Gothamist: Will New Grand Street Bike Lane Kill Little Italy?

RatherBe

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:08:28 -0500

And exposing you for the jackass you are.

The Edge

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:34:07 -0500

Detective RatherBe scores again. Uncovering clues from his ass.

RatherBe

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:44:16 -0500

Just like home as in the city I was born in? Don't worry, I'm not some Long Island transplant like you.

thefacts

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:30:25 -0500

"Yes, I am TOTALLY interested in meeting some dude from the internet.? LOL!

The Edge

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:28:37 -0500

Yes, I am TOTALLY interested in meeting some dude from the internet. And as much as you'd like to believe otherwise, there's still minimal cyclist traffic on Grand. Keep dreaming, though. Maybe one day things will be "just like home"...

RatherBe

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:08:54 -0500

Edge, I offered to help show you how wrong you were about what you typed before. I'm sorry you're such a wimp - I was just going to stop and talk on my way home, not beat you to a pulp.

The Edge

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:01:30 -0500

Detective RatherBeAnInternetToughGuy returns! Huzzah!

thefacts

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:33:07 -0500

John del Signore: There is one pathetic commenter who can't take meaningful photographs and can't type meaning text as well. Please correct photo to show dozens of happy cyclists and correct the text to make some sense from all the gibberish. Thanks.

RatherBe

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:23:00 -0500

Back to whine some more?

thefacts

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:40:58 -0500

Thanks for the warning, #99, but it's so irresistible toying with him.

The Edge

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:01:35 -0500

Watch it #97, he'll challenge you to a dance off in the bike lanes next. Maybe he'll throw in the added bonus of wearing spandex. Because hey, the bike lane on Grand gets so much use by cyclists and is so super important. Even though they already HAD a bike lane there for a couple of years. QOL my ass, like you really ride down these streets to take in the view.

RatherBe

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:33:15 -0500

˙uıɐƃɐ ʎɹʇ ǝsɐǝld ˙ɥsıɹǝqqıƃ sɐ uǝǝɹɔs ʎɯ uo pǝɹɐǝddɐ ǝsuodsǝɹ ɹnoʎ ˙ʇı ǝǝs oʇ ǝlqɐ ǝq ʇɥƃıɯ noʎ puɐ sǝʎǝ ɹnoʎ ɟo ʇno sʞɔıp ǝɥʇ ǝʞɐʇ ¿ʎɐs noʎ pıp ʇɐɥʍ

thefacts

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:45:05 -0500

What did you say? Your response appeared on my screen as gibberish. Please try again.

RatherBe

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:23:50 -0500

Didn't prove that either. Sorry.

thefacts

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:39:13 -0500

Instead you proved that it doesn't work. Thank you. I appreciate that. Q.E.D.

RatherBe

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:07:02 -0500

Wrong. I wasn't trying to prove that it works through the picture.

thefacts

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:56:35 -0500

Douchebag takes a picture of Grand Street with NO bikes using it, in an attempt to prove that the bike lane works. Duh, how dumb is that douchebag? Actually, pardon the use of douchebag. Douchebags actually function properly and serve a purpose in being here on Earth.

RatherBe

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:24:57 -0500

you sociopath. your opposition to bike lanes and the people who use them is good enough reason to support them.

thefacts

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:59:59 -0500

#74 Lazy? Never in my life been accused of that! The opposite, in fact. Fat? Only my wallet and my crib. And my dick.

7train

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:32:32 -0500

#71 are you sick, retarded, or just a bitter loser?

7train

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:28:46 -0500

#61 --> that was pretty funny! Yeah, bike lanes!!! Yay!!! They're long overdue. BTW, when are they going to ban cars from Central Park??? THAT would make me happy

The Edge

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:24:22 -0500

#87- 'k.

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:13:11 -0500

I'm not crying, I'm trying to wipe your tears because you can't handle cyclists having a separated bike lane. Adapt now because the lane isn't going anywhere.

The Edge

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:54:19 -0500

#85- I never said my business was failing, although it IS being affected negatively by this "new and improved" bike lane. Cry more when all the mom-and-pop stores get run out of the city and all you'll have left are Duane Reades, Starbucks, and Chase banks.

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:33:17 -0500

Exactly, you finally got it right - the bike lane and failing businesses are completely unrelated.

The Edge

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:31:53 -0500

Failing business? Yyyeaaaaahhhhh.. okay.

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:15:17 -0500

From the sound of your failing business (no more illegal deliveries) you should take what you can get.

The Edge

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:09:58 -0500

Some do, but most ride in the middle or on the north side of the street. And one coffee? Please. I'm not a cheap date.

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:26:23 -0500

But seriously, I'll meet up with you, buy you a coffee, and show you that 80-90% of the cyclists there DON'T end up using the sidewalk.

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:09:44 -0500

Damn straight.

The Edge

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:06:25 -0500

Detective RatherBe on the case yet again folks. Determining fiction from truth! CSI: RatherBe -- Fall '09

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:15:17 -0500

Thanks for admitting you were wrong.

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:05:14 -0500

"I'd say that about 80-90% of the cyclists here always end up riding in the middle of the street or on the sidewalk."

The Edge

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:57:06 -0500

#75- I'm lying? Yes, I surely am. You've caught me, detective. STAND BACK EVERYONE, RATHERBE'S ON THE CASE! And ohnoes, an internet toughguy! HAY, ILL MAET U BYE THA BYKE RAK AFTASKEWL N WE FYTE OK? OK!

