Cyclists in New York City aren’t as legion as they might seem. Despite a “boom” touted by City Hall and The New York Times, the number of citizens who bike to work remains a minute fraction of all commuters. According to the US Census, 3,599,786 New Yorkers get to work by means other than cycling, while the DOT reports that just 45,800 commute by bike.
Yet, to mollycoddle this racially and gender-distinct elite, the city expanded bike lanes from 513 miles in 2006 to 1,133 today. This, of course, comes at the expense of the polyglot masses. It means 1,133 fewer miles for cars to maneuver. It means less room for delivery vehicles and emergency vehicles to park. It means turning lanes that baffle pedestrians, motorists and cyclists alike.
Yet, after warping the entire pattern and fabric of movement to funnel motorized conveyances through ever narrow spaces, City Hall has the chutzpah to growl about “congestion.”
Hilariously, the Dale Earnhardts of the handlebars turn into colicky babies over every minor impediment to their progress. They tweet their rage whenever a bike lane is blocked by any of the inevitable nuisances — like utility digs, construction and fire trucks. You know, the things most New Yorkers deal with every single day while taking it in their stride.
Fury’s in their blood, as was true of the guys who wished me death by dump truck over my last bike lane-bashing column. Bring it on, boys! But spare the women and children.
22 comments:
Bike lanes will be an issue in the next election for mayor, these new lanes can be removed pretty fast. As this article makes clear, the number of people who bike to work is tiny. What aspiring mayor is willing to support bike lanes when public opinion is overwhelmingly against?
There,there. We are the government and we know what is best for you.
What aspiring mayor is willing to support bike lanes when public opinion is overwhelmingly against?
Why, when his campaign is funded by developers who want to lower the carbon footprint. So cars, driven by little people are out.
It does not help that Queens residents know how to take the dive when a pol give them 'tha look.'
I never seen much use for bike lanes. People can easily be hit in a bike lane just as much as they could be hit driving in regular traffic lanes. Plus these lanes are a danger to pedestrians. I cant tell you how many times these terrible cyclists have almost hit me on the upper east side as I was crossing the street to go to work. It was a terrible idea to create more of them.
Another a article written to stir up racial hatred and encourage violence against whites. Whites on bicycles! How dare they! Calm down, blacks and everyone else rides bikes too.
The bike lanes are dangerous. Shared bike lane is a dangerous myth.
What about the red painted bus lanes? They remove an important lane to traffic to accommodate buses, which only pass occasionally down the street vs. a steady stream of cars. I still don't fully understand why there are "bus only" lanes, but I do understand that they rob us of a driving lane, causing further congestion.
De Blasio saw fit to shrink from two travel lanes to one on the block I live in. On his personal orders (which unfortunately is not hyperbole), the NYCDOT just got around to defacing the avenue on this past Friday.
A car width lane has been entirely purloined for the small handful of bicycles that come through in a given hour (on the warm seasons). Combined with other ways that the road has been reconfigured, I would agree that the NYCDOT managed to create new hazards for bicyclists, pedestrians and vehicle operators at the same time.
We have multi-story apartments on one side of the block and retail stores, supermarkets and restaurants on the other side. The pattern holds true for several blocks. What could possibly go wrong?
Traffic backups can easily stretch for 2-3 blocks when school buses stop to pick up children in the morning and drop off in the afternoon. With the general lack of parking spaces (made even worse with the recent changes) or suitable standing spots, it is also a very common practice for passenger vehicles, taxis and Access-A-Ride vans to double park. Same thing for delivery trucks coming to re-supply the businesses/residents and garbage trucks to pick up the trash. Should also be fun when the MTA conducts temporary construction re-routes for the Q32 bus line too.
The side streets are no alternatives either - they're relatively narrow and a line of vehicles will quickly form with any slightly wide vehicle double parked there. I've been hearing fire trucks en route back to the firehouse blowing their horns more often in the side streets late at night.
Somehow De Blasio managed to get the city and its taxpayers to pay for his federal corruption trial, but he should be held personally liable for deaths and destruction of property when emergency services cannot respond in time due to the problems he personally created against the wishes of the community and first responders. He overplayed his hands - it will eventually happen...
More roads and more cars. That must be the solution.
