Wednesday, May 3, 2017

DOT can't prove that bike lanes are needed


From CBS:

If you ask drivers, many will tell you it’s become chaos in New York City because of miles and miles of bike lanes popping up in recent years.

The Department of Transportation installed more than 60 miles of dedicated cycling space last year, the most of any year to date.

The DOT’s website states that studies show a double digit increase in volume of 59 percent after implementation of the lanes, but that was information from 2014 before many more miles of cycling lanes were added.

Trottenberg also said recent data shows traffic isn’t getting worse in NYC.

“When we look at our traffic studies we see at best we keep traffic neutral, sometimes better,” she said at Tuesday’s press conference.

When pressed for specific studies showing more drivers aren’t on the roads, the DOT referred CBS2 to their website.

A lot of street real estate has been given up on the promise that bike lanes would be heavily used. At some point, New Yorkers would like to see the evidence that it was — and remains — a good bet.

16 comments:

JQ LLC said...

I can prove they are not needed. Queens Blvd is a huge example. No one rides on those lanes, I commute to work on there, I am the only one.

As for the miles of lanes in the city. Probably during the end of the work day, and during the afternoon hours with all the app food deliveries, other than that the lanes are usually deserted for blocks.

The partitioned lanes are the dumbest, because the cars are parked outside of the lane it's actually a visual obstruction. Mostly, these lanes have become extended sidewalks for oblivious moronic pedestrians.

And the advent of these lanes, which is nothing but a false amenity to promote overvalued rental market rates than for the safety of bikers, has made traffic more congested, now that they have one less lane on the street. Especially now with more bullshit app service for cars out there.

And the city's reaction and response is typical, obfuscate, misdirect and and ultimately disrespect the reporters and those demanding accountability and information and hope they give up.

Polly should get that stupid flower out of her hair. She looks and from her answers, acts like a dumb hippie.

Anonymous said...

On Queens Blvd all these bike lanes did was increase traffic congestion and took away parking spots. It's a nightmare on Queens Blvd.
Then they put them on Grand Avenue it's also a nightmare with traffic congestion. But do you see bikes in the bike lanes? No they are on the sidewalk or riding in between the cars. So much for bike lanes.

Anonymous said...

Drugged up mentally ill mayor thinks he's in Amsterdam or some other shitty little village in northern Europe.

Anonymous said...

Of course they can't prove the bike lanes are needed since the whole thing is a big 'dog and pony show' to make deBlaz look like he is keeping us all safe from those oh so reckless motorists, including his own motorcade. They are trying to bring this nonsense further down on Queens Blvd where you have many mom and pop shops struggling to pay the ever increasing rents. They are going to remove most of the metered parking spots on Queens Blvd in order to put in the damn bike lanes and let me tell you, all day and evening, the spots are taken with people going to the various stores and medical offices there. When there is no place to park, they will go elsewhere and this is a total lose/lose situation, well except for the occasional hipster doofus that thinks it's cool to ride their bike a couple times a year. Who the hell wants to ride a bike on Queens Blvd anyways?? It's 16 lanes at one point!

Gary W said...

In Kew Gardens around Leffrets Blvd they put in dozens of bike racks. Bike racks!! No one uses them!! More money down the toilet.

Anonymous said...

Bikes everywhere in mid-town. Few stay in the lanes.

Anonymous said...

queens blvd has been chose for gentrification. the property values in FoHi are already through the roof the last two years.

Look through the archives here. This blog linked to an article that said that bike lanes are there for gentrification and that's the goal. Kill off the small businesses to make it easier for big developers

Anonymous said...

I know it's a bit off topic but another big waste are the WiFi kiosks they put up all over Queens Blvd in Forest Hills. There's even one block where they have two of them - one on each end! Another big "look at all we're doing for you" dog and pony show from deBozo. NO ONE is using these things - especially in a residential area like Forest Hills. People have Internet at home and aren't going to stand by some crazy, unsecure kiosk to go online! I could maybe see this being useful in an area with lots of tourists where one might need to quickly check something online, but totally NOT in Forest Hills, yet they put them up all over the place blowing more of our money, way to go Bozo!

Anonymous said...

Taking away a much needed traffic or parking lane so that a couple of bikes can ride in them, as everyone else sits in traffic is ridiculous.

We are caving in way too much to these fringe groups who's only agenda is to get rid of cars and only have bike lanes.

We need to be creating more traffic lanes and parking options in this city not taking them away.

Anonymous said...

while enroute W/Bound on Queens Blvd.Service rd. Elmhurst-Woodside @2PM, we were backed -up for 25 min.on a now 1 lane road.because of the bike lane implemented.TWO BIKERS passed by in that time.Insane planning by D.O.T.????

Anonymous said...

When are you people going to get it, they want our cars. City officials admit this if you bother to listen.

Anonymous said...

But where will the food delivery guys on their illegal scooters drive without bike lanes. I like my food delivered hot.

Anonymous said...

"Trottenberg also said recent data shows traffic isn’t getting worse in NYC."

Where can we see that data? Because that's directly contradicted by all of our lived experiences.

Anonymous said...

We are caving in way too much to these fringe groups who's only agenda is to get rid of cars and only have bike lanes.

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We are caving in to Democrat campaign donors that are developers who want people off cars to lower the carbon footprint, so they can build more, and snowflakes who cannot afford cars anyway, to move in those towers that have no parking.

Anonymous said...

Ditto and bravo for the off topic comment on the wifi street furniture crap. Used by no one. NO. ONE. So who do we call to have them removed for flucking up the sidewalks?
We are one-- or is two years along in this stupid experiment. Time for an article. By the way, it's free taxpayer paid wifi for the 1st and 2d floor apartments of buildings that are directly adjacent to these. Lucky them.

Jerry Rotondi said...

Location....9th Ave. and 43rd St.
Major traffic snarls......always!
Bike lane being used for emergency vehicles.....ambulances, FDNY trucks, police.
That is what they're really here for.
How else do emergency services respond to bad situations with gridlock blocking their paths?