“The Bicycle Community”

Marty Markowitz doth protest too much, methinks:

Mr. Markowitz said his proposal demonstrated the wrongheadedness of “erroneous claims from critics that my office doesn’t advocate enough for the bicycle community.” But the Planning Commission concluded that requiring additional bicycle parking was beyond the scope of the zoning changes that were being considered.

I think the borough president is to be commended for his support of lower parking minimums and zoning changes for Downtown Brooklyn.  But come on, Marty!  There’s really no need to pretend that you are a friend to the “bicycling community.”  After all, most good advocates don’t go to the press with paranoid conspiracy theories or submit dubious affidavits in support of a bike lane’s removal.

So don’t give Marty that lifetime membership to Transportation Alternatives just yet.  It’s not exactly a display of Lander-esque moral courage to recommend that currently unused space be given another dedicated purpose.  Advocating for more places for people to store their bicycles is not at all the same as advocating for more places for people to ride them.

A good way to start advocating for the “bicycling community” is to not have a history of  paranoid conspiracy theories about the DOT and eleventh-hour, he said/she said affidavits about bike lanes.