The Re-Painted-Over Bedford Bike Lane
Over the weekend, we went to check out the DOT’s Bedford Avenue bike-lane-blackout handiwork ourselves. As you will recall, first there was a bike lane that ran through the heavily Hasidic section of South Williamsburg, then DOT painted over it as a result of a back-room political deal made by the mayor with religious leaders,…
Over the weekend, we went to check out the DOT’s Bedford Avenue bike-lane-blackout handiwork ourselves. As you will recall, first there was a bike lane that ran through the heavily Hasidic section of South Williamsburg, then DOT painted over it as a result of a back-room political deal made by the mayor with religious leaders, then some bicycle safety activists painted it back, then DOT painted over it again. Yesterday there was a mock funeral procession to mourn its loss. Have we heard the last of the issue?
Yeshiva World says that the bike lane removal was one of a number of last-minute promises by Bloomberg to get out the Hassidic vote…
http://theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/43051/Op-Ed:+Bloomberg+Played+Jewish+Voters+for+Fools.html
When I was younger and rode a bike, there were no bike lanes and we rode wherever we wanted. Bike lane or not, if a cyclists wants to go up a certain street, they will.
wha ditto? I barely ever see cyclists on the sidewalk, and when i do, its never where there’s a bike lane
What’s also absurd is how quickly DOT acted on this issue while real street hazards go unrepaired for months on end.
dave, you don’t mention if you value rat’s asses or not in your statement. if you value rat’s asses, i can only assume then that you care about bikers.
I don’t see what the problem is. NYC cyclists ride on the sidewalk not the road.
Despite not gin=ving a rat’s ass about bikers, I have to agree with zinka.
What’s absurd is the Hasidim being able to convince Bloomberg to remove a safety improvement based on no actual reasoning.
What’s absurd is expecting bikes to detour to Flushing Ave by the BQE exit, an incredibly dangerous area, to cater to the whims of these urban Amish.
What’s absurd is these people thinking they have any right to control who goes through their neighborhood on public streets, regardless of how they dress.
What’s really absurd — and scary — is that now they think that with the bike lane removed, bikes no longer have a right to ride on the street (totally wrong), and are therefore acting aggressively and trying to force bikes off the road.
You haven’t heard? Bloomberg and members of the Hasidic community thinking of the greater good, have contributed the funds. 😉