Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

Greenpoint maven Miss Heather, who blogs at New York Shitty, has noticed an increase in the number of seniors wheeling their electric scooters through neighborhood bike lanes. The reason, she suspects, is that "some of our sidewalks do not necessarily make the best terrain for such vehicles (or pedestrians, for that matter)." 

After I shot this video a passerby asked me why I was laughing. I assured her I was not laughing at this woman for having mobility problems and using a scooter. I explained to her that I have seen no less than five people employ the bike lanes on Manhattan Avenue in just such a manner this week alone.

Inasmuch as some might think to the contrary, this neighborhood is not just for the young and wealthy. It’s for everyone. Way to go my fellow Greenpointers. THIS is what I call “taking back the streets”!

Streetsblog contributor Captain Disko has observed likewise down in the Slope, where double-parked delivery trucks lead to whole new hazards.

DOT's Safe Streets for Seniors has targeted problem spots around the city for upgrades, but obstacles to senior mobility are clearly more widespread. When faced with the choice of impassable sidewalks or taking their chances among much faster moving vehicles, what are scooter-dependent seniors to do?

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Civic Panel Dings Adams For Cutting Bike and Bus Lanes Out of Fifth Av. Redesign

Mayor Adams's scaled down redesign of Fifth Avenue isn't a "real solution" to safety issued on the packed retail corridor.

July 14, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: E-Bike Regulations Edition

Monday is a big day for the future of e-bikes in the Big Apple. Plus more news.

July 14, 2025

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third Av. Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025
See all posts