CB 8 Gives Emphatic “No” to Sharing Park Paths
Last week Community Board 8′s Parks & Environment committee voted on (and defeated) a resolution to support sharing select pedestrian paths with cyclists in Central Park. Last night, the full board took their disproval a step further and approved a resolution specifically against sharing the paths.
Board member Elizabeth Ashby introduced a lengthy resolution laying out the opposition to sharing the crosstown paths. Other members spoke up to support it and reiterated many of the points made at the committee meeting, stating that the path is too narrow to share and that bikers are too dangerous to ride in close proximity to pedestrians. The resolution passed by a relatively narrow margin, however, making it clear that the debate on where and how to allow cyclists in the park will continue to rage on the Upper East Side.
Breaking the East-West Divide
Cross-park bike paths might become reality
Cyclists may soon gain three ways to legally cross Central Park without dismounting and walking their bikes. The Central Park Conservancy, the Department of Transportation and the Parks Department have been working jointly on an initiative to open several east-west pedestrian paths to cyclists, similar to the changes made recently that allow cyclists to bike at walking speeds on nearby Riverside Park paths.
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Crack-down on Traffic Dangers
Here’s to posters and banners in every government office reminding legislators that their first Constitutional duty is to protect public safety, especially now, when they’re planning to cut budgets for police, fire fighting and the safest travel mode, public transit.
Government evidently needs to learn that moving traffic violations are life and death matters. And bicycling violations are not mere quality of life offenses, especially when they are everywhere—even on low-traffic East End Avenue. Walking just one block home from the East 79th Street Neighborhood Association meeting, Ruth S. was almost struck by a delivery food bike speeding along the sidewalk. I yelled, “Off the walk!” The problem is, nobody else ever does, even though lawless biking is often deplored at civic meetings. Read more
Bad Bike Plan
To the Editor:
I’m a resident, pedestrian and driver on First Avenue. It was mentioned that the avenue was wide enough for a bike lane with a cement barrier (“Changing Lanes, Nov. 12). Did anyone ever consider that the avenue is also an alternative to the FDR northbound, and that the width helps at rush hour, especially on rainy days when the FDR floods and highway traffic crawls? Did anyone ever see the traffic idling at lights when a truck can’t double park close to the curb and must take away a driving lane because of the bike lane? Read more
STUDY: BIKE LANES BLOCKED
City bicyclists have long complained about their painted sections of street. Bike lanes offer no protection from double parkers, pedestrians and motorists who drive through them, forcing bicyclists to veer into moving traffic.
But the bike lanes on the Upper East Side are especially problematic, according to a new study by Hunter College. The observations by Hunter students found that two Upper East Side bike lane routes had the highest number of obstructions.
On a Tuesday morning between 8 and 10 a.m., there were 29 obstructions on the East 90th Street lane, between Fifth and Third avenues.
The bike lane on First Avenue between East 90th and 96th streets had nine obstructions on a Friday evening, from 5 to 6 p.m.
Cars contributed to 30 percent of bike lane blockage, according to the study. Small trucks and taxis make up 17 and 14 percent, respectively.
Wiley Norvell, communications director for Transportation Alternatives, said the report confirms what bicyclists throughout the city see first hand.
“Our bike lane network is, in many cases, rendered dangerous or unusable,” Norvell said. “There’s some hope around the corner. We encourage the city to expand the number of protected bike lanes.”
No. 1 Pedestrian Threat
To the Editor:
Cycling group Transportation Alternatives claims the plan for new “class 1” bike lanes for First and Second avenues, which Community Board 8 approved, “would virtually eliminate sidewalk cycling, which is the recurring pedestrian complaint,” (“Support for Bike Lanes,” Oct. 29).
As a longtime activist for pedestrian safety (the traffic law-abiding kind), my experience finds the most dangerous and ubiquitous bicycle violations are red light-running, wrong-way riding and exceeding the speed limit. After dark, one rarely sees a bike with the headlights and taillights required by state law. Read more
