Brooklyn Spoke

Residents of Provincetown, MA are upset that a proposed bike lane and traffic calming project calls for the elimination of 26 parking spots.

Via Wicked Local Wellfleet.

“Parking spaces are a year-round gift that we all use,” said Chris McCarthy, resident of 54 Bradford St., to applause. McCarthy, who is executive director of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, said that while she is not opposed to bicycle safety, she cannot reconcile the 12-month need for parking with the four- or five-month need for bike lanes. The bicycle committee’s plan pitted “a year-round community versus a seasonal amenity,” she said.

Emphasis mine.

Transportation Alternatives is accepting donations this week for communities affected by Sandy.

The NYC Bike Ambassadors will be biking out supplies to distribute to post Sandy relief efforts this Thurs and Friday. There are still many New Yorkers who need your help.

Please consider donating: Cleaning supplies, flashlights, batteries, baby wipes, toilet paper, aluminum trays, sleeping bags, paper towels, garbage bags, adult dipers (all sizes), bleach, saline solution, canned goods, work gloves, baby food, baby supplies, generators, extension chords, etc.

TA is accepting donations at their office in Manhattan at 127 West 26th Street, 10th Fl.  Donations will be accepted today through Thursday from 9:30am to 5:30pm.

Via Ben Hammersly, writing in British Airways Business Life.

….if you happen to be travelling to Copenhagen airport right now, then very shortly, if you look to the left as you come through the doors from passport control, you will see mounted on the wall not entreaties against smuggling, or a tribute to a great leader, but an industrial-grade, no-messing, plumbed-in bicycle pump.

Consider what that means. Someone, perhaps a whole committee, considered that people flying to Copenhagen 
will not only be bringing their bike, 
but will be needing to reinflate their 
tyres before they leave the terminal. 
It suggests a nation entirely comfortable with the expectation that people 
will cycle home from the airport. 
Is there anything more indicative 
of a glorious civilisation than that?

In New York we welcome visitors by charging them four American dollars to rent a luggage cart.

I’m putting together a tentative plan to ride to Red Hook to delivery supplies to the Red Hook Initiative on Sunday.  Here are the details:

Sunday, November 11, 12:30 PM.

Meet on the corner of 5th Avenue and 9th Street in Park Slope in front of the Chase Bank.

I’m checking with the RHI to see what their needs are.  Last week it was cleaning supplies and food, but the needs continue to evolve as the situation changes in Red Hook.   Please stay tuned to this space for more information.

And leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter to let me know if you can attend.

UPDATE 11/10/12:

The RHI needs juice boxes, take out containers, and sturdy plastic plates.

If you’re making hot food to bring, they’re especially in need of meats and protein.

Cleaning supplies are also still needed: paper towels, mops, sponges, gloves, rags, etc.

More inspiring tales of good deeds in the wake of Sandy, via the Daily News.

They say doctors don’t make house calls, but Dr. David Colbert has been riding his bike, delivering medicine to patients from the Village to Ft. Tryon Park. An internist as well as a dermatologist to such beauties as Angelina Jolie, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts, Dr. Colbert made some diagnoses via iPad, got the drugs from his home pharmacy, and pedaled them to the shut-in. In one case, he went back out after a meds delivery to get groceries for an elderly patient.

Colbert downplayed what he’s been doing and would only tell the Daily News, “I guess it’s a mobile office on two wheels. I’ve gotten used to doing stuff like this in Haiti” through his charity nydgfoundation.org.

They can’t be stopped by public opinion.  They can’t be stopped by a sterling safety record.  They can’t be stopped by two-hour lines for gas.

As you’ll recall, the effort to remove the Prospect Park West bike lane was dismissed in August 2011.  But even that isn’t stopping the people behind Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes and Seniors for Safety.

Tomorrow, November 8th, the Appellate Division hearing of the Prospect Park West bike lane lawsuit begins.  The appeal, Matter of Seniors for Safety vs. New York City Department of Transportation is fifth on a docket that kicks off at 10 AM at the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, Second Department, at 45 Monroe Place in Brooklyn Heights.  The hearing is open to the public.

