Possible Perils of the Sands Street Bike Path
The Sands Street bike bath, the slick new route for bicyclists entering or exiting the Manhattan Bridge, only opened this summer, and already there are problems. Last week, Gothamist rreported that the raised portion of the bike bath between Navy and Gold has proven to be irresistible to illegal parkers; in addition, Transportation Alternatives notes…
The Sands Street bike bath, the slick new route for bicyclists entering or exiting the Manhattan Bridge, only opened this summer, and already there are problems. Last week, Gothamist rreported that the raised portion of the bike bath between Navy and Gold has proven to be irresistible to illegal parkers; in addition, Transportation Alternatives notes bicyclists often make dangerous diagonal crossings when dealing with the double crosswalks at Sands and Jay where the bridge path lets out. The project isn’t complete yet, and the DOT told Streetsblog that they are working on both of these issues. GMAP
Double Parkers Gravitate into Sands Street Bike Path [Streetsblog]
New Sands Street Bike Lane Perfect for Cable Guy Parking! [Gothamist]
Photo by Gothamist
Ditmas:
seriously dude how many cyclists respect the rules of the road???
I mean really?!?!?!
how many times do you see some silly cyclist go through a red light, not stop at a stop sign, or just travel the wrong way up the avenue/street?
not saying drivers respect every rule
but you will be a lot more hard-pressed to find a driver deliberately going through a red light b/c he feels “well, no one is really coming, I can make it”….
Tybur – there’s no place for research and facts when blogging about cyclists. this bike lane sucks and all cyclists are self entitled assholes.
Ummm… Hey everyone!
Do you know WHY the DOT built this bike lane!? Have you ever stopped to think about it?!
It’s because they conducted a TRAFFIC STUDY and COUNTED the number of bicycles using the bridge. Using it for EVERYDAY COMMUTING, not for “happy sunny Saturday exercise.” The DOT determined that the bike lane would improve access to the bridge for bicycles… improve safety, traffic flow, etc.
This was posted not that long ago on THIS blog: “Manhattan Bridge bicycle commuters have increased from 829 in 2005 to 2,232 currently.”
Or is 2,232 not a significant amount of traffic?
Cash 4 clunkers had nothing to do with NYC.
NYC is one of the few places in America where you can live a comfortable modern lifestyle without a car.
Another thing why push for more car purchases(cash 4 clunkers) then throw in all these new bike lanes? just plain dumb to me.
Amens to denton and lincolnlimestone.
That street is the major feeder into the Manhattan Bridge north side bike path. Without safe access to the bridge, many cyclists choose to take the Brooklyn Bridge, which has a much safer approach. Cyclist should avoid the BB if possible.
Sands street rarely has much vehicular traffic on it, but because of the on ramps for the BQE, is very, very dangerous for bikers on the road. This bike path is very useful.
Additionally, there is room to double park on the road. It’s just not as room as a beautiful new bike path.
I and thousands of New Yorkers ride every day of the year to work. It’s thousands of less people in our subway every day. Enjoy the space anti-bike curmudgeons.
I was recently in Munich and saw the city entirely by bike. No one wears a helmet, including the many older women who ride. The major difference – respect for bikers. In America we’re still digging out of the hole we created in the car-centric 20th century – both with design and people’s attitudes.
Funny, ML, much of Europe has similar climatic conditions if not worse and cycles are integrated into the traffic flow. In fact Copenhagen is considered the most bike-friendly major city in the world.
The whole idea of bicycling in NYC is really overblown. One has to place it in its proper perspective. On pleasant dry days on the weekends cycling can be fun and a good way to get exercize. But as a daily thing or an alternative to cars or mass transit it is impractical. For one thing, NY has lousy weather most of the time. It’s rainy or icy or freezing when it isn’t humid and unbearibly hot. It is also one of the most crowded cities in the world so it can be a dangerous activity. Not just for the cyclists but also for pedestrians or for people doing nothing more than trying to exit a cab. We need to put ideology at bay and re-think, in a dispassioned and rational manner, how cycling does and does not fit within the rest of this crowded and hectic old city.