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June 30, 2009
Empire Blvd now has just 1 lane
The city is in the process of making Empire Blvd bet Utica & Bedford just one lane from two. A bike path has also been installed. However, it doesn't seem that safe. Any Thoughts?
http://www.nostrandpark.com/home/2009/6/22/empire-to-lose-a-lane-and-gain-bike-path.html
Comments
I don't live in Brooklyn as yet .. moving there within a year; but the city has done the same thing all over Manhattan. Washington Street downtown, in front of my building, has also been turned into a 1 lane road with a bike lane. The change has created a traffic nightmare along with a dangerous situation with cyclists riding their bikes the wrong way on Washington and not following traffic laws.
Traffic is now often backed up for several blocks where in the past before the reduced number of lanes, it flowed smoothly. Traffic noise has increased exponentially. Cabs try to beat the back log by driving into the bike lanes, ignoring the stop signs making it dangerous for cyclists as well as pedestrians crossing the street.
Bikers are also adding to the problems. They do not stop for stop signs or traffic lights, ride the wrong way down the one-way street and have almost run over pedestrians on numerous occasions. I was almost hit last week by such a cyclist. He even had the nerve to berate me for "getting in his way!"
Bloomberg has repeatedly said he is reducing traffic and making it more pedestrian- and bike-friendly. He has created the opposite! Remember many years ago when Kotch placed bike lanes all over the city as well? How long did that last? Officials realized quickly that unless traffic laws are enforced ... not only for cars but also bikes ... adding bike lanes and reducing traffic lanes only adds to the problem of an overloaded system.
Posted by: tlocane at June 30, 2009 7:15 AM
I don't live in Brooklyn as yet .. moving there within a year; but the city has done the same thing all over Manhattan. Washington Street downtown, in front of my building, has also been turned into a 1 lane road with a bike lane. The change has created a traffic nightmare along with a dangerous situation with cyclists riding their bikes the wrong way on Washington and not following traffic laws.
Traffic is now often backed up for several blocks where in the past before the reduced number of lanes, it flowed smoothly. Traffic noise has increased exponentially. Cabs try to beat the back log by driving into the bike lanes, ignoring the stop signs making it dangerous for cyclists as well as pedestrians crossing the street.
Bikers are also adding to the problems. They do not stop for stop signs or traffic lights, ride the wrong way down the one-way street and have almost run over pedestrians on numerous occasions. I was almost hit last week by such a cyclist. He even had the nerve to berate me for "getting in his way!"
Bloomberg has repeatedly said he is reducing traffic and making it more pedestrian- and bike-friendly. He has created the opposite! Remember many years ago when Kotch placed bike lanes all over the city as well? How long did that last? Officials realized quickly that unless traffic laws are enforced ... not only for cars but also bikes ... adding bike lanes and reducing traffic lanes only adds to the problem of an overloaded system.
Posted by: tlocane at June 30, 2009 7:16 AM
Another anti-cycling rant.
Yet another ped who claims to be 'almost run over by a cyclist'. Funny how in 9 years of walking in PS, the most cycle-intensive neighborhood in NYC, it's never happened to me. But then, I keep my eyes open and let the cyclists flow on.
If you bothered to read anything about it, reducing lanes eventually improves traffic, and adding lanes adds to traffic.
Posted by: cmu at June 30, 2009 8:27 AM
The first time you get hit by a cyclist, no matter how diligent and watchful you are, then tell me the above! It does not matter how careful you are. And tell that to the elderly lady several months back who was hit on my corner when a cyclist came out of nowhere and sent her flying ... bruised and bloody and refused to stop, but got back up on his bike and continued down the road!
I am all for cyclists and more of them when they obey traffic laws as they should. But when more cyclists are encouraged to take on traffic with absolutely NO regard for the laws and are not ticketed or subject to the same laws as motorists, then YES, I rant.
You should be more concerned that cyclists as well as pedestrians are put at more risk by the city's actions. Travel to any foreign city where bikes are the normal mode of travel, and for the most part, you will see organized travel ... cyclists obeying traffic laws. NYC has done very little in the way of making this a safe mode of travel!
Posted by: tlocane at June 30, 2009 8:55 AM
I saw the work progressing on Empire Blvd last week and see it as a safety hazzard. Concrete islands at the intersections including, in front of the Police Precinct, make the use of the center lane for emergency vehicles impossible. Stripes painted in the center would have 98% of the same effect and permit safe passage of emergency vehicles.
I foresee that the concrete "pedestrian refuge islands" will just create problems and will be removed in a matter of months. The Mayor is putting lives at risk in his mission to make roads less hospitable to cars.
Posted by: yaakovdoe at June 30, 2009 8:56 AM
to "CMU" -- have you ever been hit by a bike? It can be almost as bad as being hit by a car.
I came to the city a few years back and my second week working in midtown, was crossing a one-way street with the light and was hit by a cyclist coming the wrong way. My suit was ruined and I needed stitches on my arm and leg. Trust me, I now look all ways when crossing cause I do not trust cars or cyclists!
Your calling other replies rants shows how short-sighted your view is. There's nothing wrong with the city's efforts to help ease traffic; but the way they have gone about it is dangerous and also short-sighted. Everyone on the streets must be subject to the same traffic laws. Accepting what the city has said in implementing these reduced lanes is ignoring what is the reality.
