Closing Bell: New Bike Lane and Parking Cuts on Dekalb
We were pleased as punch to notice the new bike lane addition on Dekalb Avenue. There has been one for a while between Cumberland and Ashland–the new addition now extends the lane from Cumberland well up into Fort Greene. (Anyone know exactly how far it goes?) While this is great news, we got an email…
We were pleased as punch to notice the new bike lane addition on Dekalb Avenue. There has been one for a while between Cumberland and Ashland–the new addition now extends the lane from Cumberland well up into Fort Greene. (Anyone know exactly how far it goes?) While this is great news, we got an email from a resident of Dekalb describing a perhaps unintended consequence of a simultaneous elimination of parking on the north side of Dekalb between Hall and Adelphi streets.
This parking restriction, (“No Standing 7 am – 10 am 4 pm – 7 pm”) may not have resulted in the desired outcome: Traffic on these tree lined brownstone blocks of DeKalb Ave. has speeded up to what appears to be 50 MPH, traveling in three unimpeded lanes. Cars drive in the newly painted bike lane at high speed until they encounter a bicyclist and merge back in. The new B38 Limited bus also barrels up the far right hand lane of DeKalb Ave. at a substantially increased speed. While the intent MAY have been lane reduction and traffic calming, this has had just the opposite effect. There appears to be MORE automobile traffic on Dekalb, moving much faster using all three lanes. Cars in the bus lane – just 10 feet from my front door – are traveling at what seems to be 50 miles an hour or more. During rush hour, it’s like living on the Belt Parkway.
Have others noticed this as well?
“I notice that I make decisions based on not having a car…shop locally, for instance, walk, bike, get things delivered, etc.”
LOL You have no choice. keep it real.
The same no it alls who are car bashing, are the same fools renting those zip cars on the weekends and effing up the flow of traffic.
FYI: Map of Brooklyn Bike lanes & paths…
http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/brooklyn-bike-map/
12:32, having a kid or kids is hardly a sufficient reason to have a car, it’s quite easy to manage without one, unless you have a brood.
Used a stroller for the first couple of years, then I schlepped my son around on the back of my bike for short trips until he was 6, then he got his own bike. Use car service for the occasional trip at night or far away.
I notice that I make decisions based on not having a car…shop locally, for instance, walk, bike, get things delivered, etc.
It’e been a very pleasant 3 years sans car.
I walk from St. James to Flatbush on Dekalb almost every morning, and I’ve noticed a slight increase in the number of bikes using the new lane. It isn’t very well marked yet though. And I don’t think that traffic is going FASTER down Dekalb – cars always speed by between Classon (after they break out from the single lane created by police parking) and the stoplight at Hall/St. James. And cops RARELY ticket them. And they NEVER ticket them for driving/parking in the bike lane. The blocks between the Hospital and Flatbush are the WORST because people always double park in the bike lane and I’ve never seen anyone get a warning or a ticket (and there are two lanes for cars there).
I agree that they should have built the bike lane on the inside of the parked cars – like in Amsterdam.
10:49 there are plenty of other reasons that make owning a car the only option. I have a little one and hopefully will be blessed with more and there is no way I’m getting on a bike to tote her back and forth to childcare and the train/bus during rush hour with kids is not an option so don’t go there. When you weigh the choice between owning a car and public transportation and your regular/daily travels extend beyond a daily commute into Manhattan (or elsewhere) round-trip for work it just doesn’t make economic or common sense to rely on public transportation or a bike. Many people have cars because they need them to shuttle their children back and forth to school and run errands not because they enjoy moving them back and forth during alternate side restrictions, trolling around for a parking space, digging them out of snow, buying gas (esp. at these inflated prices), paying for the maintenance and upkeep and last but not least the damage to the environment.
The DeKalb bike lane is great! I’ve been using it to get to the Manhattan Bridge from Prospect Heights for the past week and a half. Before that I’d been taking the Bergen path as the traffic on DeKalb was just too horrendously scarey. Now if they just put a bike path along Washington….!
Only neg experience was actually around the corner on Ashland Place. Car traffic was backed up and a car used the bike lane instead. Then it got stuck behind a parked van. And almost squashed me in between the two.
Try renting a pickup truck from zipcar whenever you need to move that sheetrock.
You’ll save a bunch of cash over owning a car too.
NYC is not a good place to own a car.
I agree with cmu, here. The way they have the bike lane set up you’re liable to be swiped by someone getting out of the passenger door when riding down the lane. Not very smart.
I, too have noticed that Dekalb has become a speedway, much like Lafayette is now. I can’t tell you how many times I have see really bad collisions at Lafayette and Clinton. (I am on Clinton between Lafayette and Greene.) Now I have one more street to be afraid to cross.
Being a Brit I think they should have a speed trap installed on Dekalb (as well as Lafayette.) A nice little photo of the perp with their license plate number and voila! Post them a speeding ticket.
I agree with a commenter above. The bike lanes should be placed next to the curb. I was recently in Budapest and that is what they have there. And it works very well. There are a lot of bicycles in Budapest. I was quite surprised. Also on some of the larger sidewalks bike lanes are installed. I recall that the same was in Amsterdam though I haven’t been there in over 20 years. . . I’m 63 and it’s getting harder and harder to ride on Brooklyn Avenues –especially downtown–as I’m not as agile or quick as I used to be. We need better bike lanes and better policing of them