Tuesday, January 3, 2012
News Plans for Greenpoint Avenue Bridge Bike Lane Stalled
Posted by Benjamin Sutton on Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 8:58 AM
Though it seems premature to deem it 2012's Prospect Park West bike lane, there is a fight in the making over proposed bike lanes on Greenpoint Avenue's John Jay Byrne Bridge, which links Greenpoint and Long Island City. Back in October local businesses complained about the potential loss of 50 parking spaces, and now the Department of Transportation has taken the project back to the drawing board.
Under the proposed redesign, the Greenpoint Avenue span crossing Newtown Creek would get painted bike lanes in both directions, but it's the bridge approaches that would require the removal of parking spaces and have consequently earned the ire of local businesses.
Crain's files an update on the dispute, noting that work on the lanes is likely still months away. "We're almost back to the drawing board," said Community Board 1 transportation committee chair Karen Nieves. “Right now, the DOT is doing a parking survey. Hopefully, they'll come back to us in the spring with recommendations.
Until then, cyclists using this increasingly popular link between Brooklyn and Queens continue to fend for themselves against the many trucks turning off and onto that very industrial stretch. Transportation Alternatives' Caroline Samponaro says: "A bike lane is a safety improvement, and it's even more important to have bike lanes on a truck route."
Comments (3)
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You really don't need a bike lane if traffic volume is low you can remove two lanes for it. The solution to the bike lane on Greenpoint Ave. is to remove the existing bike lane. It is poor design and blocked by park trucks anyway. Cyclists would be safer to follow the rules of the road and ride in a normal vehicle lane.
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Screw the hipsters and their bikes. They are suppose to walk it and they don't even do that now. No wonder they keep getting hit by cars. Idiots.
