Protected Bike Lanes

A typical street plan in DOT's proposal for Eighth Avenue.

The Ninth Avenue cycle track will be extended 10 blocks north to 33rd St.

Since our post from last week on tonight's Community Board 3 meeting, where DOT will be presenting its plan for bike lanes on Chrystie Street, several Streetsbloggers have wondered why a physically separated corridor is not being considered for this heavily-traveled route.

Last time we checked in on the Columbia Street section of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, construction was in full swing. Now, along much of the path in Carroll Gardens and Red Hook, the orange barrels are gone and new plantings are taking root. Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson snapped these shots last week, noting that about 40 new trees have been planted on Columbia between Atlantic Avenue and Degraw Street. The paths and plantings have completely changed the feel of the street, he tells us.

Transportation Alternatives will officially kick off Bike Month tomorrow with a morning ride down the 9th Avenue cycle track. The ride will start at 9th and 23rd Street, and will end at the 14th Street pedestrian plaza, where there will be a press conference to highlight Bike Month events. Word is DOT Commish Janette Sadik-Khan will be on hand.

Here's how space is divvied up on Kent Avenue today...

Congestion pricing may be dead for the moment, but livable streets advocates can't afford to let that sap our strength or motivation. There are plenty of changes to be made that need grassroots support -- and not one iota of approval from Albany -- to reach fruition. One of those measures will face a crucial test later today.

This classic StreetFilm by Clarence Eckerson, Jr., "The Case for Separated Bike Lanes" (original release date: February 17, 2007), is enjoying a renaissance this week. First, a post on TaketheTooker featured the film and sparked a discussion about the merits of bike lanes compared to riding in traffic. Then TreeHugger picked up the thread and posted a survey, asking whether protected lanes would encourage cycling. 

As a candidate for a livable streets makeover, Columbus Avenue is a no-brainer. A block from Central Park, it is home to the American Museum of Natural History and sports a string of active ground floor businesses, but the street itself is a classically car-oriented corridor: three moving lanes sandwiched between two parking lanes. The Columbus Avenue BID has been working with Project for Public Spaces to make the street itself more of a destination -- to create a walkable, transit-oriented "spine" running from the museum to Lincoln Center on Broadway.