Bicycling

At last night’s community meeting about the bike sharing program called by Council Member Tish James, concerns about corporate branding in historic neighborhoods were downplayed, and instead the meeting focused on the location of the bike share stations. The current locations are not permanent and may be changed later after the DOT evaluates which ones are most popular, DOT reps said. The location of the Willoughby Walk station proved most controversial, with many attendees objecting to it, according to a reader who attended. Here is what he had to say about the gathering: “Tish came on at 6:30 and like the excellent, strong civilized woman that she is, she insisted to one and all that civility reign over the meeting. Throughout she was strong and asked folks not to interrupt others and to be polite. She stated front the start that she is favor of the BikeShare program and that she certainly fully understood some of the valid concerns of those who had issues with it. Some of the commenters mentioned corporate branding and landmarking issues, but…Tish herself dismissed these concerns. She felt the concerns that DOT ought to hear were the concerns of community members about placement, near entrances of buildings whose residents (at least of those who attended the meeting) seemed not likely to be riding these bikes anytime soon, or near very heavily trafficked intersections such as Clint and Myrtle at perhaps not the ideal corner (though maybe the best available), and also the issue of parking places displaced by the bike share stations.”
Meanwhile, Streetsblog has published a story critical of objections about corporate advertising on the stations in historic neighborhoods, pointing out that similar bike sharing systems are working well in historic sections of Boston, D.C. and London.

Looks like that Change.org petition asking for a bicycle and pedestrian lane across the Verrazano Bridge has gained some traction. The Brooklyn Daily reports that the MTA is considering conducting a feasibility study for allowing cyclists and peds on the bridge, although it wouldn’t happen until 2014 or later. Building the route, which would mean installing a platform between the suspension cables, would cost as much as $26.5 million, according to a 1997 feasibility study that was already conducted by the Department of City Planning. The good news: It would not require removing any car lanes. The Change.org petition now has more than 1,000 signatures.
Cyclists Push for Verrazano Bike Lane [Brooklyn Daily]
Pedestrian Access for Verrazano Bridge? [Brownstoner]
Photo by Frank Hymus

Yesterday we told you about the DOT meeting this Wednesday concerning streetscape improvements in Dumbo and Vinegar Hill, and according to this week’s Streetsblog calendar, there’s a lot more happening around Brooklyn concerning street improvements and bike lanes. Tonight Community Board Two’s Transportation Committee will hear plans from the DOT to extend the Jay Street bike lanes north of Tillary Street into Dumbo, allowing for safer access onto the Manhattan Bridge. The meeting‘s tonight at 180 Remsen Street from 6 pm to 8 pm. The New York Post also noted that DOT will head out to Coney Island tonight and present a proposal to add a plaza of tables, chairs and potted plants at the southern end of Stillwell Avenue. On Thursday the DOT is holding an open house in Bay Ridge to present design concepts for safety improvements on 4th Avenue from 65th Street to Shore Road. That’s at P.S. 264, 371 89th Street, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Also on Thursday, the DOT will attend Community Board Six’s transportation meeting to present a proposal for installing a new pair of bike lanes on Union Street (eastbound) and Sackett Street (westbound) between Van Brunt Street and 3rd Avenue. There’s also a proposal for bike corrals at 153 Columbia Street (between Kane and Degraw) and 787 Union Street (between 5th and 6th avenues). And one last meeting for Thursday: the DOT and Councilmember Mathieu Eugene will discuss traffic conditions on Cortelyou Road at Temple Isaac, 1419 Dorchester Road, at 6:30 pm. The last event of the week, planned this Friday, is a half-day conference at City Tech on biking in Brooklyn, with a focus on cycling along the waterfront. The event is free but you must register here. UPDATE: The DOT postponed its meeting with Community Board Two regarding the Jay Street bike lanes to April. And the DOT and Mathieu Eugene have rescheduled the Cortelyou Road traffic meeting for sometime in April, date TBD.
This Week: Brooklyn Bikeways and Traffic Calming [Streetsblog]
Photo by dcorbin3