Weiner: There’s No Need for “Warfare Over Bike Lanes”

Queens Congressman Anthony Weiner has edged a little closer to clarifying his now-infamous “tearing out your [expletive] bike lanes” remark.

Though he previously seemed to confirm what many suspected — that the Times, in its zeal for a juicy lede, turned an off-the-cuff exchange with Mayor Bloomberg into an indictment of transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan — Weiner, who’s not exactly known for holding his tongue, has declined to elaborate when it comes to the question of whether he would maintain or continue the expansion of the city’s program for safer biking and walking if elected mayor.

Yesterday, during a social media exchange that brought in thousands of questions and comments, Weiner had this to say:

“first it was a joke. but it make the story because we now have open and unnecessary warfare over bike lanes. its a false choice : bike lanes and true civic planning.”

It’s not the same as, “No, I’m not going to tear out any bike lanes,” but Weiner appears to be acknowledging that the current bike lane “controversy” has been trumped up in the press. As for saying that New Yorkers can have both bike infrastructure and “true civic planning” — that’s sort of a no-brainer, right?

More to come, no doubt.