Times Square for the Peds!



It's always been a bit of a war on the streets on NY. Cars hate bikers and pedestrians, bikers hate cars and pedestrians, pedestrians hate bikers and cars. That's always been the simple math and keeping those relationships straight in your head has always been the trick to safe cycling through the city. Of course, everyone hated each other only at the times we were in direct competition for the same square foot of space, which generally meant a piece of the street.

The lines are getting evermore blurry


The mayor's plan to close roadway as it goes through Times Square to Herald Square ought to be a laudable one. To compromise the flow of traffic on the island of Manhattan so that it is completely inconvenient to drive around is truly a wonderful thing. Manhattan is a small congested space, and having two ton machines crawling around it is environmentally wasteful and hazardous.

I accept this.

But to close Times Square to cars will also impede the flow of bicycle traffic, and this leads me to a conundrum.

On one hand, to ride without worrying about cars is wonderful. It puts the fun back in 'cycling', and makes it easier for people to become commuters. Riding becomes not just for those crazies that like to mix it up with traffic.

On the other hand, once you become an able NYC bicycle commuter, the point IS to mix it up with traffic. In fact, by confidently riding in traffic, you can get to where you're going faster than the traffic. When traffic flows, you can flow with the traffic, moving between the lanes as if you are a silent ninja (I love the ninja analogy).

The picture above shows DOT workers painting the bike lane that currently goes from 42nd street to Herald Square. When they were done, it looked like this:



And THAT is the problem.

Riding the current green lane is a complete waste of time as a cyclist. The placing of the lane between the curb and the Venetian style outside seating lulls pedestrians into thinking they're actually in Venice.



But, of course, gondolas move slower then bikes.

I believe that the new style bike lanes defeat the purpose of bicycle commuting. They force you to go slower in deference to pedestrians and to have almost ten blocks worth of these counterproductive lanes will create a point for bicycle congestion as well as for cars.



And a Shanghai style bicycle grid-lock is not what got me riding in the first place.

I think the lesson that I've learned from the Kent street bike lane is that good intentions can go awry. Yes, it's good to have bike lanes, especially for people who are timid in traffic. But maybe timidity is not what makes a NYC bicycle commuter. Maybe the point is that the bar is high, and that to be an effective commuter, you have to learn to ride with cars. To inconvenience everyone else (more experienced cyclists included) seems unilaterally prescriptive and ultimately will create more negativity towards cyclists. the same goes for the continuation of the green lanes to 23rd street.

I don't want to add to to the hate equation I started off with. It's enough for me to hate peds and cars on regular streets when I'm on my bike. I do not want to hate other cyclists as well, especially in bicycle lanes. I will steer clear of Times Square when this gets implemented, and it'll be a shame, because a night-time cruise through Times Square is what makes riding in this city so wonderful.

The Kent Avenue Bike Lane Smackdown That Wasn't

Have you ever been to a Community Board meetings? If not, let me tell you something: they are not sexy.

I was freaking geared up for a BIG smackdown over the Kent Avenue bike lane. But,my righteous fury fizzled mighty quick: the meeting kicked off with a wonkapalooza presentation about waterfront zoning. As a biker and card-carrying-bearded-liberal-dude, I know I should be in to such stuff, but dudes and dudettes it was a wonkfest that led most everyone to ponder their navel fuzz.

Said discussion nudged the hot button Kent Ave issue to nearly 7:45pm. If that wasn’t enough to dull a biker’s anger, there was also a noticeably different dynamic from last month’s Transportation Town Hall. Simply put, there were many bikers there and they got up and made some lovely, impassioned please for the lane. To that, I can only say: YIPEEEE!

The other difference was…well, let’s just say it: there were far fewer Hassidim at the meeting. I don’t write this to suggest that the Hassidic community is the enemy here—they got very legit beefs and I certainly want them to feel comfy with the lane. But there were but a handful in attendance and, during my time at the meeting, they didn’t raise a peep against the bike lane.

What gives?

One thing might be that the folks behind the Brooklyn Greenway have been working diligently, if quietly, with DOT and the community to address concerns about parking and stopping and other very understandable sore points. The result has been more parking spots and some other reasonable sounding changes. You can get the full scoop at the Brooklyn Greenway’s website. Full disclosure: I work on the site...I am shameless little mofo!


Back to the meeting! There was also a classic Community Board fuss to sort of distract everyone: the unceremonious ouster of longtime CB1 Transportation Board Chair Teresa Toro. I will not comment on said fuss, save to say that it direct you to our more informed friends at Streetsblog

All that aside, there were some voices raised against the lanes, largely from Kent Avenue residents and business owners. Some of the beefs sounded very legit (business owners have to shlepp a bit to get deliveries, which sure seems like a pain if your deliveries are of any weight). Other beefs--having to walk to cross the street, wanting the bike lane ONLY on the west side—sounded a might less pressing to this chap.

What’s next? I am curious to see if DOT’s changes make folks happier. And I also wonder if more can be done to aid Kent Ave business owners. I did think that Milton Puryear from Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (the stewards of the Greenway) made a great point: we are all gonna have to accept some changes as well as some things that are less than ideal. I am game to do that if the final result is a safe lane that leads me to South Brooklyn and others to some nice new parks.

Kent Avenue Showdown on Tuesday, Jan 13

Showdown is a strong word: we want to broker peace on Kent Street...and keep our lovely, tremendously useful bike lanes!

Truth be told, we have no idea if anyone reads our humble, sporadically-updated blog...and if you do, you likely already know about this really important meeting.

But if you don't, details are below. If you aren't busy on Tuesday, please haul over to Anslie Street, please! The voices against the bike lane are plenty loud and at the last meeting bikers barely made a peep. So, let's pipe up!

Part of the urgency here is not only protecting bike lanes (though I for one can't believe we would really use taxpayer money during a big recession to roll back something that greatly aids safe, enviromentally sound transportaton). The Kent lane is also part of the burgeoining Brooklyn Greenway, which will be a boon to the borough's bikers, walkers and joggers. Kent Ave. is an integral part of the Greenway--it loops people around the Navy Yard and makes for a convenient route all the way to Greenpoint. Hand, sexy and good!

Anyhow, soapboax stuff over, here's the scoop on the meeting:


WHEN: January 13, 2009
WHERE: Swinging Sixties Senior Center
211 Ainslie Street (Corner of Manhattan Avenue)

QUOTH TRANSALT:
"Williamsburg, BrooklynThe back and forth over the Kent Avenue bike lanes has continued over the last several weeks. This coming Tuesday is the first full meeting of Community Board 1 since the dispute erupted, and we need a strong showing of supporters to make the biggest possible impression on the board leadership. Please attend this critical meeting, and sign up to make a brief 2-minute statement during the public comment period to back up this critical safety improvement.

You must sign up by 6:15 pm AT THE LATEST to speak"


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