Why don't you spend an afternoon on any busy corner and watch the reality of reduced traffic and see how much better traffic actually is! Go to the corner of Greenwich and 8th Ave and watch the nightmare of traffic ... motorists, cyclists and pedestrians trying to cross streets and tell everyone here you still applaud what Bloomberg has done.
Posted by: WillyWanna at June 30, 2009 9:14 AM
ww and tlc: I haven't been hit by a car either. If I had that misfortune, I would not go on a rant about 'crazy' or 'stupid' car drivers rather than blaming that one.
And NO, I'd rather be hit by a 200lb cyclist at 15mph than a 8,000lb hunk of steel at the same speed. Bone up on basic physics.
As a regular cyclist, it's just infuriating to read comments like these. I slow down or stop for red lights, but, like jaywalking peds (you do jaywalk, don't you, guys?) I continue if there's no cross traffic. And don't consider myself a scofflaw for doing so. In fact, there are areas where it's legal for a cycle treat a light as a stop sign.
Posted by: cmu at June 30, 2009 9:28 AM
I live in this area, am a driver, haven't used my bike for years, and think this change will be a big improvement. I don't think the comparison of Empire Blvd. with the Manhattan streets mentioned above is valid. Vanderbilt Ave., in Prospect Heights is a better comparison IMO and the changes there (similar to those on Empire) have worked well).
Posted by: Bob Marvin at June 30, 2009 9:42 AM
BTW, I think the City has copped out by restricting the changes on Empire to the blocks east of Bedford Ave. Empire between Bedford and Flatbush needs the same and the intersection of Flatbush Ave., Empire Blvd., and Ocean Ave. has been a nightmare as long as I can remember.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at June 30, 2009 9:45 AM
ugh!
totally agreed with Tlocane - this is a traffic nightmare.Enough with bike lanes all over the city! not EVERY avenue and street can be made to accomadate a small transo minority.
CMU - you might be a responsible cyclist, but for the most part many aren't and they ride the wrong way, don't stop for traffic lights, run stop signs when they should slow down and allow pedestrians who are at the corner ready to cross first go.
Posted by: gemini10 at June 30, 2009 11:14 AM
Is there someone keeping stats on the car/bike/ped accident rate?
Posted by: pig three at June 30, 2009 10:31 PM
I have called the police dept on a few occasions asking this exact question. I was told they have very few stats. I asked if there were plans to implement collecting these stats and he basically said he had no idea. I got the distinct feeling he wasn't at all interested.
My building has experienced a lot of cyclist and pedestrian accidents on our south corner ... ped/motorist, ped/cyclist and cyclist/motorist. When we lobbied to get a stop sign on the north corner of our building to help slow down traffic, we had several board members and city politicians study the traffic and increased number of accidents. It took quite a few years to get the additional stop sign; but we continued to experience a lot of accidents.
Cops would sit in patrol cars and ticket cars that ran the stop sign, but never ticketed cyclists that ran the stop sign or ride the wrong way on our one-way streets. I saw a cyclist run the stop sign and turn the wrong way on the one-way street right in front of a parked patrol car and the cops didn't even try to stop the cyclist. I and another neighbor asked the cops why and they said it wasn't an important enough issue for them. The very next week I witnessed an elderly woman hit by a cyclist and sent flying.
I guess until someone gets killed, it will never be important enough!
Posted by: tlocane at July 1, 2009 9:29 AM
With the right planning, there is room on the road for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. Pedestrians are notorious for jaywalking and cyclists do not often obey the traffic signals but if hit by either, the victim will more than likely survive. Although most motor vehicle drivers do obey the traffic rules, an accidental encounter with one can be lethal which is why enforcement is a priority.
Pedestrians clearly always have the right of way. Both cyclists and motor vehicles have to yield to them and of course should be considerate of each other. It is true that in the past, enforcement of the traffic rules for cyclists was lacking but you will see more of it in the near future.
I have found the one lane situation on Vanderbilt to be quite pleasant and it is my professional opinion that it slows drivers down. I think the same will happen on Empire. The drawback which was mentioned by a previous poster is that emergency service vehicles may be slowed down slightly when responding to an incident.
Posted by: Chosen at July 1, 2009 5:36 PM
Chosen,
What is your profession? Curious because you are providing us with your "professional opinion".
Posted by: pig three at July 1, 2009 10:22 PM
tlocane,
You might have the answer to this one... any idea how many tax dollars were spent creating all these bike lanes?
Posted by: pig three at July 1, 2009 10:26 PM
p 3 ... no I don't know how much the city has spent; but that's a great question.
I read something about the cost and if I recall correctly, it was a high number. I will try and research it and report back if I find the answer.
Posted by: tlocane at July 1, 2009 11:02 PM
I live near Empire and I am very pleased about these changes. Empire is a fairly wide road which sees little traffic, which encourages drivers to speed. That makes it more dangerous for everyone. I am hoping they will do something similar on Rogers Avenue - the speeding is completely out of control, and there have been many dramatic (and in some cases fatal) accidents as a result.
Posted by: geekspice at July 2, 2009 1:43 PM
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