Washington Temple & the Bedford Avenue Bike Lanes
Apparently Washington Temple has decided the Bedford Avenue bike lanes are their personal parking lots on Sundays. This creates a really dangerous situation suddenly, unexpectedly narrowing a busy road and forcing cyclists to quickly merge out into car lanes.
Any suggestions on getting this practice stopped, other than reporting it to the NYPD 77th Precinct?
Comments
-
-
I can't imagine it is in the pastor's interest to make it harder for his members to park.
...many members of churches seem to colonize an area nearby on Sundays.
I suspect the tradition goes back about as long as there has been churches and cars. -
Many churches have members of the deacon board specially designated to deal with parking situations on Sunday. If your car is blocked in, you go to the door and let an usher know and they make an announcement to the congregation (I've even seen churches where its broadcast on their flat screen tv's throughout the building). Churches are usually interested in working with neighbors to be responsive to complaints, so I'd try asking people at the church first.Having said that, I'd guess that this practice dates back decades to a time when the congregation didn't want to park near the armory due to safety concerns and there were far less people (and cars) in the neighborhood on Sunday afternoons. As more of the congregants move out of the neighborhood into cheaper areas that have less public transit options, you may not see the number of people driving to Crown Heights churches decrease. Nor will you see the police taking issue with the religious communities - there are just far too many of them in the precinct and it's far too easy to set off all kinds of tribal wars by seeming to crack down on one denomination or faith over the other.
-
Perhaps first reach out to the pastor?
Thanks. Definitely the approach I'd prefer before going to the precinct. I will try to get a response via the Facebook page. -
Maybe not, but it would be really pathetic if the NYPD refused to enforce a dangerous violation of the law for that reason. Whatever other congregations are breaking the law, this one is very specific and easily remedied.Nor will you see the police taking issue with the religious communities - there are just far too many of them in the precinct and it's far too easy to set off all kinds of tribal wars by seeming to crack down on one denomination or faith over the other. -
As more of the congregants move out of the neighborhood into cheaper areas that have less public transit options, you may not see the number of people driving to Crown Heights churches decrease. Nor will you see the police taking issue with the religious communities - there are just far too many of them in the precinct and it's far too easy to set off all kinds of tribal wars by seeming to crack down on one denomination or faith over the other.
It should be interesting to see which phenomena wins:
A. Congregants lose "parking power" because they become less numerous and/or no longer live in the district.
VS
B. Congregants gain power because they become old, and thus gain parking power as a result of the sympathy that accompanies frailty. -
Congregants gain power because they become old, and thus gain parking power as a result of the sympathy that accompanies frailty.
Ha. I can promise you the people coming and going from those cars yesterday were anything but old or frail.But, my God, the unfathomable horror of perfectly able-bodied people having to drop their elderly passengers off at the door before parking a block away. This isn't Russia.Where Would Jesus Park? -
Followers of Jesus strike me as pretty smart; they'll have some ancient lady with a walker meet with any precinct rep who takes up the cause of bikers.
She'll talk about how she lives alone and drives a '89 Oldsmobile.
-
A member of the community board who lives in the Daily News building let loose a tirade about Dean between Sixth Ave and Carlton that has church members double parked at all times of day and night. This block also has a fire station and a bike line and is one block from Barclays Center. All reasons that church members should not be double parking. So far its church 1, Daily News 0. Stay tuned for further developments.
-
Mike, my point is that there is double-parking outside of many churches as well as the blocking off of streets to accommodate walking pedestrian to synagogues on high holy days, not to mention the yeshiva school buses that routinely double park outside of the schools to discharge and pickup passengers. Cracking down on this church will lead to the inevitable "Why can the Episcopalians double park on the side streets" "How come the Jews can block the service road on the Parkway" "What about the Seventh Day Adventists?" etc, etc. Trust and believe that the cops aren't interested in wading into that morass. That's why the accommodation for people exercising their religion has been uniformly granted to all so as to not engender the complaint of any one group. Bikers have gained a lot of power in this city over the last twenty years, but I don't think as a group you guys have enough juice to take on a couple thousand years of collective religious weight. If anything in this city will bring together Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Siks, Zoroastrians, Scientologsts, Yorubans, Santeriaist, Satanists, Wicans, and various and sundry other believers, it is you going after their parking privileges during hours of worship.
