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
I think there should be better enforcement of rogue bikers — perhaps there should be cops on bikes who sole task is to make bicycle traffic stops. But there should be some common sense discretion used and focus should be placed on ticketing bikers who are displaying genuine aggressive tactics. Bikers are in a position to safely evaluate intersections and cross against the light provided that they yield to any pedestrian, biker or vehicle who has a green/walk. Pedestrians should follow the same guideline. Bicyclists who fail to yield in this manner, who ride against traffic, who ride bikes without operative brakes or who ride while wearing earphones should be ticketed — they are a menace. Pedestrians who walk six paces into the street before looking up, or who walk in clearly marked bike lanes, forfeit their rights to complain about NYC bicyclists and should expect to be in a bike/ped accident at any time. Cars and trucks that drive in bike lanes, cabs that stop in bike lanes, and drivers who pass and then turn and cut off bicyclists whether in bike lanes or not should be ticketed and fined. Cars and trucks that double park in bike lanes should be towed. Cops and placard holders who use bike lanes as commuter parking should lose their jobs.
BTW, the proper way to double park for deliveries on a street with a bike lane is on the side *opposite* the lane. On narrow streets, it is preferable to have moving traffic in the bike lane than stationary traffic.
All this said, I don’t hold out much hope that people will ever share the roads very well here. But every little bit helps.
And what I am saying is that it is a two way street — if the pedestrians and cars show some respect for bicycle riders then bikers will do the same. I don’t think you ride your bike enough to be objective about this. Trust me, that once the xxx person has stepped in front of your bike and the xxx car has cut you off, opened their door in your path, zipped an inch past you, you become rather emotional about these things. It is really scary and dangerous riding a bike in this city and you don’t seem to viscerally understand this basic truth; much more dangerous and scary than being a pedestrian or car driver. But no matter, because the fact is this city will become more and more bike friendly each year and I truly hope that pedestrians and cars and bikes will learn to play well together. BTW, I spend a great deal of my life as a pedestrian (i love pedestrians) and sometime I drive a car as well so I feel that I can be pretty objective. FYI, I have never been a part of Critical Mass.
If everyone in this city jaywalks then you would not see anyone standing on the curb waiting for the walk sign.
Oh but you do. You see scores of them at any given moment. That’s not too hard to understand is it?
I’m sorry, but the “vast majority” of walkers do not obey the law. There is no basis for this assertion.
EVERYONE in this city jaywalks. And they rarely look for bikes when the do. I can’t tell you how many people are shocked when I’m coming through an intersection (with the light) and get indignant when I warn them that I’m coming.
MOST drivers make illegal lane changes. I’m sure you’ve noticed this too.
Bikers are demonized because most people haven’t ridden one in the city and are stuck in a suburban auto mindset. It’s not because we break the rules. It’s lack of understanding for why the rules are broken.
Make the color more subdued, and put in a “rumble strip” between the car lane and the bike lane, so the car drivers will hear when they are drifting into the bike lane. (I think installing the rumble strip would require repaving, however.)
This is a color and concept intended to SAVE LIVES. Why does it matter if any of you think it’s garish? This is the most yuppie post I’ve ever seen on this site, and that’s saying a lot.
12:36
What I am saying is very simple:
Some salkers jay walk (break the law).
Some drivers break the law.
A lot of bikers break the law.
More walkers are put in danger by both bikes and cars than bikes are put in danger by walkers.
The vast majority of walkers obey traffic signals as do the vast majority of drivers. The vast majority of bikers do not. Just look at the number of ppl complaining about bikers here.
I bike in the city and I can be objective enough (as a biker) to admit that a majority of bikers give the minority a bad rep and this goes against them when it comes to getting what they need. Just witness the police treatment of bikers. Clean up your act first and I bet relations with police will improve.
Try riding a bicycle in central Paris.
Ha! They would kill you in about five minutes.
-Or try painting a big green stripe in one of the nicer residential distrcits.
Agree would be nice if NY were easier for bicycling.
Yet get to keep your comparsion in persepective. Amsterdam, Copenhagen are much smaller cities to begin with.
And cities are much older with the street grid patterns and wide streets /avenues that are much more auto accomodating here in NYC.