Fence erected between east and westbound lanes on Hempstead Turnpike in front of NUMC.
Michael Vitti is a long time and successful cycling advocate in Long Island. I don't know him personally, but I am friends with him on Facebook. When I was asking people who to contact to work with on cycling and pedestrian safety issues on Long Island, his name came up a lot. I have been told that he is responsible for getting the Wantaugh Parkway bike path extended along Ocean Parkway to Tobay Beach as well as making significant progress for mountain bikers on Long Island.
All I can say is, "thank you, thank you, thank you, Mike." I have ridden the Tobay Beach bike path more times than I can count and I love it. We need more Mike Vitti's on this island.
Yesterday Mike linked to an article about the Tobay Beach bike path on Facebook. The path dead-ends. Cyclists enjoy a beautiful ride with beach views (and often quite a bit of wind). But they then arrive at the end and simply turn around. There are bike racks and a turnstile there. Cyclists are able to park their bikes and then walk to the beach or use the bathroom, but ultimately the cyclist will return back the same path he or she took down. Since I like to think of my bike as a means of transportation and hence would like to think of bike paths like the Tobay Beach path as a beautiful, bike friendly way to get from point A to point B, the fact it just stops has always bugged me.
The article Mike linked to was about a disabled cyclist who is suing the Town of Oyster Bay because the turnstile at the end of the Tobay Beach bike path limits his access to the facilities there. He is bound to his bike and has to call someone to come let him through the locked gate to get to the bath building. I wish this cyclist, Peter Hawkins, a favorable ruling in his suit.
The town claims that the fence is there to keep cyclists out of the parking lot for Tobay Beach, where they might be hit by motorized traffic.
Pedestrians and cyclists get killed because they are doing stupid things and the only change Long Island needs to make in order to reduce the number of pedestrian and cyclist crashes is to keep them from doing these stupid things.
"The other day I was on Sunrise Highway and I saw a pedestrian crossing the road in between lights. They always do very dangerous things like that!"
"The other night I saw a cyclist on Old Country Road cycling on the shoulder in the wrong direction. No wonder there are so many cyclist deaths!"
"What was she doing riding her bike on that road anyway? Of course she was going to get hit!"
The photo above is of a fence that was erected between the eastbound and westbound lanes on Hempstead Turnpike near Nassau University Medical Center to keep pedestrians from jay-walking. It was an unfortunate irony that patients left NUMC, only to return to NUMC because of a traffic crash immediately thereafter.
The basic assumption is that the only way we can possibly curb these crashes is to make it impossible for pedestrians to cross at the wrong spot.
Of course, this reaction to pedestrian and cyclist safety issues completely ignores the fact that there are many pedestrians and cyclists that are killed in crashes without having done anything that would be considered risky other than merely deigning to try to be a pedestrian or cyclist in the wrong place. But also, the design of our streets, which has catered to cars since Robert Moses, has made it difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to share the road. Given this, they are bound to do things eventually that will put themselves at risk.
For example, when lights are few and far between and a pedestrian needs to get from some place in the middle of a block to some place directly across the street from them, it is really tempting to cross the road between lights. It takes a long time to walk to the light, wait (often a very long time) for the light to change, then wait for turning traffic (even though turning traffic is legally supposed to yield to pedestrians), hoping turning vehicles leave you enough time to cross and dodging traffic once the space is finally given to enter the intersection, and then walk back to the intended destination.
It takes time on foot, and turning traffic is so dismissive of pedestrians in crosswalks that it doesn't even seem much safer.
It is not surprising to me that such a pedestrian may be tempted to jay-walk.
Cyclists face similar issues. Imagine a dishwasher who gets off work at 1 am on one side of Old Country Road, dead tired from a full day of work, and commutes by bike. If he has to get to a side street or business half a block down on the same side of Old Country Road against traffic, it would be really tempting to ride against traffic on that side of the road. Sidewalks are not made for cyclists. They are poorly maintained, obstructions such as bus stop shelters force cyclists to dismount periodically, and motorists pulling out of or into parking lots rarely look for pedestrians, let alone faster moving cyclists, on sidewalks. Sidewalks are dangerous for cyclists.
The alternative for such a cyclist would be to cycle in the direction opposite his destination, wait for the light (again, sometimes for a very long time), to then maneuver against turning traffic, ride back to the next light and wait (again, for a very long time) and finally head back with traffic to one's destination, recognizing that he is still in exposing himself to risk riding with traffic.
Such a cyclist might be tempted to ride on the shoulder on the wrong side of the road.
Although one does run into the occasional dare-devil who doesn't care about his or her own life, most dangerous pedestrian and cyclist behavior that I hear people railing against are from people just trying to get by in a world that has been constructed to hinder them.
The risky behavior that is killing pedestrians and cyclists is designed into the system and we need to design it out.
Simply making it harder to be a pedestrian or cyclist is not going to help curb the pedestrian and cyclist fatality rate on Long Island. Those who have to rely on alternative modes of transportation are still going to be tempted into risky behaviour after a long day's work. What is more, making it harder to be a pedestrian or cyclist on Long Island will discourage those with the financial means to own a car from trying to use alternative means of transportation at all, which only increases traffic congestion as well as our carbon footprint.
There are alternatives to car-centric communities. Friday afternoon I attended a webinar on the benefits of the "complete streets" initiative. There have been a number of municipalities of all sizes around the country that have engaged in dramatic redesigns of their streets to make them more pedestrian, cyclist and public transportation friendly and have found significant economic advantage from that change. Not only do fewer pedestrians and cyclists die, more people opt for that form of transporation, businesses flouish, increasing revenue from sales tax, property values go up and people actually interact with each other more.
Of course, it is a given that complete streets designs also significantly benefit the environment and individual health.
Long Island needs to stop making it harder to be a pedestrian or bicyclist. It needs to redesign itself to make it safer and easier to do so.