Maybe not, but it would be really pathetic if the NYPD refused to enforce a dangerous violation of the law for that reason. Whatever other congregations are breaking the law, this one is very specific and easily remedied.Nor will you see the police taking issue with the religious communities - there are just far too many of them in the precinct and it's far too easy to set off all kinds of tribal wars by seeming to crack down on one denomination or faith over the other. -
Of course bikers, whom one would assume to be able-bodied, could simply ride down another parallel street (NY Avenue?) for the few hours once a week when there are double parked cars here. Or ride around the cars that are in the precious bike lanes. Surely many bikers ride in the middle of streets all the time and Bedford in that area is simply not that heavily trafficked by cars.
-
Him. Sunday is one of the only days I am able to ride my bike for pleasure and Bedford gets me where I need to go much better than any of the other aves. I don't like double parking by anyone. Any it seems as though people are taking advantage of the bike lane and not respecting the people who wish to use it as designed. I'd just call the precinct and be done with it.
-
Just so you non-bikers know, going around a double-parked car, truck or van, including one parked in a bike lane,on a bicycle is a very dangerous maneuver One of only two times I've been hit by a car or van in 35 years of bike riding in Brooklyn was on 4th Avenue when I went around a double parked car without looking behind me. Damn near got killed. Ever since then, I look behind me and often engage in a game of chicken: will the car stop and let me (who is ahead of the car) go around the double parked vehicle? Or do I stop, wait for how ever long it takes to let traffic clear and then go around the double parker.Think about it the next time your driving and see a cyclist attempting to go in front of you to get around a double parked car. Do you slow down? Do you stop? Do you honk at the cyclist? What would you do if you were on a bike?
-
Capt-
You are listing merely one of the reasons most NYC residents do not use bikes for transportation. -
@mike_dunlap I hear you it's extremely frustrating for perfectly healthy people to decide that walking from a legal spot would kill them as they literally endanger other people's lives.Have you been on the Kent Ave bike lane during the high holy days? The bike lane as well as the sidewalk is constantly blocked and pedestrians are forced into the bike lane and bikes into the road against the flow of car traffic. Someone WILL get killed there. I called 311 multiple times and the NYPD always marks these as condition no longer there when they "investigate" it hours later. Once when I was trying to explain why to a 311 operator this was so dangerous a cop car rolled on by.Of course he didn't stop even as I tried to flag him down.I've nearly been run over by an MTA bus on Dean between Vanderbilt and Washington because both those churches were double parked on both sides of the street! It's insane that we have decided the right of a few groups to be lazy have so thoroughly trumped the well being and safety of the general public.@crownheigster The NYPD is already well aware of blocked bike lanes and double parking. Unfortunately, They have decided that it's not even important enough for them to get out of their cruisers and do some police work e.g. write tickets.
-
@whynot_31 Actually not at all. Not sure why keep saying that. I'm giving reasons why the NYPD and the city MUST change to better protect all citizens.
-
Because I am not a member of the NYPD and am merely a member of the public who must do things like get to work each day, it comes off as reinforcing my opinion that riding a bike for transportation is dangerous and for people who have a much higher tolerance for risk than I.
History has told me that I should not wait for the NYPD and the city to better protect its citizens. -
The city is making significant strives in cyclist safety. Bike lanes, such as they are, are more prevalent then ever and more protected lanes are on the way. Also more comuterw, such as your self, are riding to work then ever before. There is a marked correlation between number of cyclists and cyclist safety.
-
Yes, being hit by a bike while on a bike tends to not be fatal.
But as modes of transportation go, biking is still one of the most dangerous ways to get around NYC.
A co-worker bikes to work. She looks quite good as a result.
I'd hate for anything to happen to her. -
Followers of Jesus strike me as pretty smart; they'll have some ancient lady with a walker meet with any precinct rep who takes up the cause of bikers.
Of course. Blatant dishonesty certainly isn't beyond church leaders.
She'll talk about how she lives alone and drives a '89 Oldsmobile. -
Whatever. I got your point. They are breaking the law in a way that endangers other people. That others are doing the same - if that's even true - is irrelevant as it concerns their religious hypocrisy and the law.
