Bike Lane Wars Abound
The Brooklyn Paper is chock full of stories about bike lane conflict today. First up is more drama surrounding the new lanes on Prospect Park West. As you may recall, DOT’s decision to axe one lane of car traffic to make way for a two-way bike lane was done despite opposition by Marty Markowitz and…
The Brooklyn Paper is chock full of stories about bike lane conflict today. First up is more drama surrounding the new lanes on Prospect Park West. As you may recall, DOT’s decision to axe one lane of car traffic to make way for a two-way bike lane was done despite opposition by Marty Markowitz and many others in the driver camp. Now, it turns out, some pedestrians who are used to only having to look one way before crossing are up in arms. Meanwhile, down in Bay Ridge, Community Board 10 voted earlier this week against two new proposed bike lanes. “The city is bent on taking away driving lanes for cars,” said Allen Bortnick, a member of Community Board 10. “We are not going to be able to live with this comfortably.”
we desperately need some public service announcements regarding cycling in the city – its benefits for the environment, health, the ability to decrease congestion in an already crowded city and general safety awareness of bicycle riding. i totally appreciate the addition of these bike lanes. when riding my bike with my 2 year old in tow, i am vigilant and hyper defensive, constantly fearing that a door will open up or a truck sideswiping us. i have a car but prefer to take the bike for bringing her to daycare or nearby neighborhood errands. we also need to raise the gas prices to what they are in other parts of the world – close to $10/gallon, and then maybe people will stop and start understanding the value of riding your bicycle and having a safe place to ride!
I’ve read your comment, tyburg. Apparently you chose to overlook the part of MY comment that cars idling or stuck in traffic are not turned off and continue to issue pollutants. I totally agree that congestion pricing may not be able to solve these problems and that is why it was an ill-conceived idea. A much better idea would be to have grossly higher registration fees for big SUVs, limos, etc. You know, the type of vehicles that Bloomberg and all the people HE respects drive around in. But then, that would mean that they would actually have to pay more to drive than the plebians that he obviously detests. And anyway, if you believe in congestion pricing, why shouldn’t it differentiate between gas savers and gas guzzlers?
jagarch @ 12:42–Still think your comment most sensible. Also wish bikers would refrain from cursing/flipping bird etc. at pedestrians. It’s low-class, and a red light is a red light. I walk and I bike but I–true old-school Brooklyn–do not drive, so I rely on public transportation quite a bit and I can report that there’s a lot of resentment at money spent on “traffic calming” and bike lanes while public transportation is being cut so severely. Having had mobility issues in the past, I find I have a lot of compassion for older folks for whom bikes are not a substitute for buses. Also, firefighters very upset because it has become so difficult to maneuver the apparatus around some of these alterations.
morralkan — There are limits to what congestion pricing can and should do… differentiating between hybrids, subcompacts, crown vics, SUVs, etc. is NOT one of them. Improving fuel efficiency does not come from a $8 fee for a bridge…. it comes from emissions standards.
Did you read my comment above? The Prius and the electric car still create CONGESTION. There are multiple parts to congestion pricing and it’s not all the environmental/health parts — but ALSO the congestion itself and the ability for COMMERCE to operate efficiently in the city… delivery trucks, etc.
(P.S. I believe the City is slowly replacing its entire fleet with hybrids etc. as they are replaced… even the NYPD is driving Nissan Altima hybrids!)
Almost got ran over by a bike going the wrong way down Berry St.
If you’re keeping score at home – today’s bonehead-move tally is:
Bikers: 1 Drivers: 1
I’m not doubting you about the uphill riders in Portland, lincolnlimestone (OK, maybe I am!), but show me some video of that. I remember driving, yes driving up those hills with a friend of mine years ago and he had to shift gears to get his car to go up there. And downhill? Hard to believe there aren’t some accidents happening with failing brakes and runaway bicycles.
No tybur6, a car is not a car is not a car. The big gas guzzlers (and the huge limos/down cars favored by Bloomberg’s favored wall st cronies cause a LOT more pollution that a prius or some subcompact. And, those town cars and limos idling for extended periods while waiting for their wealthy clients cause a lot more pollution that the family car parked in front of its house. If you want to have congestion pricing, then the big cars should be paying a lot more than the small ones. But Bloomie really didn’t want HIS friends to pay more for the privilege of driving around in Manhattan. If cars are stuck in traffic, they do not turn off their engines. They continue to run and produce pollution. Or perhaps you forgot that.
quote:
I guess if people like 11227 are seen as the proponents of biking then it is understandable that some would have a negative reaction. It must be nice to be a limousine liberal who can demean the choices of working class New Yorkers while jetting off to Argentina and 29 other countries.
<3 even tho you think it’s a good thing im not not babies
*rob*
Fair enough, Jaguar. But my problem is with the many people in our NYC community who can and do afford to jet all over the place (most of mine is required for work) and still drive all over and hate the bikers and new bike lanes. Those are the folks I have a beef with. No pun intended.