You Had One Job: Schermerhorn Street Repaving Leaves Cyclists Out of Room

Drivers hate us. They really hate us.

By Gersh Kuntzman

9:59 AM EDT on August 6, 2018

You Had One Job: Schermerhorn Street Repaving Leaves Cyclists Out of Room

Someone painted "BUMP" too widely on Schermerhorn Street between Court and Clinton streets, meaning it will have to be redone if the city restores the bike lane. Photo: Gersh Kuntzman

Here’s today’s metaphor for how America’s car-centric culture sees cyclists: In the way.

Contractors for the Department of Transportation recently repaved Schermerhorn Street between Court and Clinton streets in Brooklyn Heights — but the person who restriped the roadway not only forgot to repaint the bike lane, but he or she also wrote the word “BUMP” so wide that the work will have to be done all over again if the city restores the cycling path (photo above).

Here’s how the roadway looked before the repaving…

And here’s what it should look like…

The city should restore the bike lane to Schermerhorn Street between Court and Clinton streets because it is a key route around the mess of Downtown Brooklyn, linking riders from Smith Street to the Clinton Street bike path (see map below):

After this story was published, a DOT spokesperson said, “A work order for this site has been placed and the bike lane will be repainted soon.”

Gersh Kuntzman

Tabloid legend Gersh Kuntzman has been with New York newspapers since 1989, including stints at the New York Daily News, the Post, the Brooklyn Paper and even a cup of coffee with the Times. He's also the writer and producer of "Murder at the Food Coop," which was a hit at the NYC Fringe Festival in 2016, and “SUV: The Musical” in 2007. He also writes the Cycle of Rage column, which is archived here.

Bicycle Infrastructure | Brooklyn Heights | DOT | Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project

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