And Then There Were None
Hats off to Gersh Kuntzman for publishing this honest editorial.
We were disappointed that opponents of the Prospect Park West bike lane took the first step last week toward appealing a judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit against the city.
Their appeal is as meritless as their chutzpah is limitless.
I’d quote more, but I think The Brooklyn Paper deserves the page views this time.
The Bowery Still Stinks…
…and the NYPD isn’t helping.
Given the Bowery’s proximity to the site of New York’s most recent bike-related tragedy, the death of Jeffrey Axelrod, and the fact that the Bowery intersects one of the city’s most dangerous streets, it’s amazing to me that the DOT still hasn’t done anything to make this detour safer.
Unfortunately, there has been too much focus on what’s happening on the Manhattan Bridge and not enough on what’s happening when cyclists get off of it. I am still hoping that the DOT figures out a way to make this temporary detour safer for the many cyclists who, for many reasons, aren’t finding ways to avoid this death-trap.
“Maybe all the acrimony is just a growing pain.”
The Washington City Paper has a great article by Alex Baca on the cultural, economic and political issues surrounding bike lanes. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in New York’s bike lane growing pains and breaks down some of the commonly held misconceptions about people’s reasons for opposing — and supporting — bike lanes.
“I think it’s probably fairly predictable in being that whoever feels threatened, you’re taking stuff away from. If you’re taking away parking, or a travel lane, or a street corner, or an old rail corridor, whoever feels they’re losing something is going to get bent out of shape,” [Andy Clarke, the president of the League of American Bicyclists] says. “You’ve got high-class opponents and areas where people have complained about bike lanes going through poor neighborhoods. I don’t think race or class or income is the issue. I think it’s fear of the unknown and fearing losing something that you’ve had is the most common denominator.”
Life in the District used to be marked, in part, by the ability to reside in a suburbanesque neighborhood near the denser areas—but not so near that it felt like really living in a city. Part of that meant being able to drive downtown for work—or to shop or go to dinner—and not having to worry about where to park when you got home again. The newcomers who want bike lanes aren’t moving to the same D.C.
Nothing in the fight to make streets safer and more livable is as simple as the convenient rich-versus-poor, old-versus young, or cars-versus-bikes narratives the Brooklyn Paper, Marcia Kramer, and Marty Markowitz like to serve up to their audiences. They may generate page views or make headlines, but they miss the forest for the trees. Bike lanes generate passion because they force us to reevaluate just what, and who, our streets are for.
“We’ve got to that point in those cities where we want to be proactive about people cycling and that public space is more valuable than giving you a parking space for perpetuity. I think that’s good,” Clarke says. “It’s uncomfortable to go through it, but it’s part of the evolution and process that shows communities are serious about increasing cycling….It will be uncomfortable for a little while, but people will be look back on that and say, ‘What were we so worked up about? How can I get bike lanes on my street?’”
Candlelight Remembrance for Jeff Axelrod Tonight
From the Carrol Gardens Patch:
Neighbors and friends of Jeff Axelrod, who died tragically last week while riding his bicycle on the Lower East Side, are holding a candlelight memorial service Tuesday night at Cobble Hill Towers.
Those who knew him are invited to come to the large courtyard, at Baltic and Hicks streets, at 8 p.m. Please bring a candle.
Axelrod was a resident of the Towers and the founder of the Cobble Hill CSA.
I didn’t know Jeff at all, but from what I’ve read about him and his volunteer work his death is a true loss to the community. Please stop by if you can.
The Real Lane Pains!
I snapped this last night at about 6:30 during my evening constitutional on Prospect Park West. No word on whether or not this truck was making a delivery to Iris Weinshall or another NBBL member, but now that they have lost their court case, perhaps the group could work with the community board to install dedicated loading zones on this and other blocks of Prospect Park West so that delivery trucks can stop without blocking a lane of traffic. But then again, as the picture makes crystal clear, there isn’t really a big problem with congestion on Prospect Park West anyway.
Fact Checking The Brooklyn Paper
Natalie O’Neill, “Lane pains! Foes of Prospect Park West cycle path threaten new suit,” The Brooklyn Paper, August 22, 2011:
Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes intends to prove the path was actually a temporary project — an argument that would allow the group to skirt statue of limitations.
Their case was bolstered last month, when Borough President Markowitz swore under oath that Sadik-Khan told him that the lane was merely a “trial” project, not a permanent change.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Bert Bunyan, August 15, 2011:
…petitioners point to no relevant evidence that the bikeway was temporary. They purport to create an issue of fact by citing the affidavit of the Borough President where he averred that, on March 1, 2010, the Commissioner told him that the bikeway “would be implemented on a trial basis.” However, the Borough President’s conclusory affidavit is devoid of detail and fails to raise a genuine issue of material fact. Moreover, the Borough President never mentioned in his December 9, 2010 testimony before the City Council’s Committee on Transportation that DOT had characterized the bike lane as temporary.
Emphasis mine.
The 3 L’s: Location, Location, Lanes
The Times real estate section seems to get what the editorial page and some other sections do not. Bike lanes and secure bike storage are an important amenity when people choose where to live.
Some New Yorkers prefer to bypass the transit system entirely. George Calderaro, communications director at the Columbia University School of Continuing Education, moved into the Solaire, a building at the northern edge of Battery Park City, in 2004. He chose his apartment because of its proximity to the bicycle path along the Hudson River and its large bike room. He rides his bike along the river to and from work every day except in the winter, when he takes the subway.
The developer and manager of the building, the Albanese Organization, included bike rooms in all of its buildings in the area, a draw for many tenants and buyers.
According to the city’s Department of Transportation, commuter bicycling doubled between 2006 and 2010. New York City has more than 300 miles of bike lanes — an alternative to the subway for many. The Department of Transportation’s Web site has links to the city’s bike lane map as well as maps of bike racks and shelters.
Mr. Calderaro could not be happier with his daily ride along the river. “My commute is the highlight of my day,” he said.
Inside Joke
Kudos to Eric McClure for this work of brilliance. If Streetsblog ran its own caption contest, this would win in a landslide.
New York’s Bike Lane Battles are Made Up
Ground Support
Photo via Andrew Hinderaker
I’m heading out on vacation for a few days and will be back on Monday. Great timing, too, since there isn’t a whole lot more to say about today’s events that you can’t read on Twitter or elsewhere. For now the best way you can celebrate is to simply get on your bike and go out for a ride. If you happen to do it on Prospect Park West, ring your bell a few extra times for me.
Brooklyn Spoke 