Kent Avenue Bike Lane Issue Reaching Boiling Point
Emotions are running high in Williamsburg over the future of some recently installed bike lanes along Kent Avenue. Some residents claim that the lanes make it unreasonably difficult to do things like drop off their kids, while bike activists point to the safety and environmental benefits. Things came to a head at the CB1 meeting…
Emotions are running high in Williamsburg over the future of some recently installed bike lanes along Kent Avenue. Some residents claim that the lanes make it unreasonably difficult to do things like drop off their kids, while bike activists point to the safety and environmental benefits. Things came to a head at the CB1 meeting this week, reports Gothamist, after a pro-bike-lane board member was ousted by the chair of the executive committee. More.
“I’ve never seen a good looking hipster OR Hasidic guy; certainly not a hot one, ever, ever, ever.”
agree, and oddly, i’ve often mistaken one for the other, both ways. seen vintage-clothing clad bearded guys i thought were hipsters, but then noticed their tzitzit (prayer strings). seen black suit long haired bearded guys in ‘hipster’ bars that were just regular, uh, hipsters.
either way, bushy beards = ugly.
The meeting this week was mainly about the firing of the transportation committee chair, not directly about the greenway/bike lanes. A lot of people spoke in support of the chair (and the bike lanes), but the board isn’t changing its support for the greenway. (The Board hasn’t done a good job of making that clear, though.)
The current bike lanes are a precursor to a future greenway; the CB endorsed the greenway proposal, but never took a position on the interim bike lane arrangement. DOT made a royal mess of the bike lane implementation, and the CB is on record noting the problems with the implementation, and asking DOT to address those problems. The Toro imbroglio was a result of a letter sent out by the board chairman, which some took as a reversal of position on bike lanes.
The two biggest issues are residential parking south of Broadway and businesses along the entire Kent Ave. route. The parking is really only an issue at Schaefer Landing – there is no parking/standing in front of the building, and there is very little side street parking in the immediate vicinity (there is a lot of parking a block or two away, and DOT has been adding more). There is a parking garage on site, but a lot of residents in the affordable units can’t afford that. Those residents also are not allowed to use the building’s off-street driveway unless they have a garage space.
(There was also a problem for a private girls’ school at South 9th – DOT has added a bus loading zone in front of that. Problem solved.)
For businesses, the hardship is much more immediate – and economic. Technically, trucks can’t stop to make deliveries, and customers can’t stop to make pick ups. DOT has added some side street loading areas, which is some help. But for a business that takes delivery of equipment that is weighed in tons, its nowhere near ideal. There are businesses (both stores and fabricators) all up and down the east side of Kent, many of whom have driveways that they can no longer park in front. There is going to be a lot more retail once the new developments come on line (from North 3 to the north).
Basically, DOT promised to do all sorts of things to ameliorate these problems. They just never told anyone that they’d get around to ameliorating the problem AFTER they had installed the bike lanes.
Interesting billyboomer – i’ll admit i never go down there but from all this fuss i assumed it was a booming street down there. then this all does seem really silly.
south of bridge is a dead zone. no retail, a few residential blds, navy yard, dead zone.
Well, to keep things evenly hated, I’ve never seen a good looking hipster OR Hasidic guy; certainly not a hot one, ever, ever, ever.
Yes, bxgrl, but my point is that there may be a level of hysteria here.
On Carroll St where Berkeley-Carroll school is, there’s a 3-4 car zone no parking for the school. It’s waay not enough. Inevitably, btw 8:15 and 8:40, there’ll be a line of double parked cars while parents bid a 30-second fond farewell to their kids, thereby completely stopping traffic.
I have NEVER seen any ticketing, nor do I completely think there should be. If you’re stupid enough to drive onto Carroll from 6th Av at this time, you deserve to cool your heels a while.
So if the city is ticketing for brief stops in no-parking zones when schools are letting in or out, take THAT up with the city.
On the other hand, I have much more sympathy for stores and their loading problems.
“I find this whole thing terribly entertaining. The cities two sacred cows going to battle with each other. And daveinbedstuy wins, hipsters are all incredibly ugly and I wouldn’t want them in my neighborhood either.”
Hey Man, that really hurts.
“hot hipster ass” is an oxymoron, both female and even more so, male!!!!”
Sorry Dave – There’s nothing I find more appealing then a girl with choppy bangs and a full tattoo sleeve. To each his own!
“Who stops on Kent Ave to drop off their kids or unload cars? This makes no sense. The buildings going up most of them are not finished, and will have I assume parking. Bike people are kind of lame, but the argument for the cars, there is no reason to stop on Kent Ave, is even lamer. ”
I think the issue is on Kent, south of the Williamsburg bridge where Kent has more retail and residences.
I find this whole thing terribly entertaining. The cities two sacred cows going to battle with each other. And daveinbedstuy wins, hipsters are all incredibly ugly and I wouldn’t want them in my neighborhood either.