Lime Green Bike Lanes: Garish or Gorgeous?
The Department of Transportation is testing colors that would make bike lanes more visible to motorists, and they started with a strip of green in Brooklyn Heights — on Henry Street between Clark and Montague. Folks are already debating this color choice on StreetsBlog, where some are calling it “Gorgeous!” and others are calling it…
The Department of Transportation is testing colors that would make bike lanes more visible to motorists, and they started with a strip of green in Brooklyn Heights — on Henry Street between Clark and Montague. Folks are already debating this color choice on StreetsBlog, where some are calling it “Gorgeous!” and others are calling it “insane lime-neon green.” We’re all for bike safety, but we think that a more muted color could still stand out against the pavement — and might be more appropriate for brownstone-lined blocks. Can somebody call Benjamin Moore and let him know that there’s a demand for street paint in the soft tones of his Historical Colors collection? —KZ
High-Visibility Bike Lanes in Brooklyn [StreetsBlog]
Colorful Lane Could Keep Bikers Safer [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]
Photo by McBrooklyn
For the record, there is no excuse for a cyclist that hits a pedestrian, even if they are jaywalking–or doing anything else for that matter.
The may be no stated “right of way” rule for this, but it’s only common sense that pedestrians come first.
Again, I and the majority of cyclists are vigilant with this regard. For those that are not, maybe there should be consequences, especially if a collision occurs.
awesome. most of you so worried about the conformist palette of “Brownstone” neighborhoods have plenty of the other green (money), so spare us the griping. Safety– or at least an honest attempt at same– first.
or, ok: safety second: first let’s scorn the histrionic anti-cyclist posters. yes, i’ve never seen anyone wait for a red light crossing Atlantic, Flatbush, 4th Avenue, Rogers Avenue, Ralph Avenue, Wilson Avenue, Flushing, 86th St, Avenue U, Pitkin Ave, King’s Highway, Glenwood Road, Conduit Avenue, etc. (or are some of these not “Brownstone”?)
thanks for keeping a sharp look out anyway.
Can I also add that I think it’s great this conversation is happening here (and with a mostly civil tone :).
Part of the reason this is such an issue is that, despite the wonderful efforts of groups like Transportation Alternatives (rah rah!), there simply hasn’t been enough discussion and education to keep up with the exploding numbers of city cyclists in the last few years.
As Fat Bike Mom so articulately pointed out above, people–cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers–don’t know all the rules and aren’t as aware of each other as they should be. Cyclists on Brooklyn Bridge don’t yell at pedestrians because they’re mean and aggressive (mostly;)–they do it because the faded ground markings and inadequate signage mean pedestrians don’t know they’re causing a hazard in a dedicated bike line.
The city’s made HUGE improvements in improving bicycle conditions (I see a tremendous difference from when I started riding 8 years ago), but I still think they could do more. (And no, I’m not saying this is an excuse for people to ride recklessly in the meantime…)
Having worked in an oral surgeical practice for many years, I can tell you
lots of folks get run down by careless cyclists, lots of times on sidewalks…
the injuries were very serious, broken jaws, front teeth smashed out, orbital fractures…
I think that cyclists need to be better educated in how to ride safely in city streets…
I’m going to be biking home on this street tonight, so I’m glad to see it.
I do think Fat Bike Mom has a point re: the recognizable symbolism of street signage. The best color would have been the same forest[?] green that is used for the city bike lane signs. Then you’d have consistency of symbolism, and it would still be very visible.
But better this than nothing. I’m all for it.
I’m going to be biking home on this street tonight, so I’m glad to see it.
I do think Fat Bike Mom has a point re: the recognizable symbolism of street signage. The best color would have been the same forest[?] green that is used for the city bike lane signs. Then you’d have consistency of symbolism, and it would still be very visible.
But better this than nothing. I’m all for it.
motorists respond better to the color red (green means go, after all)…red would look nicer too…
I drive a car more than I should but probably ride my bike over 50 miles a week. Sometimes for exercise. Sometimes for errands.
I ride very safely becuase I know that my own life is on the line. I wear a helmet. I use lights at night.
But when cars aren’t coming, I don’t stop at lights. To all the whiners out there, I know this is a really hard concept to grasp, but get over it. It is exactly like jaywalking and I know you, like any new yorker, do it safely all the time.
(BTW, my grandmother got a ticket for jaywalking in NYC in the 40s. I invite you to encourage cops to start enforcing this again.)
I look both ways obsessively and never take a risk that would affect me or anyone driving a car. While cars can KILL people, I understand that an errant cyclist can cause an accident for others.
As a driver, I myself have had to avoid hitting cyclists b/c of the unnecessary risks they take, but this is not how the vast majority of people ride–for the reasons stated above.
All I can say is, as a pedestrian, I’ve been hit twice by bikes and not once by a car. Just because bike collisions don’t kill people doesn’t give bikers the right to ignore red lights or use sidewalks.