Prospect Park West Bike Lane Back in the News!
The inevitable backlash to last week’s report from the DOT that the Prospect Park West bike lane is a big success has finally arrived. That there video above from CBS2 shows Borough Prez Marty Markowitz disputing the DOT’s claims; Streetsblog fires back: “Marty seems to have either lost the ability to distinguish truth from fiction,…
The inevitable backlash to last week’s report from the DOT that the Prospect Park West bike lane is a big success has finally arrived. That there video above from CBS2 shows Borough Prez Marty Markowitz disputing the DOT’s claims; Streetsblog fires back: “Marty seems to have either lost the ability to distinguish truth from fiction, or his stubbornness is just all-consuming and he’s ceased to care about his public credibility.” Gothamist, meanwhile, has a quote from Markowitz in which the BP says that “we need an outside study—not one conducted by the DOT but perhaps by the NYPD—to get an impartial analysis of the Prospect Park West reconfiguration.” And, last but not least, the Brooklyn Paper is quick to print claims about how a conspiracy theory not imagined by Markowitz may be afoot: “One day after the Department of Transportation announced last week that the lane has improved safety for drivers and cyclists, two members of the city’s old guard — former Sanitation Commissioner Norman Steisel and former Transportation boss Iris Weinshall — struck back, claiming that the agency fudged numbers to make the lane appear more successful than it is.”
Markowitz on PPW Data: It’s a Vast Biking Conspiracy [Streetsblog]
Markowitz Says Activist Cyclists Distorted PPW Study [Gothamist]
Former Officials Slam City for Lying on Prospect Park West [BK Paper]
“What I object to is a mentality that people need to foist their preferred lifestyle down the throats of everyone else. ”
This, right here, is the heart of the matter. For most, cycling isn’t a “lifestyle”. It’s a mode of transportation. A practical, environmentally sound, healthy, efficient, and, despite the best efforts of Marty Markowitz, an increasingly safe one.
The reason I’m surprised, zinka, is that this pair of bike lanes are being highly touted as aiding people who use them to commute. Since PPW is really not all that long, exactly where are the “commuting” to? Fifteenth St. to Twelfth St? And if the cyclists are using the paths for short trips, would there randomly tend to be short trips all along the stretch of PPW, not only in the sections that DOT is monitoring? What’s so special about the middle section? Just asking. (That subway car argument is specious since subway lines are designed to bring people from the extremities to some central point.)
If you only care about CALM streets, however, I hear they have some very calm ones in Kansas City. This is New York and life is a bit different here. Or does it just upset you that anyone can drive over 30 MPH? Again, my point is that the DOT issues metrics that prove their point. The DOT (and city) do their very best to issue data which support their point of view. Have you no doubt that the “independent” party can be influenced by the desires of the agency which hires them? Decisions have to be made about when, where, and how to make measurements and these decisions can easily skew results. But I guess that is fine with you, as long as it gives you the results you prefer.
No, tybur6, it was NOT obvious what you were talking about since your logic was so screwy. Your cursing was exceptionally clear, however. I do appreciate, though, that you were able to restrain yourself and call me a dink. I don’t think it is terrible to suggest that people actually go to live in cities which are more in tune with their preferred lifestyles. I hear they do a lot of cycling in Denver. Also in Portland, Oregon. Went there for a few days once. Boring as hell unless you love drinking nightly and long, dirty hair. But it was pretty.
What I object to is a mentality that people need to foist their preferred lifestyle down the throats of everyone else. There was certainly no need to make a southbound bike lane on PPW since it was wide enough to accommodate both vehicular and bike traffic before the recent desecration. I know; I probably rode down it more times than you have. And northbound? I believe there are one or two avenues heading that way in PS and most of them are reasonably wide also. Done that too. I’m sure you are in agreement with Emperor Bloomberg and his nanny state mentality.
Yes, Denmark is absolutely remarkable. Loved the apple cake I had there once. What in the world makes you think I haven’t traveled to Europe many times? Perhaps Denmark and Amsterdam are not exactly backwaters, but the US, and NYC in particular are still the most popular western destinations for immigration. Anyway, Jan, most of the European cities are not nearly as spread out as we in NYC are. Do you really think that commuting between sections of Queens and Bay Ridge, for example, will easily be accomplished by public transport? Do you think the city/state/feds will build some sort of rapid transit between places such as these anytime in your lifetime? (My life expectancy is likely considerably shorter, so I won’t use it as an example.) By the way, please forgive me for assuming you were Dutch; your name and your obvious preference for Europe led me to believe you were. I’m sure if you keep applying for a work visa to one of those wonderful European countries, they will surely jump at the chance to welcome you.
Yes, tyburg. I apologize. It’s truly a global powerhouse. He held it up as a comparison to the US. The valid comparison would be with someplace like Minnesota!!!! Don’t be a douche.
DIBS – forgot to add… don’t be a dink.
Umm… DIBS, how does the fact that the United States is *also* successful in biotech take away from Denmark?
The point above was that Denmark is not a backwater. And lets not worry about Danish cinema, literature, sport stars, etc. etc.
I’m sure homes are much smaller in Denmark. Cutting edge of biotech??? Ever heard of Genentech, Amgen and a few others????
I will admit to not ever having been to Denmark. I guess I’ve missed out on the world-renowned Danish food, wine and other wonderful things.
They did invent Legos though.
Morralkan — OBVIOUSLY I was talking about improving quality of life in the city, not bike lanes decreasing crime in Alphabet city… don’t be a dink.
And second — I love how you’ve now accomplished combining “Go back to where you came from if you don’t like it!” with “If I can do it, I don’t see the problem!” Combining selfish with self-righteous. Beautiful.
Why do they spend all of this damn money on guardrails, I’ve been driving over this mountain pass for 40 years and I never needed ’em!
THOUSANDS of people are now riding bikes on the city streets that never did before. Obviously something has changed. What do you think it is? Chats with crusty folks like you?
Ugggh!