentiment. I'd rather see some type of internet kiosks where one could stop and check the news/email online. I don't know how it could be pulled off, but surely, we could be promoting more electronic media consumption instead of wasteful paper newspaper publications that end up in the trash or as litter on the streets, anyway. I think that the upcoming AT&T Store would be a nice location to try some type of a pilot program where maybe 10 kiosks (open to public) could be placed where individuals could stop and check emails and read newspapers online. . .maybe restrict the kiosks access to certain sites (i.e. DMN, Observer, USA Today, NY Times, and of Course AT&T partners) for like maybe 10 minutes at a time.

Like these internet kiosks I saw at the Cyber Park in Marrakech, Morocco.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/465605603_35f11800e8.jpg?v=0

[Mballar]

Like these internet kiosks I saw at the Cyber Park in Marrakech, Morocco.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/465605603_35f11800e8.jpg?v=0
^Sweet! That's exactly what I'm thinking of.

[aygriffith]

Are they all going to be 8 paid paper stalls long? DMN, USAToday, WSJ, NYT, FT are they only ones that I can think of that would actually sell any papers. With the exception of carring the Washington Post/Star Telegram/Houston Chronicle who are they going to fill 8 stalls with? All the freebees clearly go below those.

[dfwcre8tive]

Are they all going to be 8 paid paper stalls long? DMN, USAToday, WSJ, NYT, FT are they only ones that I can think of that would actually sell any papers. With the exception of carring the Washington Post/Star Telegram/Houston Chronicle who are they going to fill 8 stalls with? All the freebees clearly go below those.

I think it depends on the location, and they can put them in multiples of 2. I would think most locations would only have 2 or 4... the 8 bin racks would be like a wall along the sidewalk!

[dfwcre8tive]

These have started popping up around downtown. 2 have been installed along Elm between St Paul & Harwood. They each have 4 slots. Can't wait to see the random old bins cleared from the streets!

[dfwcre8tive]

A photo from the other day. A few minutes after taking this photo a truck came by to take away some of the random old boxes.

[dfwcre8tive]

http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/09/new-newspaper-racks-going-in-d.html

http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/newspaper%20rack%202.jpg

http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/newspaper%20rack1.jpg

[dfwcre8tive]

It only took a month for the taggers to find them...

[dfwcre8tive]

Now that the magazine racks are installed throughout downtown and the old racks are slowly disappearing, I'm curious to know your thoughts about the trash/dog poop issue downtown.

Current problem:

-- current bins are easily opened by the homeless and are often left open to scatter garbage.

-- there is a lack of any sort of recycling receptacle.

-- some streets have trash bins on every corner, while some entire blocks are devoid of bins.

-- the lack of doggie bag dispensers and a general disregard for courtesy and public safety have left the sidewalks covered in dog poop.

A downtown group is doing research to update the overall trash bin design and locations. With downtown's limited sidewalk widths a compact piece combining trash bin, recycle bin and doggie bag dispenser would be ideal.

Has anyone seen any unique solutions that could work here?

[tamtagon]

Take pictures of people not cleaning up after their pets, and post somewhere close to the offense.

[dfwcre8tive]

Here is an Idea.



yes, he has some interesting ideas for the old newsracks:

http://www.bladediary.com/tag/flyerplanterboxes/

[maconahey]

-- there is a lack of any sort of recycling receptacle.




When I was in Germany, I noticed that they had these all over the place along with the trash cans:

http://www.solarnavigator.net/media/media_images/recycling_bin_railway_station_Deutsche_Bahn_German y.jpg

http://www.germanyandafrica.diplo.de/Vertretung/pretoria__dz/en/07__P/Energie__Umwelt/Awareness_20Recycle,property=Galeriebild__gross.jp g

[cowboyeagle05]

Just don't use the same ones they put at Main Street Gardens they are cheap plastic with cable attached lids. They look like they will blow over every time a little breeze blows in and of course the homeless are always pulling the lids off to dig.

[F4shionablecHa0s]

When I was in Germany, I noticed that they had these all over the place along with the trash cans:
Socialism!

[dfwcre8tive]

New bike racks at Main Street Garden (finally!):

http://www.harwoodhistoricdistrict.com/2011/04/cycle-parking-at-main-street-garden/

http://www.harwoodhistoricdistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/IMG_02671.jpg

This style should expand to other areas of downtown as the Downtown Dallas 360 Plan is implemented.

[cowboyeagle05]

New bike racks at Main Street Garden (finally!):

http://www.harwoodhistoricdistrict.com/2011/04/cycle-parking-at-main-street-garden/

http://www.harwoodhistoricdistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/IMG_02671.jpg

This style should expand to other areas of downtown as the Downtown Dallas 360 Plan is implemented.

Have they picked a style of bike rack for the rest of the Main Street District?

[dfwcre8tive]

Have they picked a style of bike rack for the rest of the Main Street District?

I'm not certain, but I was told that the others will have a similar look/style as these new ones. There will be a few different types used depending on the location and need. Using stainless steel will be good for maintenance.

We should start seeing new furniture pop up around downtown. New lighting schemes should also be decided soon.

[lakewoodhobo]

New bike racks at Main Street Garden (finally!)

I noticed those today. SO much nicer than this ugly mess:

http://www.bikingindallas.com/wp-content/uploads/002-225x300.jpg

Hope the new lighting you mentioned is done quickly.

[lakewoodhobo]

A preview of the new tables/chairs (for Pegasus Plaza), planters and benches that will go along Main Street.

http://downtowndallas.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/downtown-dallas-360-officially-adopted-by-dallas-city-council/

[dfwcre8tive]

I think the new furniture will be tested along the sidewalk of the Merc, too. The new sidewalk pavers for the Main Street District will also be going in at Akard/Main (where all the current construction is taking place).

[lakewoodhobo]

I think the new furniture will be tested along the sidewalk of the Merc, too. The new sidewalk pavers for the Main Street District will also be going in at Akard/Main (where all the current construction is taking place).

I can't tell what all that construction is for. Are there new bulbouts? Utility relocation? Is it related to the conversion to 2-way along that part of Akard?