This is a great and illuminating piece, having us realize that such a small section of our city's population is benefiting from this myriad of protected bike lanes, that have been the main cause (not Uber or Lift) of the preset traffic nightmare. Meanwhile, the article leaves out the car hating cult, inside the DoT and elsewhere, as the main force behind the powerful and ruthless bike lanes' lobby. They want to make driving as difficult and onerous as possible.
Bike lanes are the scourge of America. For some reason we have decided to spend millions and millions on these whiners. It's everywhere, not just good ol' NYC. I can't tell you the number of times I've almost been run down by these spoiled nincompoops. Down sidewalks, going the wrong way, running stop lights and signs, screaming foul language, giving obscene hand gestures to our law abiding pedestrian and commuting citizens. On and On and On. Get rid of the mollycoddling Democrats and you just might make some headway. Ban Bikes on the streets of the five boros unless they have insurance and proof of it. Unless they have a specific license to ride a bike on roadways in this City. Unless the Bike is registered and licensed just like a car or truck and they obey ALL of the traffic laws. Otherwise legislate them out of existence. Stand up New Yorkers!
It's only 45,000 people. Their safety obviously counts for nothing.
Yea nothing like biking to work in sub zero climate or ending up under a bus or cab.
Even during good weather New York City is not like Amsterdam where you can go an average 1/2 mile before a red light or intersection.
This mayor is a complete jackass.
NYC IS NOT AMSTERDAM
I have found the ultimate in bike lane stupidity. 73rd Ave., going east from Springfield Blvd. The road forms the northern border of Alley Pond Park. It used to be almost a bucolic ride. But no more. No longer can the public park its cars along the curb next to the park. No, now there's a parking lane in the middle of the street. Why? No good reason. No need whatsoever. Never been a parking problem before. So you have a west bound lane, a parking lane, an eastbound lane, and a bike lane so you can't park where a normal person would. A nice wide street is now cramped and stressful. But there's more. The road curves with the park and becomes 230th street, which is much narrower. This configuration eliminates all safe parking on the side of the street with houses. Unbelievably stupid. Oh, and I have yet to see a cyclist. Too bad it's not yet on Google street view.
Bike lanes are for the 1%
Could it be that the Federal government is throwing millions of tax dollars to build these boondoggles?
Bike lanes are for the 1%
LOL I don't think the 1% is biking in NYC - maybe at their summer homes.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
>A nice wide street is now cramped and stressful.
THAT'S THE POINT.
The mayor doesn't want people driving. Aside from his chauffeur, of course.
"Aside from his chauffeur, of course."
More like police motorcade.
this is all being done by a well funded commie front group called Transportation Alternatives .
FROM THEIR WEBSITE - THE STATED GOAL:
"Transportation Alternatives' mission is to reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile"
they have totally infiltrated the DOT.
the lazy, useless bureaucrats at DOT take whatever trans alt give them, pass it off as their own work and go back to sleep!
Let me tell you all what I have witnessed riding in terms of the amount of riders and the behavior exhibited in the bike lanes.
On Queens Blvd. About 3 bicyclists, and 2 motorcycles.
On the Queensboro Bridge, speeding assholes racing and running up on people and yours truly even though there isn't ample room to pass. One maggot in full lycra spandex costume even tried to pass me even though I passing a jogger next to me as I yelled at him to slow down. Said maggot eventually went around me and waved his hand in front of his ass. It must be some new alpha bro braggadocio bullshit. I called him a lame version of Lance Armstrong.
I can sympathize and empathize with everyone livid at these bike lanes and especially those retarded bus lanes, they make no damn sense at all except as an obnoxious revenue generator and a tax on drivers and their collective sanity. The two traffic harpies, Sadek-Kahn and now that ditz Trottenberg have devoted the streets for express buses and two wheeled commuters and it's clogging up traffic and it's made egress a hassle for emergency vehicles.
Actually it has benefited four wheeled commuters. Every asshole with a skateboard and now a lot of them have the lame motored ones. These are the retards that the city (and other cities apparently) are doling and deferring convenience to. They want the dumbest richest idiots to live here so they can use these myriad share apps to improve their commutes. This is the only alternative plan when the L shuts down. And no they won't be riding scooters from East New York, the battery wouldn't last, but this city and these shitty app companies are speculating that people will use these share services to get to the other train stations or bus stops. They expect people/idiots to spend an extra $10 week to get to their stops or probably to next bike share.
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