Bike Lanes erased - Please help!

I found some more info on this here:

http://nybikejumble.com/bike-news-tuesday-december-1/#more-484

Disconcerting.

god i was soooo waiting for such a comment lol

*sites back and watches the flames burn!*

omg, the WIN in this thread!

All the things in the world to worry about, and now this? Ridiculous.

I wholly endorse the city' setting-up bike lanes in the slope and other areas of the city, but why the hell don't bikers use them? you know what i'm talking about: there are bike lanes on streets parallel to union street, but it seems like everytime i'm driving-up union (in a rental car), there's some dope on a bike pedalling slowly like he or she is going to have a heart attack any moment, and weaving back and forth in the lane and backing-up traffic behind them.. and then THEY get pissed when you beep (not honk) your horn to let them know you're passing them.

Children 12 and under may ride on the sidewalk.

http://bicyclehabitat.com/articles/bicycling-rules-of-the-road-pg213.htm

(i) No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon any sidewalk area
unless permitted by sign. This prohibition shall not apply to the operation
of bicycles with wheels of less than 26 inches in diameter upon the
sidewalk by children of 12 years or less in age.

I would much rather take Kent Ave, it's a short 3 blocks away and from what I remember has a parked car protected two way bike lane. It's the bicycle BQE

prezst wrote: but why the hell don't bikers use them? .

most bikers do (myself included), but as with jerk drivers who park/drive in bike lanes, not everyone is considerate.

As far as I'm concerned the jay walking Hasids are fair game to be run over when I'm riding my bike up Bedford Avenue to the Williamsburg Bridge. They will suffer the lash of my tongue or my elbow if they get to close to me.

The comments section on the Streetsblog post is pretty informative - some planning going on over there...
http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/dot-sandblasts-14-blocks-of-bike-lane-off-bedford-avenue/

I just rode this route in to work (I've been taking it everyday for years). The city has sandblasted out the pictures of the cyclists on the ground, but there is still a lane on the left hand side of the road that looks and feels a lot like a bike lane.

The whole debate sems like a moot point to me. Bedford is the straightest and easiest route to the Williamsburg Bridge from Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights and other adjacent neighborhoods. That's why they put the lane there. People are going to ride that route, lane or not. In the current situation, where you have a lane leading up to Satmar Williamsburg, then something that seems like a lane for a mile or so, then a lane again, I can't imagine bikers are going to alter their route.

I can understand people's frustration with bikers - a lot of us bike like assholes and need to seriously check our attitudes. But I don't think griping about bikes and hoping they go away is going to work for the Satmar or anyone else. The best strategy is probably to try to accomodate bikers while simultaneously imposing some expectations on them. Ironically, this is exactly what bike lanes do...

Mister Softee wrote: II can understand people's frustration with bikers - a lot of us bike like assholes and need to seriously check our attitudes. But I don't think griping about bikes and hoping they go away is going to work for the Satmar or anyone else. The best strategy is probably to try to accomodate bikers while simultaneously imposing some expectations on them. Ironically, this is exactly what bike lanes do...

I agree with you there. As someone who drives more than bikes I find that when bikers are in the bike lane they tend to make more eye contact with me and use hand signals. I feel safer riding next to the bike lane in my car than I do walking around Prospect Park while some of the packs of bikers ride by.

Also I think most bikers are considerate and share the road well with others - its the delivery guys who drive a little too carelessly.

(I also like the bike lane because a lot of bikers have some seriously cute butts I get to watch driving by )

Boygabriel wrote: So it seems to me the bike symbols were removed, but the dividing line is still there?

That's to let the Sids know it's still kosher to double park in the lane.

armchair_warrior wrote: too bad the Hasidim has such pull in this city. they objected to the ankles and the neck lines etc.. being too sexy to ride through their community.

What on Earth are you babbling on about? This is about bike lanes being erased and you keep whinging on about Hassids?

Are you one of those people who blames EVERYTHING on the Jews? Cool, me too. I'm having a hard time spreading the rumor that Jews started the swine flu. The whole Kosher thing is hurting its credibility. Also, I believe anti-Semitism is purely a fabrication created by the Jews for sympathy.

booklaw wrote: I tend to be extremely aware of anti-semitism ... In this instance, however, I have no doubt whatsoever that the erasure of the Williamsburg bike lanes was done at the insistence of and for the benefit of the Hasids

Oh, I'm sorry, why didn't you say so? You have "no doubt." well that sounds like a verifiable source to me. This has to be fact now, right?

If you are "extremely" aware of anti-Semitism then you should also be “extremely” aware that one of the first signs of anti-Semitism or any kind of prejudice or racism is blaming a group of people for something without providing any kind of evidence. You see where I’m getting at? Do you understand the concept of proof and evidence and of citing sources?

Here’s the only real fact I’ve seen: the lanes were erased by the DOT. I believe this is the Department of Transportation and is part of the NYC government. I’m not aware of the DOT being part of the Hassidic community.