text:
>> Entertainment
>> Food
Lotus of Siam opens at new spot in Las Vegas
The restaurant's longtime East Sahara Avenue location closed for repairs Sept. 8 after flood-related roof damage led to a ceiling collapse. Repairs won't be complete until February or later, but a second Lotus of Siam opens Monday on Flamingo Road.
New Lotus of Siam location opens Monday (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
By Heidi Knapp Rinella Las Vegas Review-Journal
Updated December 11, 2017 - 4:17 pm
Guests eat in the dinning room at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
The exterior of the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
A carved watermelon at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
The bar at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
The dining room at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
Gifts on a table at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
The entry area at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
Guests wait for food in the panda room at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
Guests eat in the bar and lounge area at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
The dish nam khao tod at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
Server Bank Narongchai sets food off at a table at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
Guests eat in the panda room at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
Guests eat in the lounge and bar area at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
Guests eat in a back dinning room at the new second location of Lotus of Siam, a thai restaurant, in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The restaurant held a birthday party for Chef Saipin Chutima that also doubled as a grand opening for the new space. Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae
Relax, Las Vegas, the three-month Khao Soi drought is almost over.
Lotus of Siam, the 19-year-old Thai restaurant with a cult following across the country, is scheduled to re-open in a new location at 11 a.m. Monday, and will once again serve that crispy duck dish, as well as its famed garlic prawns and Salmon Love.
The restaurant's longtime location in the Commercial CenterDistrict on East Sahara Avenue was forced to close Sept. 8 because of flood-related roof damage that led to a ceiling collapse. That spot still is being renovated, with an expected completion date in February or later, but the new Lotus of Siam will open its doors today at 620 E. Flamingo Road in the former location of Roy's restaurant.
Why two restaurants just 3 miles apart?
"That's our baby," co-owner Bill Chutima said of the original.
"It's considered my mother's third child," said Penny Chutima, the daughter who will preside over the new spot. "She won't let it go."
From that it could be assumed that maybe the younger generation doesn't have the same attachment, but Penny stiffened when asked.
"I grew up in that place," she said.
But the thing is, the original Lotus of Siam — even though, at 17,000 square feet, it's more than twice the size of the new one — tended to get more crowded than a Hollywood harassment hearing. Bill Chutima said someone seeking a reservation at, say, 8 p.m. on a Friday, should call two to three weeks in advance. If it's going to be during a busy convention, make that six months in advance. And the wait for walk-ins? As much as two and a half hours.
"But they do wait," he said.
Family and kitchen matriarch Saipin Chutima said, with her daughter translating, that she thinks it's her home cooking that's the draw. When she and Bill were first married, she said, he wouldn't eat outside the home, so she honed her skills.
"Home cooking takes a lot of effort," she said.
"These things she's been making, I've been eating all my life," Penny said.
There's also the fact that her father realized that German rieslings were the perfect pairings for his wife's cooking.
Penny thinks the popularity is in large part because of her parents' love of all things Thai.
"When they first started, they were more educational," she said. "People wanted Pad Thai, chow mein, fried rice. They weren't like other Thai restaurants, where you could order whatever you want. We actually want you to learn about our culture."
That's reflected in the decor. In the new spot, Penny has made extensive use of art depicting various aspects of Thai life. In the bar area, the expansive windows are shaded from the afternoon sun with blinds printed with scenes of Thai village life. Near the restrooms, a mural depicts a couple delivering a banana plant for a celebration and another shows scenes of Thai music-makers.
Bill said Penny ordered the murals from Thailand, and he seems quite proud of what his daughter's done with the restaurant. Ask if the 29-year-old is ready to manage on her own, though, and you'll get a hearty laugh.
"The first time your kid asks you for the keys to the car, you get goose bumps all over," he said. (Their other daughter, Sabrina, is 20.)
