Whats up with bike riders on Vanderbilt ave???

Everything is worse because there are more cars. That's going to change, trust me.

nofay wrote: Everything is worse because there are more stupid bikelanes and less car lanes and more idiot bikers and pedestrians from Kansas or wherever. Trust me this will change.

Go talk about the old times - http://brooklynian.com/forum/brooklyn-back-when/open-thread

nofay, being serious now. I used to drive around about the same amount a day as you for work, too, and the thing I remember gumming up the traffic was pretty much 100 percent other cars, trucks, those kinds of things. I would think that a guy who does that much driving for a living would want to get as many other cars off the road as possible by whatever means necessary.

The way I look at it, every time you get a person out of a big ass car and onto a little bike, and stick the bike somewhere where's it's not going to be right in your face (such as in a protected bike lane), I'm thinking that's a plus. You want as many non pro drivers as possible commuting on bikes, by walking, buses, trains, whatever, because they take up a lot less of the road you need to drive on instead of, say, putting every person in their own car.

You might think, "no, I need more roads so we have more room for more cars," but NYC is too dense for more road building and getting denser. We're adding people, and people take up less room when they're not driving a car. If we keep adding people and cars at the same rate, the math doesn't work. It's not gonna scale. We just don't have enough space. So we're gonna have to get some of these new people not to use a car. And whether you or I want to get on a bike and ride it around everywhere, that's a viable option here because it is so dense and stuff is pretty close together. It's too expensive to build new trains, and we're already cutting back bus lines because they're not cost effective.

Bike lanes cost nothing in comparison to every other way to add transportation capacity. It's paint and concrete on top of an existing road bed. If enough people who have the option feel safe enough to ditch cars for bikes, trust me, it's going to be a lot better for people who have to drive a lot.

shekb wrote: nofay, being serious now. I used to drive around about the same amount a day as you for work, too, and the thing I remember gumming up the traffic was pretty much 100 percent other cars, trucks, those kinds of things. I would think that a guy who does that much driving for a living would want to get as many other cars off the road as possible by whatever means necessary.

The way I look at it, every time you get a person out of a big ass car and onto a little bike, and stick the bike somewhere where's it's not going to be right in your face (such as in a protected bike lane), I'm thinking that's a plus. You want as many non pro drivers as possible commuting on bikes, by walking, buses, trains, whatever, because they take up a lot less of the road you need to drive on instead of, say, putting every person in their own car.

You might think, "no, I need more roads so we have more room for more cars," but NYC is too dense for more road building and getting denser. We're adding people, and people take up less room when they're not driving a car. If we keep adding people and cars at the same rate, the math doesn't work. It's not gonna scale. We just don't have enough space. So we're gonna have to get some of these new people not to use a car. And whether you or I want to get on a bike and ride it around everywhere, that's a viable option here because it is so dense and stuff is pretty close together. It's too expensive to build new trains, and we're already cutting back bus lines because they're not cost effective.

Bike lanes cost nothing in comparison to every other way to add transportation capacity. It's paint and concrete on top of an existing road bed. If enough people who have the option feel safe enough to ditch cars for bikes, trust me, it's going to be a lot better for people who have to drive a lot.

...but did you really think that nofay warranted a thoughtful response? Don't beat your head against a wall.

Hmmm...I am not sure if you warrant a thoughtful response. The whole world does not agree with you you know. Matter of fact just about everyone I know, which is a lot of people HATES the bike lanes.

Matter of fact just about everyone I know, which is a lot of people HATES the bike lanes.

lolol.

This is how all public policy should be evaluated. Whether nofay's friends like it.

I see your game here. You try to clown and discredit all whose opinions differ to yours. Very mature.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/12/21/are-new-yorks-bike-lanes-working/there-are-better-ways-to-promote-bike-transit

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2010/12/new-york-bike-lanes-prompt-backlash

http://shrinkwrapped.blogs.com/blog/2010/10/new-york-city-bike-lanes-a-perfect-metaphor.html

nofay wrote: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/12/21/are-new-yorks-bike-lanes-working/there-are-better-ways-to-promote-bike-transit

* "Change the legal relationship between pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. In boating, the slowest, smallest vessel has priority, generally speaking." Just in case it's not clear to you, this suggests that cyclists should have a clear right-of-way vs automobiles.

* "But the bottom line is that more cycling is a key route to having a healthier, saner and more livable city."

Of the other two "articles," that you linked to, one is about D.C. and it simply references isolated backlash in NYC (NSS), but in no way quantifies the sentiment. The last link is a blog by... well, nobody. No survey, no data, no nothing - it's simply unqualified opinion. When you factor in the language used ("stupidity," "idiot," "incompetence,") it's clear that the author has an axe to grind and is basing his argument on emotion and little else.

Yay. Care to try again?

Whyfi-

Fear not. It is working! ....the car owners are finding their cars more and more inconvenient and expensive and complaining about "us" in the op-ed columns.

Slowly but surely, we will get car owners to pay their fair share, while freeing the streets for rent a cars, deliveries, taxi cabs, contractors and those vehicles that absolutely require them.

....the recent toll increase on the bridges was a good step as well.

Next, let's parking meter the whole city, see if we can get Albany to finally pass "Congestion Pricing", and the remaining un-tolled bridges.

Capt Planet-

I continue to admire your patience in attending those CD8 meetings. Keep up the good work, but I think we are all better off if I stay home, given how I am dressed.

Suit up dude and join the fray. You could probably use the exercise.

Bike ridership goes up and up every year.

The city should promote this healthy and de-congesting mode of transportation.

Period.

I saw a woman today pushing her bike down the street because there was just too much slush and ice for her to ride safely. While year round biking may appeal to some folks, I'll say again that NY just doesn't have the climate to make it a viable option to a significant portion of the city. From March to November, it may be an option, but in the cold and wet of winter cars and public transportation are king.

What about the bitter cold for half the year even if there is no snow?

I recently rode up to Central Park, around 5 times and back when it was 20 degrees. What's the problem? Or, to put it a different way, the Swedes have a saying, "there's no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing."