Bicycle Safety
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Fifth Ave Merchants: Delivery Problems Have Nothing to Do With Bike Lane
Tuesday's post about the Fifth Avenue bike lane in Park Slope gave me the chance to talk to several retail merchants about how they receive their deliveries, and whether the Class 2 bike lane is causing them any trouble. According to Fifth Avenue BID director Irene LoRe, the bike lane makes it tougher for delivery drivers to do their job and adds to the cost of doing business. But based on my conversations with other restaurant owners and retailers, there is little support for this view among merchants on the strip.
June 11, 2009
Streetcars in Seattle, Or Why America Should Mind Its Transit Gaps
The rider went down -- Boom! -- just as she turned to see if the streetcar was getting close to her. Turning to look was her undoing, because her wheel got caught in the big gap between rail and street, toppling her hard. The big blue streetcar was only ten feet or so behind her, but luckily was slowing down and did not run her over. Scary though.
June 9, 2009
Tonight: Speak Up for Safer Cycling on Kent Ave
If you live in Williamsburg or Greenpoint, you can't miss this community board action. DOT will present its revised plan for Kent Avenue tonight to Brooklyn CB1. Public support for the proposed two-way protected bike path will be critical, and if you sign up by 6:15 p.m., you can speak in favor of an improvement that will make cyclists safer and establish the footprint of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.
June 9, 2009
Fifth Ave BID, CB6 District Manager Take Aim at Park Slope Bike Lane
Just about every New York City neighborhood has to deal with the consequences of dirt cheap on-street parking. When you practically give away spaces at rock-bottom prices, it guarantees double parking and endless cruising for spots by bargain hunting drivers. Which is bad news for all the bus riders, cyclists, and delivery drivers who have to contend with the clogged curbs, extra traffic, and lane-blocking vehicles that result.
June 9, 2009
Safety in Numbers: It’s Happening in NYC
The city's expanding bike network is paying dividends -- boosting the level of cycling and making streets safer in the process. Snagged from the latest issue of TA's StreetBeat, this graph is a great illustration of the "safety in numbers" effect identified by researcher Peter Jacobsen in a landmark 2003 paper published in Injury Prevention. The stats in New York reinforce Jacobsen's body of evidence that the more bicyclists and pedestrians are out on the street, the safer biking and walking become.
June 5, 2009
Cyclist Struck Yesterday Morning at Third and Atlantic in Brooklyn
A reader emailed yesterday reporting that a bicyclist had been struck and seriously injured at the corner of Third Avenue and Atlantic Avenue near downtown Brooklyn. NYPD confirmed the collision late yesterday afternoon:
June 2, 2009
Harlem Bike Improvements on Hold After CB10 Meeting
On Wednesday night, Manhattan Community Board 10 voted not to approve a buffered bike lane along Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard but left the door open for a second vote and a different outcome. The decision followed a unanimous vote by the board's transportation committee in favor of the new lane. For the time being, at least, a major addition to Harlem's bike network is on hold.
May 8, 2009
Safer Streets Under Fire at Gerson “Town Hall”
Lower Manhattan City Council rep Alan Gerson held a "transportation town hall" Monday night, following up on his pledge last year to closely monitor creeping safety enhancements to New York streets. Fellow City Council member John Liu, a candidate for comptroller, also made an appearance at the forum.
May 6, 2009
Tonight: Friendly Voices Needed for Harlem Bike Lane
Just a reminder that Community Board 10 will consider a new buffered bike lane for Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard tonight. The lane, from W. 118th to W. 153rd Street, would complete a direct cyclist route between Central Park and the Macombs Dam Bridge, and would serve to calm traffic as well, as bikes would replace one thru lane for cars.
May 6, 2009