She's not exactly new to the business, though. Bill said Penny was waiting tables at age 4 in previous restaurants in Woodland Hills and Norwalk, California. And her parents will be close by.
"I kind of want to say 'franchise,' " she said of the ownership arrangement. "I'm kind of buying some rights from my mom so I can extend the legacy of what she created."
Saipin will cook at the new restaurant until the original one reopens. When it does, there will be sort of a commissary arrangement.
"Everything will be the same," Penny said. "She'll still be making the sauces." The legacy's been passed on, though; if Saipin Chutima decides to take a vacation, her daughters will prepare the sauces.
Even after so many years in the business, any opening is going to come with snags. Less than a week before the debut, workmen were still moving about and stemware hadn't arrived. While the bar eventually will have a full liquor license — the original serves just beer and wine — it can't serve now; Bill said he thinks the license should come through in less than three months. All three Chutimas expressed nervousness about the opening.
Interest is starting to build. Nearby resident Lyle Berman wandered in to ask about the opening date. He was looking for Khao Soi, he said, because he's read on social media — which Penny credits with much of the restaurant's following — that theirs is the best.
"We make our own curry paste," Bill said.
"A lot of people do Khao Soi, now that it's mainstream," Penny said later. "They don't do it properly."
Monday afternoon, she said people had been lined up in advance of the 11 a.m. opening. There was a line through most of the lunch period, and waits of about 45 minutes.
"They were really excited that we opened," she said. "They're happy we're back."
Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.
Insider tips on getting in
If you've wanted to dine at Lotus of Siam but were scared off by the legendary demand, here are a few tips from co-owner Bill Chutima:
"Lunchtime, no problem," he said. "5:30, that shouldn't be much of a problem. When you come in at 6:30, that's a problem."
During big conventions, reservations should be made months in advance, Chutima said, and wait times for walk-ins can reach two and a half hours.
Posted on: Entertainment, Food, Local, Local Las Vegas, News
Tagged: Has Video
'Top Chef' stars to launch culinary residency on Strip
Brothers Michael and Bryan Voltaggio are debuting Retro by Voltaggio this spring at Mandalay Bay, where chef Charlie Palmer's Aureole will close in the coming months.
James Beard-winning chef takes helm at Marché Bacchus
Bradley Ogden, whose eponymous restaurant in Caesars Palace was a mainstay of early 2000s Las Vegas, is the new culinary director of the French bistro in Desert Shores.
Las Vegas cafe's business booms after Yelp Top 100 honor
Zenaida's Cafe is a story as old as the restaurant business itself: A chef and family open a modest storefront, aiming to offer good food, service and value in a congenial atmosphere.
Oscar Mayer Wienermobile making 4 stops in Las Vegas
Another long-running entertainment legend has announced a new residency in Las Vegas.
Homestyle proposal: Cracker Barrel has prizes for 'popping the question'
By Lukas Eggen / RJ
Can you feel the love tonight? If you pop the question at Cracker Barrel you just might — and win a year's worth of food while you're at it.
Highly anticipated Echo & Rig opens in Henderson
The first Las Vegas expansion since the Summerlin original features rare beef cuts like zabuton, cocktails at a curtained circular bar and a roomy terrace, in The District.
Gordon Ramsay makes surprise visit at Hells Kitchen's 5th anniversary
The renowned chef's Caesars Palace restaurant marked its fifth anniversary and 2 millionth customer; plus a Formula One pop-up is in the works.
Thinking about going vegan? Here's what you need to know
By Nicole Hvidsten Star Tribune
"It's a lot easier than you think," says Robin Asbell, chef, cooking instructor and author of several cookbooks, including 2011's "Big Vegan."
Randy's Donuts' shop in Summerlin set to debut
Randy's Donuts, the bakery famed for the giant doughnut on the roof of its original Los Angeles store, has set an opening date for its third valley location.
Lotus of Siam owners open 2 new restaurants at Red Rock Resort
A guide to Valentine's Day dining in Las Vegas
2 Las Vegas restaurants named to Yelp Top 100 for 2023
Giada De Laurentiis celebrates 10 years of her Strip restaurant
A new Mexican restaurant with a patio right on the Strip

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Bolitoglossa capitana är en groddjursart som beskrevs av Arden H. Brame, Jr. och David Burton Wake 1963. Bolitoglossa capitana ingår i släktet Bolitoglossa och familjen lunglösa salamandrar. IUCN kategoriserar arten globalt som akut hotad. Inga underarter finns listade.

Källor

Externa länkar

Lunglösa salamandrar
capitana

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia