Support the PPW Bike Lane!
Comments
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Niner wrote: As a motorist, I hate the bike lane on PPW as much as anyone else does. However, I dont think it's the bikers that are the issue, at least not this time. It's the assholes that double park on PPW, in both lanes. The DOT needs to institute loading / unloading areas on each block to allow for deliveries and the discharge of passengers, and when they are not used or there is double parking, the driver should be fined.
EXACTLY!!! Double parking is the problem. But why do you hate the bike lane?
Multiple good outcomes - less traffic jams due to double parking, revenue from ticketed drivers, and I dont have to deal with Lance Armstrong Light in his spandex. -
BklynSloper75 wrote: The pity of the bicycle lane made what was once a beautiful roadway and turned PPW into a parking lot. If auto safety is the issue, then either install road bumps or stagger the traffic lights. If the issue that bicyclists need a dedicated area to traverse safely, well there is a dedicated bicycle lane in the park (and ban all cars from the park). At the end of the day, it appears that this is another example of our imperial mayor dictating to CB6 to jump and instead of representing the residents of the community CB6's response has been "how high".
I'm not a fan of the appearance of the new configuration of PPW but it is hard to say that it is much worse than it was previously. A wide swath of asphalt is not aesthetically pleasing either.
In addition to the lane in the park, even if all cars were banned, there needs to be a two way lane that is not a workout to use. i.e. not as hilly as the park.
The request of the bike lane came from the community. I would be surprised if anything pertaining to this bike lane ever crossed Bloomberg's desk. -
BrooklynEm wrote: Bikers are far more dangerous than cars.
I don't know how many people in this country are killed yearly by bicyclists, but it can't begin to approach the number of auto deaths, which averages 40,000 per year. -
Most (not all) NYC bikers have to be some of the most obnoxious people on the planet. I had to double park the other day in a bike lane to drop off my very pregnant wife and we were screamed at by 2 bikers who wanted to know why we were in the bike lane. I then watched as they went right through the red light on the corner. Since the economy is so bad and the city needs money so badly, I can't understand why the police don't start aggressively ticketing law breaking bike riders. The reason they don't is because the bikers would probably organize a critical mass rally which would block ambulances and fire trucks from responding to emergencies. Get rid of the PPW bike lane!!!!
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First, thank you for not including me as an obnoxious person just because I ride a bike. Second, congratulations for having a very pregnant wife.
But that does not entitle you to block the bike lane, You are endangering the lives of the bikers as well as the car driver who may have to swerve to avoid them
Bike lanes are not double parking lanes. You could have moved a foot or two into the road. -
Some side streets do not have any room to pull over without blocking part of the bike lane.
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BrooklynEm wrote: Some side streets do not have any room to pull over without blocking part of the bike lane.
Like 3rd St. between 5th and 6th Ave......
yea, just block the car lane. -
I think it's unreasonable - and certainly unrealistic - to expect the bike lanes to be clear 100% of the time. There is often a car in a bike lane, but usually it's temporary.
For instance, when someone moves into an apartment on 9th street. There's no place for a moving van to park without blocking a bike lane. Perhaps they could block the car lanes and then move boxes while crossing in front of traffic. But it still would impede bike traffic when the movers carry boxes over the bike lane to get to the sidewalk from the middle of the street, and it would be incredibly dangerous for everyone.
Even us cyclists use moving vans when we move. Some of us even knock up women whom we have to help walk. So let's cut people a little slack. It's just something to be expected, and it's still better than it was before the bike lanes.
As for the yelling and obnoxiousness of cyclists, it's not because they're cyclists, but because they live here. Most people here are pretty selfish and obnoxious, whether they're behind the wheel or behind the handlebars or on foot. Only New Yorkers invented the bellow "Hey, I'm walking here!"
People here need to stop yelling at strangers. I know cyclists often do this too. I once biked by a little girl in the bike lane who clearly experienced this because as I passed her she pleaded a pre-emptive "please don't yell at me." -
This is how it is supposed to look.
http://gothamist.com/2009/12/17/photographic_evidence_double_parked.php
yea, I know that is a ASS parking scenario but the Bike Lane is not a loading zone. -
Egads, I don't like that at all. I much prefer the way the PPW bike lane is structured with cars on one side and pretty trees on the other. I always try to stay clear of cars and drive on the least busy roads, the last thing I want to be is sandwiched on either sides by cars.
I know they are parked, but to me that photo shows a terrifying gauntlet of car doors that can swing open at any moment. That is unless the drivers of those cars are all willing to climb over and enter and exit out of the passenger side every time. And that's just one side. On the other, the passengers would have to climb over and exit and enter through the driver's side. And I highly doubt that they do that.
But once someone invents the hover bike - and God willing they will - this will all be moot. -
If you have to drop someone off or unload something from your car, you have no choice but to block the bike lane. If I double park on the other side of the street, then cars passing me will have to drive in the bike lane. The photo above is from a day when there was alternate side parking, so the right side of the street is completely clear for cars. It's not a typical situation.
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BrooklynEm wrote: Most (not all) NYC bikers have to be some of the most obnoxious people on the planet. I had to double park the other day in a bike lane to drop off my very pregnant wife and we were screamed at by 2 bikers who wanted to know why we were in the bike lane. I then watched as they went right through the red light on the corner. Since the economy is so bad and the city needs money so badly, I can't understand why the police don't start aggressively ticketing law breaking bike riders. The reason they don't is because the bikers would probably organize a critical mass rally which would block ambulances and fire trucks from responding to emergencies. Get rid of the PPW bike lane!!!!
If you ask me, the police should've ticketed your whiny ass for parking in the bike lane.
The obvious solution to this "problem" is that portions of the parking lane should be designated as short term loading zones, (or have they done this already?). -
The redesign of PPW is outstanding and has made the street work safer and better for everyone who wants to use it. Pedestrians now have a sidewalk free of bikes and no longer have to cross a three-lane expressway to get to the park. Cyclists now have the ability to bike safely on a street that was previously completely unusable. Motorists still have two lanes, which is more than enough roadway capacity for the number of cars that use the street.
As for all the bitching and moaning about cyclists, let's get real. No demographic group in Brooklyn is more selfish, entitled and plain old destructive to our neighborhoods than Brooklyn's horn-honking, exhaust-spewing, space-hogging, gas-guzzling, planet-cooking motorists.
End of story. -
As a non-cycling occasional motorist, I do not understand the bike lane hysteria. At all.
In my view, anything that forces drivers to obey rather than exceed the speed limit in an area where most people get around on foot is a positive development. I sympathize with those who rail against cyclists who refuse to obey traffic laws, but let's not sit here and pretend that a) motorists never run red lights (of course, I'm not talking about *you*. *You* would never do that.) and b) that scofflaw cyclists pose a larger threat than motorists. That's ludicrous. If you're a driver and you sincerely believe that, shame on you.
Also silly is the idea that motorists are somehow a persecuted class under Bloomberg. Speeding drivers who mow down cyclists and pedestrians always get off scot-free unless they're drunk or high. That's a confounding level of privilege for people who are supposedly getting the short end of the stick.
The bike lane has reduced speeds and made life safer. It boggles the mind that some people do not see this as a win. -
I'm going to stand in the bike lane at a PPW intersection this weekend with a stop sign. When the light turns red, I am going to hold up a stop sign so the bikes stop. I will not be doing this for myself, I will be doing it to save a crossing stroller from being struck by a cyclist who feels that traffic laws are not important enough to be obeyed. I feel bad for the normal, friendly cyclists because these new extremist Brooklyn hipster cyclists are giving a black eye to the entire bike riding community.
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No you're not.
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BrooklynEm wrote: I'm going to stand in the bike lane at a PPW intersection this weekend with a stop sign. When the light turns red, I am going to hold up a stop sign so the bikes stop. I will not be doing this for myself, I will be doing it to save a crossing stroller from being struck by a cyclist who feels that traffic laws are not important enough to be obeyed. I feel bad for the normal, friendly cyclists because these new extremist Brooklyn hipster cyclists are giving a black eye to the entire bike riding community.
you should not because the bike lane has blinking yellow lights that indicate that bikers should yield to pedestrians, not stop. -
Subject: The Bike Lane is a Good Thing
1.Fewer cars mean less noise.
2.Less Air Pollution.
3.Less vibration harming the buildings.
4.Possibility for trees in the pedestrian islands.
5.Easier to cross PPW for elderly, disabled, older dogs, toddlers etc. because 2 lanes, then an island to rest in and then cross the bike lane.
6.Walking along the park is not so dangerous now that the bikes no longer ride on the sidewalk.
7.Possibly less vandalism for parked cars along the park because more bikers are there to see what goes on at night.
8.I like the look of the street better. It doesn't look like a speedway any longer.
9.It is nice to see people enjoying the bike lane rather than looking at another lane of traffic. -
Subject: can't blow through lights on PPW cause there are none
I rode the PPW lane the other day and the only lights I saw were flashing yellow lights at pedestrian crossings. I slowed down in case there were any peds to yield to. I am a safe driver and a safe cyclist, don't speed, yield to peds, etc. I resent it when people characterize all cyclists as "blowing through'" lights. That's just a minority of jerks. Most cyclists I know care very much about the safety of pedestrians.BrooklynEm wrote: This bike lane has to be the most dangerous idea ever thought of in the history of Park Slope. Bikers are far more dangerous than cars, they want to be treated like cars, but have no desire to follow the rules of the road. Eventually, one of these bikers speeding down PPW is going to seriously injure someone and everyone supporting this horrendous idea will regret it. Cops should stand at a random intersection and start giving out tickets to bikers who blow thorough the red lights. Also, how appropriate that the support rally will be held on a weekday morning, so all the concerned citizens who work for a living are unable to show up.
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BrooklynEm wrote: I'm going to stand in the bike lane at a PPW intersection this weekend with a stop sign. When the light turns red, I am going to hold up a stop sign so the bikes stop. I will not be doing this for myself, I will be doing it to save a crossing stroller from being struck by a cyclist who feels that traffic laws are not important enough to be obeyed. I feel bad for the normal, friendly cyclists because these new extremist Brooklyn hipster cyclists are giving a black eye to the entire bike riding community.
I agree entirely about the part that the more extreme bicyclists are giving the rest of us a bad name. And I hate to say it, but it is more than just a small minority who are breaking the rules. The way bikes are ridden in this community needs to be addressed.
But the first part of your statement is just silly. First, you are not actually going to do any of that. Second... I just want to remind people that it is entirely possible to look both ways before crossing a bike lane, even with a baby stroller. Seriously. Try it. It will work.
Bikers absolutely should be stopping and yielding when they are required to do so. But if I were pushing a baby stroller around town, I would never assume that I should enter a crosswalk the very second that the walk light turns on. We all know that a car can run a red light, so we take precautions and look both ways. Is it unreasonable to suggest that we could also be cautious while crossing a bike lane (even if we shouldn't have to)?
The uproar over this bike lane is absurd. -
BklynSloper75 wrote: Commissioner Sadik-Khan, do the right thing and tear down those barriers!
Please, she's the genius who agrees with the govt to change street signs in nyc to the tune of 27.6 million. Her idiotic argument, " the new signs will help showcase the kinder, gentler New York and the best ""On the Internet, writing in all caps means you are shouting," she said. "Our new signs can quiet down, as well."
Bloomberg and his idiot minions need to go asap. -
eggcream wrote: [quote=BklynSloper75]Commissioner Sadik-Khan, do the right thing and tear down those barriers!
Please, she's the genius who agrees with the govt to change street signs in nyc to the tune of 27.6 million. Her idiotic argument, " the new signs will help showcase the kinder, gentler New York and the best ""On the Internet, writing in all caps means you are shouting," she said. "Our new signs can quiet down, as well."
Bloomberg and his idiot minions need to go asap.
That article was completely misinformed. Signs are already replaced on a 10 year rotating cycle with federal money. They are just replacing them with different type face. It does not cost anything extra. -
ringrunner wrote: [quote=BrooklynEm]Some side streets do not have any room to pull over without blocking part of the bike lane.
Like 3rd St. between 5th and 6th Ave......
yea, just block the car lane.
you're allowed to stop and discharge a passenger at a fire hydrant, during daylight hours, if the driver remains behind the wheel.
do that instead of double parking anywhere. -
Subject: rediculous
Since when did park slope become 43nd and Broadway? Whats next blocking off the outer park entirely and set tables out for tanning? This is getting way out of control. What is the purpose of a bike lane OUTSIDE of the park when driving is already restricted inside? Just the other day an ambulance was trying to get to Methodist Hospital via the park as i've seen for many years. Yet this time it took forever to get there with there only being 2 lanes of traffic allowed. What if that was your mother, wife or another loved one in there and didn't make it in time because pedestrians wanted their bike lane that already exists inside the ENTIRE PARK! I have lived here for over 40 years and this just adds to what I do not like what park slope is becoming. For those of us who still work for a living and use the outer park to drop off and pick up our kids from school in a timely manner the redundant outer bike lane is unnecessary. If you don't agree then move back to the city where you don't have to concern yourself with knowing your neighbors names or care about anyone but yourselves. -
I'm going to walk into the middle of the road with a stroller with ten babies in it and when the light turns yellow I'm going to hold up a stop sign to keep drivers from beating the light and running me and my ten babies over. Then everyone will see the error of their ways and behave themselves, because that's how things work in real life.
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Actually, efforts to ban cars from prospect park have repeatedly failed. Maybe we could trade: no cars in the park for ________
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I was not a fan of the Bike Lane when it first went in, but have changed my mind. Especially since I just saw blowhard Marty Markowitz on NY1 ranting against the lane, I definitely know I'm FOR it now.
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Yes, let's eliminate all the bike lanes, encourage even more cars on the road (more noise, pollution, etc.), more unsafe biking for adults and kids, and help grow even fatter Americans. That's exactly what NYC needs.
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It’s evident from some of these comments that a lot of people are ignorant of the fact that bicycles are legally considered part of traffic like cars. There’s a new sign on the PPW bike path that reminds people that bicycles must obey the traffic laws just like cars. It also means bicycles are entitled to use the road just as much as a car is.
It’s also evident from some of these comments that a lot of people are ignorant of what a park is, and it’s intended purpose. The park is not a thoroughfare for cars OR bicycles. Cyclists are often using their bicycles to commute to work, run errands, etc. Just like people who drive cars. That’s why it’s necessary to give cyclists safe access to the roads. Telling cyclists to use the park instead of a designated is a display of this ignorance. It’s a one-way loop so it’s really only useful if you happen to be going that direction. Someone who wants to go to GAP from the south slope would have to ride against traffic.
But it doesn’t really matter. People can and will whine about anything in this town. There’s no way this bike lane is going anywhere. -
Subject: Re: rediculous
BornintheSlopenotanimport wrote: If you don't agree then move back to the city where you don't have to concern yourself with knowing your neighbors names or care about anyone but yourselves.
ooo! new twist on an old theme!
well done.
Howdy, Stranger!
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