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.”
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What is with Park Slope?! Why does my car seem to get new dents whenever I park it there for more than a few hours?
it’s probably just pissy biketards passive aggressively taking our their insecurities on your car by denting it (of course they will only do this when no one is looking im sure)?
*rob*
“By the way, DH, in defense of my 12-year old Plymouth… the old girl actually still gets better gas mileage than most cars on the market to day. Sad really.”
Haha – just playin Ty. The only thing that confuses me more than driving in the city is driving around a crazy expensive, sexy car in the city.
Benson,
I think the problem lies with the fact that to me it’s common sense to ride a bike (if it makes sense for you) and encourage that instead of clogging up our streets with fossil fuel using vehicles.
It doesn’t seem like something to fight about or that I should have to persuade someone to do. That’s really the sad (and frustrating) part is that we have to persuade ANYONE to do what’s right for the planet (not to mention the traffic). Why is it OK to outlaw smoking outside a restaurant because you don’t want to breathe in 2nd hand smoke, but I have to breathe in your car exhaust since you hate the bike lane so much?
That doesn’t mean I’m suggesting that we get rid of cars or highways, but when there’s this much of a fight over a bike lane when there’s already two designated lanes for cars and two lanes for car parking, it really just shows a total sense of ignorance by those who are rallying against the bikers who now have one strip of green paint to call their own. The anti-bikers are irrational and out of touch. Plain and simple.
don’t think so Joe. shockingly, I bet all of them actually enjoyed going uphill on the way home. With a decent bike, going uphill is actually fun. You can go at whatever pace you like.
While Seattle is not nearly as bike a bike town as Portland, there are many bikers around town going up the really steep hills. Some in suits, some in dockers, . . . .
im not pro car at all. which is hello WHY I NEVER EVEN got my license! drivers can insane, but people on bikes are just downright obnoxious. and im saying that, and im not even THAT old
*rob*
When I bike over the bridge in thr morning I see the the group of bike riders as a pretty diverse group. Actually a pretty large percentage are African American males from my guestimation.
Jaguar – your well thought out, factual posts have no place here. Please keep them to 30 words or less, and try to add a few ad-hominem attacks for good measure. 😉
“I personallly prefer to cycle on streets without bike lanes or have people forgotten that you don’t actually need a bike lane to legally ride your bike on any street in NYC? As a driver, I see the bike lanes as a nonissue, and generally see cyclists as a nonissue as both a driver and pedestrian.”
I agree with this 100%. There are only a few streets that I feel unsafe riding on that I really can’t avoid (Flushing Ave please stand up).
Lots of the streets bike lanes have been installed on really didn’t need them (although the PPW one sounds like a good call)
Since they reworked the new Kent Ave bike lane, there are alot more people on bikes traveling at really slow paces, joggers, skateboarders and people who think they are sidewalk extensions.
The bike lane in Manhattan (on 8th Ave i think) that has the partition is a joy to ride on though.
By the way, DH, in defense of my 12-year old Plymouth… the old girl actually still gets better gas mileage than most cars on the market to day. Sad really.
Oh, that and I don’t care it has some dents… mostly from being parked in Park Slope. What is with Park Slope?! Why does my car seem to get new dents whenever I park it there for more than a few hours? In fact, I believe ALL of the dents in my car are from parking in Park Slope!
(And my apologies for being off topic… )
Yes, it’s downhill on the way to work but no one pushes their bike home.
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Actually Lincoln, I bet many of them didn’t ride back up the hill, but simply put their bike on the bike rack in the front of the bus. Rad!