No word on whether this is still happening due to the storm, so check back here for updates.

Image: Affinity Cycles

There are more opportunities to lend your bike to Sandy recovery efforts this weekend.  Affinity Cycles is leading a ride to the Rockaways:

Affinity Cycles is organizing more bike powered Sandy relief supply caravans to the Rockaways this weekend (11/10/2012 and 11/11/2012). Last Sunday about 100 cyclists turned out.

“We are going to be accepting donations all week long and going back out again on Saturday and Sunday. Clothing is not really something needed at this point. Batteries, cleaning supplies and food are the big ticket items. Meet at Affinity Cycles at 9, roll out at 9:30. The more folks we have for the ride and distribution efforts the bigger impact we can make. There is still so much to be done.”

Meet at 616 Grand Street in Brooklyn on 9 AM both days.  The ride departs at 9:30 AM and heads to the Rockaway Beach Surf Club at 302 Beach 87th Street.

Bicycle Habitat has also been organizing some rides to help Sandy victims.  I’m planning another ride for this Sunday and will post more information soon once I find out what is needed down in Red Hook.

Via Charlie McCorkell at Bicycle Habitat:

We are coordinating food and goods deliveries to New Yorkers, in the wake of Sandy.  If you live in the Park Slope or SoHo areas, we invite you to drop off the below goods for delivery for relief efforts:

• Warm winter clothing, in good condition (hats, sweaters, hand warmers)
• Work gloves, batteries, flashlights, lighting solutions
• Non-perishable foods
• Moist towelettes, cleaning/baby wipes (for bathing)
• Cleaning products, sprays

We will be accepting your donations through Monday evening. We are focusing our deliveries on the Rockaways, in need of significant support, with a few other deliveries pending need. More detail (and ways you can participate) can be found on our blog.

I’m organizing a group to bring supplies to the Red Hook Initiative by bike on Sunday, November 4th.  If you have a cargo bike or the ability to haul a lot of stuff, please join us!  Even if you can just carry something in a basket or backpack that works.

The Red Hook Initiative needs:

• Cleaning supplies (mops, gloves, rags, buckets)
• Water
• Hot meals/prepared foods

Please buy these things on your own and bring them to our meeting place tomorrow.

We will meet at noon at the corner of 5th Avenue and 9th Street in Park Slope in front of the Chase Bank and roll out to 402 Van Brunt together.  Please leave a comment to let me know if you can make it.  Otherwise, just show up tomorrow.

From the 78th Precinct Community Council:

Park Slope was incredibly fortunate during Hurricane Sandy. Most of us were able to stay in our homes with electricity, heat and cable. While there was some damage, it was minimal compared to much of New York City and the surrounding region.

But not all of the police officers who work hard to protect our neighborhood were so lucky. Five officers from the 78 Precinct and their families lost their homes and all their possessions to Sandy’s wrath. Many others lost power, but have left their families in the dark and cold to come to Park Slope and keep us safe.

One of the officers who lost their home was working Monday night when he received the call that his wife and three month old baby daughter were trapped in their home and the water was rising. During their frantic phone calls his wife said she wanted him to know that, if the worst happened, she loved him. He waited hours to hear that his family had been rescued and taken to safety.

Another officer has to drive across a bridge to get cell service to contact the precinct. With his gas tank running low he is not sure how much longer he will be able to call in.

We ask a lot of the police officers in our precinct, now the 78 Precinct Community Council is asking you to help our cops. The Council has set up a relief fund to help the homeless officers with immediate basic necessities including clothes and toiletries as well as future needs as the families rebuild their lives.

Donations can be made payable to the:
78th Pct Community Council Relief Fund
c/o 78 Precinct Community Council
65 Sixth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217

If you would prefer, you can drop off clothes, toiletries, gifts cards, etc at the 78 Precinct. The affected families consist of 10 adults (5 men, 5 women), a teenage boy and a 3 month old girl.