Are Streets for Families to Travel Safely or for NYPD Squad Car Storage?
It's just one short block of Bergen Street in Prospect Heights, but the guerrilla bike lane birthed by local resident Ian Dutton has become an object lesson in the conflict between NYPD's use of street space, on the one hand, and New Yorkers' safety on the other. On Saturday, when BrooklynSpoke's Doug Gordon snapped this photo, the bike lane was functioning beautifully, with orange posts keeping it free from encroachment by the nearby 78th Precinct.
The next day, with the posts shifted a few feet to the right, police had once again taken over the bike lane to store a squad car. Anyone riding by on this major bike route would have to swerve into traffic.
Cops parking where they don't belong is hardly limited to this spot. The city's sidewalks, bus lanes, bike lanes, and general traffic lanes are routinely obstructed by squad cars or placarded vehicles. The notable thing about this piece of DIY street engineering is that it has compelled police to take an extra, willful step to appropriate the public right-of-way. The street was functioning fine, thanks to a few well-placed plastic sticks, but apparently a functional street only lasts so long next to a precinct house.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
Analysis: Everyone Agrees — Less Parking Means More Housing
Let's take a second-day look at Mayor Adams's "City of Yes" zoning proposal to do away with mandatory parking in new developments.
What is the Life of a Dead Pedestrian Worth?
A cop laughed that a normal person is only worth $11,000 — and that figure was partly due to his racism, but also how little we value the lives of people on foot.
Monday’s Headlines: ‘What is Up With All These Flip-Flops, Mayor?’ Edition
It's the same old story with this mayor and his chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin. Plus other news.
Why Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Long COVID
Covid-19 transformed many U.S. cities' approach to sustainable transportation forever. But how did it transform the lives of sustainable transportation advocates who developed lasting symptoms from the disease?
Analysis: ‘Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program’ is a Failure By All Measures
The Department of Transportation wants the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program to simply expire in part because it did not dramatically improve safety among these worst-of-the-worst drivers and led to a tiny number of vehicle seizures.
