Cars in the Park...Ehhhh

Ok, here is more proof that Central Park shouldn't have 2 lanes open for cars during those open hours. With all the other non-car traffic, they only fit 1 lane anyway.

Even if serving no other positive purpose whatsoever, those poop dropping, tourist trap, horse-drawn carriages may be worth their existence for the sole reason of displacing cars. Keep the cars out of the park!

The Beginning of the New

1st and 2nd Avenue are finally stepping into line with what ought to be standard for every avenue. Here is a preview of what 1st Ave will look like north of 72nd.

Personally, I'd rather hug the curb and float the parking, like what was just completed on 1st Avenue between Houston and 34th St (click here for video of my ride). There are several schemes for the 5+ miles stretch of 1st and 2nd that include both bike and new BRT lanes, as can be seen in the DOT plans.

New Protected Lanes

The following is a an exciting clip from today's NYCycles DOT newsletter regarding progress to NYC's every expanding bike network. Things like this make me all giddy and whatnot...
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This year DOT will install over over 7.5 miles of new protected lanes...........DOT is adding new protected bike lanes to several locations around the City this year, and extending the 8th Avenue bike lane. In the past few years, the lanes have improved safety and reduced sidewalk cycling. Since the lanes were installed on 9th Avenue in Manhattan, injuries to all street users have dropped 56% and sidewalk cycling is down 84%. On Grand Street, also in Manhattan, injuries are down 31% and sidewalk cycling is down 84%.

In Brooklyn, a bi-directional, parking protected lane on Prospect Park West (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/PPW_CB6_4-12-2010-presentation.pdf) creates a direct and safer route for cyclists from south of Prospect Park (who have long used the same route, while either going against traffic or on the sidewalk). The project was conceived at the community’s request to calm traffic and was designed with their concerns in mind. Warning signs encourage people exiting the park to look for cyclists in both directions and cyclists have flashing yellow signals reminding them to yield to pedestrians at crossings. The bones of the lane have already been installed; the work should be complete by the end of July, weather permitting.

Later this summer, DOT will install a new parking protected bike lane on Columbus Avenue (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/20100511_columbus_ave_cb7.pdf) on Manhattan’s Upper West side from West 96th to West 77th Streets. There are currently no southbound bicycle facilities on the Upper West Side (unless you detour west to the Hudson River Greenway). The width of Columbus Avenue presented an opportunity for DOT to install the lane without removing a travel lane and simultaneously make safety improvements to calm traffic and decrease pedestrian crossing distances at intersections. Work has already begun on the First and Second Avenue Bus Rapid Transit project, which includes a parking protected bike path between East 14th Street and Houston Street. By the fall, new lanes will be installed on First Avenue in Manhattan from Houston to 34th Street, and on 2nd Avenue from 34th to 23rd Streets and 14th Street to Houston. DOT will also upgrade the 1st Avenue lane from 72nd to 125th Street, installing a painted buffer between motorists and cyclists. DOT hopes to extend these facilities in future years.


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Future Reveals History...

In preparation for the repaving of 1st Avenue to incorporate new bike and BRT lanes, a glimpse of history is seen within the preserved layers of hardscape.  Funny to think, bicycles existed even back in these times, when surfaces were less forgiving.  Funny also how it took 100 years to create the simple lane infrastructure we finally have today...

Upcoming Event! - Manhattan/Brooklyn Bike Tour

Come join us this Saturday, July 17th, for a leisurely and educational bike tour around some of Manhattan and Brooklyn's most significant history and infrastructure. The journey will begin in the West Village near Bleeker Park at 10am. Some of the many items we will cover include:

8th and 9th Ave bike lanes
Hudson River greenway
Broadway bike and pedestrian planning
The Manhattan Bridge
Downtown Brooklyn
Pratt Institute campus planning
The infamous Bedford Avenue Boondoggle
Kent Ave 2-way lane

We will end up at Pedro's Bar in DUMBO, and hang out for a while there. The ride is absolutely free and will take approximately 3 hours. You may come and go as you please.

E-mail me with questions...

Census Cycler

It's good to see certain government agencies using smart modes of transportation.

National Trends

New Data Show Bicycling and Walking Up by 25 Percent
Report Looks at Efforts to Increase Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.


Click here to see the press release