TOXIC SITE: Mother Clara Hale Bus Depot
(Sonja, Lauren, Haijing, Dani)
Objectives
- Understand which mitigation initiatives done by Mother Clara Depot could be adapted to other sites.
- Interview users of the area to understand how their lives are affected positively or negatively by the Depot. Specifically residents living in the surrounding condominiums.
Goal
- Investigate if Mother Clara Depot is as green as they state and if so how could other Depots in the NYC area benefit from their mitigation efforts.
Location
721 Lenox Avenue in Central Harlem
General Info
Designed as a “green depot” in collaboration with WEACT and Harlem community members. The redesigned depot opened in 2014.
- Accommodates 150 buses
- Most buses use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel
- Some buses are hybrid-electric vehicles (or other low-emissions technology)
- 3 Floors
- LEED Certificated
- Green Roof (Uses plants to: cool facility / absorbs CO2 / Reduces storm-water runoff)
- Thermal insulation
- Natural lighting / Day lighting
- Rainwater collection
- Waster recycling of old Mother Clara Hale Bus Depot (99.5% of all waste materials)
- Employee parking on the back
- Recycled content used for construction of the new depot
Field Research
AEIOU: FOR DEPOT & IT’S SURROUNDING AREA
ACTIVITIES
- Chess playing
- Bicycling
- Commuting
- Working
- Kids Playing
- Playing Soccer
ENVIRONMENTS
- Playground
- Park
- Bus Depot
- Roads
- Apartment Buildings
- Train Stop
- Harlem River
- Bridge with constant car flow
INTERACTIONS
- Riding buses
- Playing
- Driving
- Chatting with neighbors
- Work breaks
- Waiting
- Grocery shopping
OBJECTS
- Buses
- Chess tables
- Bus terminals
- Trash
- Cars
- Garbage
USERS
- Depot Employees
- Commuters
- Residents
- Pedestrians
- Bikers
- Moms with strollers
- Children
INTERVIEWS IN DEPOT & SURROUNDING AREA
WOMAN COMMUTER
What do you think of the neighborhood?
I love this neighborhood!..
What do you think of the air quality?
The air could be better I guess because of the bus station right here, but we have great transportation, sooo…
DEPOT EMPLOYEE
What do you think of the neighborhood?
We love this neighborhood. We have everything here. We have a mall over there, the yankee stadium, a park, transportation, a grocery store that’s open 24/7 and rent is cheaper! For what you pay for a 1 bedroom in Manhattan here you could get 2 bedrooms. There’s 4 condominiums around the Depot and mostly retired administrative workers have moved to these condominiums.
Back in the day this neighborhood was bad. Crime every day! You couldn’t just walk down the streets, but now things are different, the neighborhood has changed a lot and people are moving up here from everywhere! The Jewish came and bought the buildings, fixed them up and increased the rent, but it’s good because the neighborhood has really changed a lot.
What do you think of the air quality?
It could be better but it is much better than it used to be. Cuz look we have access to the water and a park! The bus depot doesn’t really affect it, plus we get great transportation everywhere!… It’s the same air as Brooklyn. Actually it’s way better than brooklyn because here it’s less dangerous.
CHESS PLAYER
Do you live here & what do you think of the air quality/environment?
Player 1: I have lived in the neighborhood my whole life — around 75 years. The pollution has gotten worse, traffic has increased in the area but people are living longer. The air quality is the same as the rest of Manhattan.
Player 2: I also live here, pollution has gotten worse because of the cars and their emissions. The traffic is bad because of the trucks and congestion.
Do you have a place to complain about the situation? Where and how?
Player 1: I do not know and I do not want to make trouble.
Player 2: I do not know.
Park bench guy: Yes, Environmental Protection Agencies.
