Bikes and Bodies on the Brooklyn Bridge
In the weekend New York Times, Robert Sullivan tackles the nightmare that we all know and many avoid: the Brooklyn Bridge elevated path. Designated half pedestrian walkway, half bike lane, the white line separating the two is never enough. Tourists often wander across the line with cameras glued to their faces, unaware of the cyclists…
In the weekend New York Times, Robert Sullivan tackles the nightmare that we all know and many avoid: the Brooklyn Bridge elevated path. Designated half pedestrian walkway, half bike lane, the white line separating the two is never enough. Tourists often wander across the line with cameras glued to their faces, unaware of the cyclists zooming towards them; and cyclists, well, sometimes they zoom too much. Sullivan’s solution: instead of signs and bollards, just separate the two—give bicyclists a protected lane on the lower level, among the cars. This suggestion will surely sound unpleasant to many bicyclists: they will lack the scenic views of the upper level and it sounds like a bad deal for anyone who enjoys breathing oxygen. Sullivan resisted the idea as well, but argues that “if we bicyclists cede the Brooklyn Bridge walkway, then it might be a step toward winning the public’s respect. Then, just maybe, pedestrians would call a truce and recognize that their real enemy is the car …” It’s a respectable argument, one definitely worth mulling over, but we still voted no on the Gothamist poll asking whether bikes should be banned from the upper level (64 percent said yes at the time of writing this post).
Bicyclists vs. Pedestrians: An Armistice [NY Times]
Vote: Ban Bikes from the Brooklyn Bridge Walkway? [Gothamist]
Oh they will ban bikers from the WALKWAY, its just a matter of under what circumstance.
It can be done with thought and reason (like the op/ed piece suggests) OR it will be done as knee-jerk reaction to a tragedy that is bound to occur if the status-quo is kept.
It is easy to say it is simple (like Wasder does) – just keep to your ‘side’ BUT unfortunatly it is not that simple.
There are many orders of magnitude more pedestrians than bikers and the walkway is VERY narrow. Even if you wanted to keep to your side – sometimes it is simply not possible. Not to mention that on the Brooklyn side – pedestrians HAVE to cross the bike lane to get to the stairs (and when bikers come down the incline they are often moving (illegally) very fast.
Further since many of the pedestrians are tourists it is simply not practical to expect that no tourist will want to stop and admire the view on the ‘other side’ – and if they stop in the pedestrian lane they very well might be stampeded.
The walkway has ALWAYS been a narrow throughoufare and infact was the the scene of a terrible tragedy (involving I beleive a dozen or so fatalities and scores injured) due to crowding and panic soon after the bridge 1st opened. (1882)
Pedestrians cannot not be forced into an even smaller corridor to accommodate bicyclists going extremely fast and not expect another tragedy.
I note that if you look down while on the walkway, there is a street level wire access lane 9probably used for workmen, certainly that could be retrofitted (during the bridges reconstruction) into a protected bikeway that will be safer for the bikers and keep pedestrians safe as well. Until that time, a dedicated bike lane on the roadway (could shift sides depending on time of day) is a necessity. Do it now, or do it later, but it will be done.
Yes. Ban them.
Of course bikers should be banned. There have been so many close calls with bikers going very, very fast and almost hitting people and joggers.
Riding bikes on the sidewalk is illegal and riding bikes on the walkway should be the same. Bikes belong on the road with cars.
Not very difficult to understand.
Bikes are vehicles, when they collide with pedestrians the consequences can be nasty, especially for old people. If we can keep them apart, we should. Whether or not there is room to do this on the Brooklyn bridge, I don’t know. I know for a fact that the Pulaski bridge going from Greenpoint to LIC is a nightmare for pedestrians with bicyclists hurtling down the ramps. In that case there is more than enough room for the city to make a bike lane in one of the underused car lanes which can be separated by a concrete divider.
I know its standard pratice in the US to ride your bike on the sidewalk, but I’m still amazed its permitted. I remember get a clip round the ear from a copper back home when I rode on the sidewalk once. Having said that, I can also say NY car drivers are a lot less respectful of cyclists than in other cities. You take your life in your hands cycling in this city.
i love biking over the brooklyn bridge (not on weekends!) but it can be a bit of an obstacle course (but you gotta love seeing the city through the eyes of a tourist sometimes though).
but i suggest taking the bk bridge in in the morning (less tourists+gorgeous view) and taking the manhattan bridge back in the evening (no tourists+fast+nice view).
This would be great. No different than sharing the street with cars, and probably safer if you can separate it.
Views are not relevant- cyclists who are going to stop and ogle the skyline are in other cyclists way.
While we are at it, there should be better enforcement of the non-cycle path on the Manhattan bridge.
are bikers just too cheap to pay the 2.25 to take the subway? granted, i understand it’s good exercise (mildly), but soho is completely clogged with bikes attached and chained to EVERYTHING! you can’t even enjoy a stroll without getting knocked in the spleen from an errant handlebar. parked cars are just as annoying i guess and so are pedestrians. this thread makes my brain hurt
*rob*
we need to find some type of middle ground. The Manhattan bridge which is virtually all for cyclists just isn’t the same as the brooklyn bridge walkway. Perhaps a bike lane on the lower level of the brooklyn bridge is what cyclists need for cars to treat us as “vehicles” to which we are legally regarded as.
We can never split the brooklyn bridge walkway down the middle without people crossing. There are just too many tourists and sight-seeing people who are mesmerized by the nyc skyline (and how can we blame them!)
I’d gladly lose the scenic view to gain an unobstructed, dedicated path over Bklyn Bridge. I rarely bike over that bridge, and when I do, I’m too busy dodging tourists to enjoy myself.