PPW Bike Lane Friend and Foe Voice Opinions
The dust-up over the Prospect Park West bike lane refuses to die. Today the Brooklyn Paper has op-eds from Councilman Brad Lander about why he thinks the Prospect Park West bike lane is a success and Louise Hainline, a member of Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes, covering her opinions on why the lane is problematic….
The dust-up over the Prospect Park West bike lane refuses to die. Today the Brooklyn Paper has op-eds from Councilman Brad Lander about why he thinks the Prospect Park West bike lane is a success and Louise Hainline, a member of Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes, covering her opinions on why the lane is problematic. From Lander’s: “Yes, there has been controversy. But it’s time to accept the facts: Extensive data show the project is a success. The community board asked for it. The vast majority of neighborhood residents support it. The Department of Transportation is proposing a few modifications to make it work even better. Prospect Park West is safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and even drivers.” From Hainline’s: “Under the guise of ‘traffic calming,’ and ignoring other viable alternatives, the city removed an automobile lane, thereby causing congestion as well as significant air and noise pollution. When drivers drop off elderly and disabled passengers and local businesses access customers on Prospect Park West, a busy thoroughfare is reduced to a single lane.” Perhaps Hainline’s argument would be a bit more persuasive if she had stuff like actual data backing it up…
Lander: The Bike Lane is Working [BK Paper]
Hainline: There’s a Better Path Than This [BK Paper]
Photo by swimfast.
The bike lanes are empty, the street is packed with cars. One percent of New Yorkers bike and probably less in February. I thought it interesting that the bike lane was plowed but the playground at 9th St. wasn’t. It is obvious where the misplaced priorities are.
oh by ‘watch out for pets’ you meant ‘.. out for your pets’, makes more (syntactical) sense.
Seriously, though, all this is so overblown! Have you ever been to any large city outside the US? With a total mix of uncontrolled traffic, peds, and what have you? And if a biker is going too fast, yell at him to slow down. As I would.
to cmu> actually it is hard to see bikes at 11PM when they don’t have lights and are traveling quickly. I’m not stupid – I definitely have no problems looking to both sides.
When I mentioned riding my bike watching for pets – yes if you are going along the path at a pretty good speed sometimes dogs on leashes can move into the path way quickly without much notice. I was always worried about my dog getting in the way of a bike on the sidewalk and am still watchful of the traffic on the lanes. Also now pets (and kids) get out of their vehicles on the park side – not fearful of cars but should be aware of cyclists on the path – again the speeds now are a bit faster than we would typically see on the sidewalks.
Personally I don’t view the bikes as the safety issue per se – any more than they were safety issues before. My main concern is the narrow travel lanes and awkward visibility when crossing the streets now.
>As a pedestrian I do find that some of the bikes are moving more quickly and not enough have lights to warn you of their approach
You can’t SEE a bike? How do you ever cross the street? I’m tired of these arcane arguments about how difficult it is to cross 8′ of pavement with the occasional bike going by.
And ‘watch out for pets’?!! Those greyhounds whizzing by? Those strung-out hamsters about to run you over? Those supercharged hares loping along?
I walk and drive on PPW regularly. The road was a race-track when there 3 lanes available for cars. The traffic calming effect of the bike lane seems entirely appropriate. Sure, it’s an adjustment for some drivers. DOT could also do a better job of painting the lanes where traffic turns right onto PPW from GAP. But it’s an improvement. Opponents of the bike lane just aren’t going to convince me that pedestrians are more at risk from bikes than cars. Come off it!
Agree that bikers who ride at night without lights are dangers to themselves and others. Many of the offenders are delivery guys. I’m glad these guys now have the safety of the bike lane, btw (the NIMBYs would have you think it’s all about entitled hipsters, but I see plenty of non-hipsters using the lane as well) — I just think their employers should be fined if they’re sent out without proper safety equipment.
I haven’t noticed any fender benders outside my window on PPW. One thing I have noticed is less broken glass and no cars missing wheels propped up by cinderblocks on the park side, which makes me think the extra open space of the bike lane has probably reduced theft and vandalism somewhat. (I can’t cite any data to support his, though.)
The conflict is frustrating – I still have questions about the definition of “safe” — too many versions in my view and while the installation of the bike lane surely does make cycling on PPW much easier than it was going into the park – you still have to be on watch for pedestrians and pets. As a pedestrian I do find that some of the bikes are moving more quickly and not enough have lights to warn you of their approach – with spring on its way that should be less of an issue but at night it is a bit difficult.
All I know is that I’ve seen more fender benders and incidents (such as mirrors swiped off and sideswipes into parked cars) since the installation of the new traffic configuration than in the total 20 years I’ve lived on PPW before the installation – coincidence?…perhaps but I don’t really think it is. The narrowing of the travel lanes leaves so little room now for maneuver – at a slow or fast speed. I think we can do better for everyone with just a bit more time at the table.
Drove there yesterday. The traffic was pleasantly calm.