This AM, on our way to a delicious bkfst with BKLYN BP Marty Markowitz, a flock of us rode down Vanderbilt Ave’s new striped lane. A school bus and various other obstacles presented themselves.

DOT ought to prove to BKLYN that we are treated to the same SAFE gold standard of Class 1 bike lanes on Vanderbilt as Manhattanites deserve. Borough equity! If not now, when???

Please sign the petition if you bike anywhere in NYC…and tell your friends…it is not too late for a redesign! We need a gold standard:
Safer Streets on Vanderbilt Avenue
http://www.petitiononline.com/ssva/petition.html

And if you’re hungry for more info, see:
http://greenbrooklyn.com/dot-safe-streets-plan-not-so-safe-action-for-safer-streets-on-vanderbilt-avenue/

Text:
To: Councilmember Letitia James, Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries, State Senator Eric Adams, Community Board 8 Chairperson Robert Matthew, Councilmember David Yassky, Councilmember Bill deBlasio, Councilmember John Liu, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz & Rohit Aggarwala:
On Monday April 28th, NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan officially launched the City’s Sustainable Streets plan. It kicked off with Safety, and as the plan articulates: “Safety is the first priority for any transportation system.” In her presentation, she also discussed Manhattan’s Ninth Avenue Class I protected bike lane, and called it “the gold standard.” That protected bike lane is safer for bicyclists, motorists, and pedestrians alike.

Simultaneously, Brooklyn’s Vanderbilt Avenue is undergoing a complete renovation from Atlantic Avenue to Grand Army Plaza. The design has been approved by the City and by CB8 and the renovations are underway. We are gracious that bike lanes were included in the design. However, these are on-street, unprotected bike lanes. In other words, these are dangerous and thus NOT the gold standard.

We, the undersigned, therefore demand a redesign to include protected bike lanes (either on opposite sides of the Avenue, or immediately adjacent to each other, on one side of the street.)

We realize that a redesign to include protected bike lanes would delay the project. However, considering the painfully slow rate for infrastructure repair and upgrade, we believe it is worth the wait.

We respectfully ask you to do all that you can to ensure that Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn has the safest bicycle lanes possible. We deserve no less.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned