bike racks placed in parking spots on franklin ave

Reminder -- there's a Franklin Ave Bike Corral discussion at the CB8 Transpo Committee meeting tonight:

http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/01/15/brooklyn-community-board-8-franklin-avenue-bike-corral/

WHEN

January 22, 2013 7:00 pm

WHERE

CNR-Center Light Healthcare Center

727 Classon Avenue

Brooklyn

The bike corral, installed in December after approval by the community board, is the subject of a petition by those who wish to see it removed and replaced with car parking. According to committee co-chair Rob Witherwax, the issue will again be up for discussion at this meeting of the transportation committee.

While it's unfortunate the manner in which it came about, what's good about this brouhaha over the bike corral is that a lot of community people came out to the community board transportation meeting. I would estimate there were over 50 in attendance at a meeting that typically has 7 or 8 attendees. For those who want to create divisions in the community, I feel it was a real defeat. There was a lot of honest face-to-face dialogue and information exchange. Those who want the corral removed instead got the possibility of meters added to the Franklin Avenue commercial strip, the possibility of a handicapped parking spot on each block and a better understanding of the thinking behind the creation of the bike corral. As traffic congestion grows with the improvements in Crown Heights, hopefully more people will turn to dialogue with the transportation committee, rather than petitions, for resolution of their concerns.

If what Capt. Planet says is correct, and there is an opportunity to provide a handicapped parking space on each block, that definitely seems like something for disabled residents and their advocates to come out to meetings for. If the same amount of energy is put into something positive and proactive like this, as was put into the effort to remove the bike rack, there will eventually be more parking available for the people who need and deserve it the most. Any initiative that helps to increase the mobility and independence of our community members is good for people of all races and backgrounds.

chloeroyale is tired of riding on the back of the tandem. And I gather you didn't see the "Whites Only" sign on the bike rack?

But I am interested in hearing more from Chloe....

im not

In the other areas of the city, where the 7 other corrals have been installed, is it racial in nature?

Oh god! Here come the evil racist white kids on bikes run! Run away! They only want to enjoy the diverse neighborhood they live in. But their evil AND racist!

Seriously your falling back on the racial card? Whats next there goes the neighborhood argument?

Chloe-

So, if something happens that (in your opinion and others) does not advance the interests (or somehow sets back the interests) of the disabled and/or the poor and/or a specific hue of people , then it should not be done in Crown Heights?

Is it ok elsewhere?

Chloe-

While you may be black, please be careful to only speak for yourself.

While you may be disabled (or care deeply about those who are), please be careful to only speak for yourself.

I say this because there seems to be a lot of groups out there that purport to represent "the disabled" or "black people", yet each group seems to be different, and has different ideas of how to best advance the status of the people they represent.

Chloe-

Argueably, it was not the job of Little Zelda to do outreach to everyone. Their job was merely to outreach to people who supported the idea, and then bring it before CB8.

It was CB8's job to consider the proposal, and decide whether it caused more harm than good. CB8 seems to have concluded that they believe it does more good than harm.

It now has concluded this TWICE. The time when they initially approved it, and last night when they heard your arguments opposing it.

'Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.' –Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community. Martin Luther King Jr.

On the flip side of Chloe's opinion, there are plenty of people around who think that the bike corral is very community friendly and will show our support for Little Zelda's by patronizing them. And since it seems like any responsible business owner or involved community member in the area would be privy to when community board meetings are, and the bike corral was reportedly discussed at multiple meetings, I don't see why Little Zelda's should be thrown under the bus for anyone else's lack of involvement in community affairs.