have largely been swayed by the lobbying, political contributions alleged vote constituentcy and the false God of Going Green perpetrated by Transportation Alternatives and their off shoots. It has been
a full scale assault. A full scale exercise in zealotry. The NRA according to presidential candidate
Mayor Pete has been promoting guns as a "false God". Indifferent to the number of people killed and injured. Ultimately its about $. PROFIT. But its couched behind 2nd Amendment, freedom, self defense and any kind of self righteous hokum they throw at the fan at any given time. However
the NRA is imploding/ The execs have been exposed as playing fast and loose with the proceeds of
the avaricious fundraising. The cumulative and increasing rate of massacre by assault rifle is giving
the lie to the hollow proclamations and offers of thoughts and prayers. Stuff. Without active sensible
gun policy reforms such is the stuff of drooling fools.
Transportation Alternatives is merely a variation on that theme. Self styled "visionaries". Importing
bike programs from Europe. Different logistics. Street width. Vehicular and pedestrian density.
No effort to establish a responsible bike culture. When TA got the ear of Mayor Bloomberg they
prevailed on him to suppress enforcement to allegedly increase ridership. This constituted a reckless
indifference to human life. Excused by conflating the irresponsible bike culture with "Going Green"
The Emperor wears no clothes. Bikes like guns are TOOLS. Not something otherworldly and
beyond regulation. New York has been taken for a ride. Sold a bill of goods. Finally the reckless
riding-numerous injuries-untold number of close calls-has had its effect. That and the people rising against this narcissistic putsch. It's time that scofflaw riders were reined in Allow the NYPD to do its
job. Stop undermining the authority of the NYPD and defend the rights of people to lawfully enjoy the sidewalks and streets.
Some Local Pols Want City to Slow Down on New Bike Lane Push
A cyclist passes a “ghost bike” vigil on Clove Road on
Aug. 5, as Staten Islanders mourned the death of Alex Cordero, a
17-year-old who was fatally struck by a vehicle in Westerleigh last
month.
Photo: Clifford Michel /THE CITY
As
the de Blasio administration ramps up plans to install more protected
bike lanes, the city is already facing potential roadblocks from some
City Council members and community boards.
Some
Council members from southern Brooklyn and Staten Island voiced concern
about new bike lanes in their districts — saying they feared the city
Department of Transportation’s “green wave” safety plan would roll over
them.
“I
don’t know what to anticipate from them, but if there’s no
collaboration and no partnership, I’m going to voice my opposition to
the implementation of anything in my district,” Councilmember Chaim
Deutsch (D-Brooklyn) told THE CITY.
Mayor Bill de Blasio last month announced an ambitious effort to build 80 miles of protected bike lanes
by 2021 in response to a dramatic uptick in cyclist deaths, which now
sits at 18 this year. He sees the $58.4 million bike safety plan as in
sync with his Vision Zero campaign to end traffic-related fatalities.
The
DOT didn’t directly answer questions about how the agency would respond
to opposition from elected officials in any given area. While a DOT
spokesperson said local input would be taken into account, he emphasized
that local speed bumps wouldn’t stop the plan.
“The
city has moved ahead with street safety projects in the face of
community board opposition before, because safety is our top priority,”
the spokesperson, Brian Zumhagen, told THE CITY in a statement.
Some Local Opposition Looms
Deutsch
told THE CITY that he’s concerned a protected bike lane proposed along
Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay would boost congestion and affect
parents dropping off their kids at Bay Academy.
He
and Theresa Scavo, chair of Community Board 15, said the DOT sent
notices to local civic groups declaring the project will move forward
this fall.
Deutsch
said he hadn’t heard from the DOT since he brought up his initial
concerns. But agency spokesperson Alana Morales said they’re still
meeting with stakeholders and that no final decision has been made.
Meanwhile,
two Council members from Staten Island said they were uncertain on
where they stood on the protected bike lanes proposed in the borough,
saying they needed more information.
“While
I am generally supportive of bike lanes and most measures that save
lives on our roads, many of the proposed protected bike lanes in the
mayor’s Green Wave report appear to be rough ideas for the future,”
Councilmember Debi Rose (D-North Shore) said in a statement.
A map of current and planned protected bike lanes on Staten Island.
Photo: Clifford Michel/THE CITY
In
the North Shore, the DOT has plotted out two bike lanes that would
extend from around the Bayonne and Goethals Bridge, and converge near
Willowbrook Park.
Councilmember
Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) said that he also needed more details from
DOT before taking a stand. The agency proposed a protected bike in his
district that would cut through parkland and a golf course to connect
Arden Heights to Richmond Town.
“While
DOT had not briefed me on these plans, at first glance I have some real
concerns about the appropriateness of bike lanes along some of these
busy corridors,” Matteo said in a statement.
The DOT said that specific streets where bike lanes will run have yet to be determined.
“This
plan is a vision and shows how a network will work together,” said
Zumhagen. “We will be coming to [community boards] and other
stakeholders with details as plans develop.”
Collaborative Effort Urged
Lawmakers
in southern Brooklyn told THE CITY that the best path forward for
creating bike lane networks is by teaming with the community.
Councilmember
Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge) noted that DOT’s “visioning workshops” led
Community Board 10 to support most bike lanes in a Bay Ridge and Dyker
Heights network.
“It
was a great cross-section of people from the neighborhood who came
forward to talk to DOT and it was a very collaborative process,” Brannan
told THE CITY. “Because sometimes what you see with DOT is they come,
they make their presentations, and the next morning they start
installing whatever they told you they were going to install. This was
the opposite.”
Still,
Community 10 ultimately opposed two bike lanes. Brannan and state
Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge), nonetheless, urged DOT to move
forward.
Councilmember
Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island) told THE CITY that he’s supportive of a
protected bike lane on Shore Parkway in Brooklyn, and would buck the
local community board, if there’s opposition. “You cannot drive your way
out of congestion,” he said.
Meanwhile, it’s unclear what exactly the city considers “protected” bike lanes. As StreetsBlogNYC last year pointed out
that the DOT has used the term to describe bike lanes where the barrier
between cyclists and motorists is nothing more than paint on the
ground.
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