Mike, my point is that there is double-parking outside of many churches as well as the blocking off of streets to accommodate walking pedestrian to synagogues on high holy days, not to mention the yeshiva school buses that routinely double park outside of the schools to discharge and pickup passengers. Cracking down on this church will lead to the inevitable "Why can the Episcopalians double park on the side streets" "How come the Jews can block the service road on the Parkway" "What about the Seventh Day Adventists?" etc, etc. Trust and believe that the cops aren't interested in wading into that morass. That's why the accommodation for people exercising their religion has been uniformly granted to all so as to not engender the complaint of any one group. Bikers have gained a lot of power in this city over the last twenty years, but I don't think as a group you guys have enough juice to take on a couple thousand years of collective religious weight. If anything in this city will bring together Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Siks, Zoroastrians, Scientologsts, Yorubans, Santeriaist, Satanists, Wicans, and various and sundry other believers, it is you going after their parking privileges during hours of worship.
Maybe not, but it would be really pathetic if the NYPD refused to enforce a dangerous violation of the law for that reason. Whatever other congregations are breaking the law, this one is very specific and easily remedied.Nor will you see the police taking issue with the religious communities - there are just far too many of them in the precinct and it's far too easy to set off all kinds of tribal wars by seeming to crack down on one denomination or faith over the other. -
Capt-
That's too bad b/c cycling in the city, even with drivers intentionally endangering others like this, is very, very safe. It would just be nice if it could be so without drivers threatening - unintentionally and, very frequently, intentionally - to seriously injure or kill people.
You are listing merely one of the reasons most NYC residents do not use bikes for transportation. -
Yes, being hit by a bike while on a bike tends to not be fatal.
You drive a car.
But as modes of transportation go, biking is still one of the most dangerous ways to get around NYC.
A co-worker bikes to work. She looks quite good as a result.
I'd hate for anything to happen to her.
Cars were created a long time ago.
Here's me pedantically stating a fact about something.
I hope you don't get in a car crash. -
It's interesting that people always get so worried about cyclist yet car and heart related deaths are much more prevalent then cyclist related deaths.
You drive a car.
Cars were created a long time ago.
Here's me pedantically stating a fact about something.
I hope you don't get in a car crash. -
I am still looking for this car I own, and these bikers I dislike.
In a city, isn't biking one of the most dangerous forms of transportation in terms of injury per mile? So few bikers, so many injuries and deaths.
It is dangerous out there. If you want to reduce risk to yourself without increasing others, taking the subway or walking seems the way to go.
By the way, this thread means it is officially Spring, when streets and parks become crowded and everyone believes their rights are being infringed. -
Phil Collins fan?Followers of Jesus strike me as pretty smart; they'll have some ancient lady with a walker meet with any precinct rep who takes up the cause of bikers.
Of course. Blatant dishonesty certainly isn't beyond church leaders.
She'll talk about how she lives alone and drives a '89 Oldsmobile.
-
It's interesting that people always get so worried about cyclist yet car and heart related deaths are much more prevalent then cyclist related deaths.
Cyclists are annoying. Car drivers kill and seriously injure millions of people around the planet each year, frequently menace cyclists and pedestrians when angered by threatening to seriously harm or kill them, heavily pollute the city and planet, destroy an incredible amount of public property, dangerously break the law by breaking the speed limit basically 100% of the time they drive their cars, etc., etc.But, hey, cyclists are annoying. -
So few bikers, so many injuries and deaths.
lol
Citi Bike has had over 15 million rides. The vast majority of them helmetless. 0 deaths. I'm not even aware of a major injury.
You're a great troll here on this subject, but your knowledge of it is basically non-existent.
Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
- 40K All Categories
- 27.1K Neighborhoods
- 5.1K Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens
- 7.1K Prospect Heights
- 2.3K Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy
- 8K Park Slope
- 549 Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick
- 442 Flatbush/Midwood/Ditmas Park
- 657 BoCoCa (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens)
- 151 Red Hook
- 104 Gowanus
- 304 Bay Ridge/Bensonhurst
- 130 Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay
- 270 Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO and Downtown
- 598 Windsor Terrace / Kensington
- 673 Greenwood Heights and Sunset Park
- 749 Brooklyn and Beyond
- 6.3K Stuff
- 86 Brooklyn Back When
- 1.2K Brooklyn Pets
- 257 Brooklyn Kids
- 241 Brooklyn Eats
- 51 Brooklyn Booze
- 3.6K The Lounge / Random Stuff
- 611 Brooklyn Politics
- 122 Brooklyn Sports and Fitness
- 111 Brooklyn Photos
- 339 Site Issues
- 8 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- 6.2K Listings
- 1.1K APARTMENTS and REAL ESTATE
- 1.3K Sales Openings Events
- 2.3K The Classifieds