Politics Trump Sanity in Bedford Bike Lane Battle
If you’re looking for a sign of the Hasidic community’s political clout in this town, look no further than the removal of 14 blocks of bike lanes on Bedford Avenue in South Williamsburg yesterday. As reported on both Gothamist and StreetsBlog, DOT was out sandblasting off the white lines that used to protect bikers on…
If you’re looking for a sign of the Hasidic community’s political clout in this town, look no further than the removal of 14 blocks of bike lanes on Bedford Avenue in South Williamsburg yesterday. As reported on both Gothamist and StreetsBlog, DOT was out sandblasting off the white lines that used to protect bikers on this central thoroughfare through North Brooklyn. As you may recall, the matter first reared its head last summer when some members of the local Hasidic community protested the bike lane on the grounds that some of the bicyclists who frequented it were too scantily clad; another argument floated against the bike lane had to do with “the large number of schools, stores and religious institutions.” StreetsBlog notes that the Mayor reportedly cut several deals with the leaders of the Hasidic community to gain their support. Circumstantially it looks like this was one of them.
City To Remove 14 Blocks Of Bike Lanes On Bedford Ave. [Gothamist]
DOT Sandblasts 14 Blocks of Bike Lane [StreetsBlog]
Photo by Elizabeth Press
bfarwell- they are not a cult, unless you want to classify right wing christians as cults. And I beg to differ re whether the comment is “douchey” or antisemitic. You condemn a whole group of people based on their cultural/religious affinity? It’s antisemitic.
It also points up the fact that there is a huge amount of ignorance about Hasidim and a lot of the language sounds way too much like what I used to hear from people about Blacks. Someone told me how they were all dirty housekeepers. Well- I’ve had the honor of being in the houses of many Black people and you could eat off their floors. Let’s just say people who make blanket derogatory statements about those they really don’t know anything about are better off not saying anything.
Suburbandude- don’t get me wrong. I do not like their politics nor do I agree with their interpretation of judaism. They are extremist followers of a mainstream religion. The one derogatory blanket statement I will make, is that I hate extremists.
Dr Dean Franklin – 1
Bike lane haters – 0
If you are coming from Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, or many of the other neighborhoods to the immediate south, East or West, Bedford is the easiest way to get to the Williamsburg Bridge, and to Williamsburg in general. Franklin is the best for the other direction, with Nostrand and Kent as other less desirable options. I doubt removing the lanes will impact the number of riders. Bedford is still the straightest and easiest route to the bridge. I bike it every day, and will continue to do so, lane or not. That’s probably why the city put the lanes there – it’s where people are already biking.
I think the thing that people don’t get about bike lanes is that they also benefit drivers and pedestrians. Biking in NYC (and elsewhere) is only going to increase in the future. Bike lanes are an attempt to try to exert some control over where and how people bike. It’s a first step towards trying to create some rules and norms in what has largely been a pretty chaotic and lawless form of transportation in NYC. If there’s a bikelane and you are biking outside of it, you can actually get a ticket. But if there’s no bike lane… then it’s ALL bike lane.
“Bikers run lights left and right endangering life’s”
life’s what?
Anyone who has ever enjoyed the small comfort of feeling like maybe the cars won’t pass within a few inches of your left leg knows why bike lanes are awesome. Cars have the exoskeleton of the car (which will damage other cars, buildings, people – whatever it runs into) but a bike and bicyclist don’t. The only reason we need bike lanes at all is to keep drivers from hitting cyclists – it’s not like it cleans the exhausty air for us or anything.
So when there IS room to paint a little line saying “yo, cars, stay over here away from that soft flesh” it should be done. One more person on a bike is one less on your crowded subway car, one less person honking at a light because of traffic.
Roads are not car-specific (most in NYC were built for horses, no?) so ease up car-drivers (like I used to be before my vehicle was destroyed while parked) obey those traffic laws, and peacefully co-exist please.
Bxgirl – they are a cult. Do you know what happens to a member who decides to leave? Total ostracization, loss of all friends and loss of all family (you are considered dead). I’m not talking about leaving Judaism, I’m just talking about leaving the sect.
And why do you think they educate the kids in Yiddish? Keeps them in the fold. Do the women have a choice not to have fewer than seven kids?
(I don’t place the Lubavitch in the same category as the Satmar and the other fanatical sects).
You’re all ageists!!
>> Weirdos. WEIRDOS. WEIRDY BEARDY WEIRDOS.
Wait, was that in reference to the hassidim or the hipsters?
Posted by: bfarwell at December 2, 2009 1:28 PM
Heh heh.
>> your comment is truly Antisemitic.
Dunno, I think you can call hassidim dirty and smelly or whatever without hating jews generally. no? Maybe a ‘douchy’ comment, or ‘bigoted’ comment, but not generally antisemitic. A lot of fundamentalists find liberal members of their religious group to be slutty westernized hedonists, but that doesn’t make them biased against their own religious group, right?