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:22:20 -0500

Except you actually are lying, you dumbass. "I'd say that about 80-90% of the cyclists here always end up riding in the middle of the street or on the sidewalk." ""Especially during the daytime where it's mostly commercial vehicles on the road, not passenger." I'll meet you on Grand Street since I ride down it rather frequently, and you can show me how wrong I am about this. Because you're entirely wrong on each of these statements and probably too scared to meet me in person.

babyhitler

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:12:25 -0500

#71- did you actually copy and paste my bwahahahhah? this is why you need to be cycling mate. You are getting fat and lazy.

The Edge

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:18:15 -0500

#72- Yeah, because I am TOTALLY lying about working there and not knowing the amount of cyclists that travel down Grand on a daily basis. And you know, for you to say that you hope my business gets ticket blitzed? Fuck you, cuntrag.

RatherBe

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:34:39 -0500

Edge - actually, it's about as accurate as two of your statements earlier - the ones you still haven't backed up with any real facts.

thefacts

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:00:52 -0500

I have been told that besides purposely walking in the lane to ballox cyclists, more creative residents have been putting tacks and bent staples in the bike lane. Can't wait till some passenger, after years of being told not to open the door on the roadway side without looking, just automatically opens the passenger-side door and some prissy little cyclist gets doored and goes flying. bwaahahahahaah!bwaahahahahaah!bwaahahahahaah!

babyhitler

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:33:43 -0500

69 - too bad, dude. We gots the lane and you don't. bwaahahahahaah!

The Edge

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:26:31 -0500

#68- Uh, as far as cyclists go? It's accurate.

Shaen

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:22:53 -0500

Everyone arguing about what the photo shows: seriously? That picture represents less than a second of time. You'd need to see a few taken at different times of day to get an accurate representation of traffic flow in the area. It's not like it's a static thing.

The Edge

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:02:23 -0500

#66- Next time there are trucks or buses parked on either side of the street, measure how much of that 10' driving lane is left. Be sure to include the mirrors. Again, you're all assuming that everyone parks perfectly and that there's always double parked vehicles loading/unloading. There isn't. I'm there every day and I see what goes on. Are you?

IvoryJive

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:56:37 -0500

I look at this street and have trouble finding why drivers and vehicle-dependent businesses are so upset. There is a wide lane for traffic, and 15-20 curbside parking spots on each block. It is still a vehicle-dominated street. But I guess loading and unloading had been happening illegally, double-parked in the bike lane, and now that you can't do that, people don't know what to do. But removing the bike lane, or removing the sidewalks for that matter, in order to accommodate more vehicles doesn't seem to me to be the right solution, given the safety, noise, and air quality problems they create for the majority non-driving public. I would think this could be solved if there was just more available parking - longer commercial delivery regulations, muni-meters, and maybe higher-priced parking to ensure that spots are available.

EAUM

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:48:02 -0500

Now if Mayor Bloomberg would only paint the rest of the streets the color of the bike lane, He could Then convince the rest of the country that New York is dead serious about being in compliance with our Green Laws.

EAUM

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:32:36 -0500

Will New Grand Street Bike Lane Kill Little Italy? ans: NO Will someone from little Italy Kill a Cyclist ? ans: YES

EAUM

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:28:30 -0500

Dept. of transportation commisionerDiktator Sadik-Khan in an interview with the Indian newspaper, "The Ghandi Post" said: "I VILL BE TO HAVING NEWYORK TO LOOK LIKE NAPAL INDIA BY THE YEAR Tu DOW-SAND 12. I DO SHWEER I VILL. YOU VILL ALL SEE DIS! NOW PLEASE!, I MUST TO GET BAK TU MY 7-11 CONVIENIENT STORE!"

EAUM

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:10:52 -0500

Im just waiting for some moron to sidswipe some gangsters new caddilac, and then crash into an out door cafe occupied by the Gobblagoni crime family. I see a vision of a bicyclist in the fetal position, getting his head kicked in, while pinky rings and canolis are flying all over the place. And being a former resident of mulberry st.You know I've seen it before. OOOOHHHHHH !

eveostay

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:07:14 -0500

Did someone say "move a couch by bicycle"?

RatherBe

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:52:39 -0500

And nobody will be listening to you. (well, maybe just us)

The Edge

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:23:40 -0500

#57- People already pay a high price to live here and will continue to do so. Why? Because it's NYC. As much as folks here like to deride B&Ters.. they're spending money here rather than where they're coming from. Is that really a bad thing? And I'm waiting for the day to see cyclists delivering something like a couch strapped to their back on a daily basis. Then I'll say bikes are, indeed, vital.

bombero

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:29:22 -0500

What little Italy? They already killed Little Italy. You mean little Chinatown.

drewo

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:13:40 -0500

Bikes are so vital to our economy. With increased MTA fares, now more vital than ever. Quality of life is vital to our economy. Jobs will be leaving. Why should people continue to pay a high price to live here? Less cars= less mayhem, less noise, less noxiousness, more space and light. For a lot of folks, that's an improved QOL.

angry_pickle

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:07:23 -0500

he also rides on sidewalks . In Tokyo, people can ride on the sidewalk but they have to respect pedestrians but at the same time pedestrians know that should generally stay away from the bike lane. I guess this wouldn't work here since people are too self-centered.

JacqueMehoff

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:02:45 -0500

All I see are SUV's in that picture which I assume was taken by Ratherbe. so I'll rather believe him/her than anyone else. the entire island of Manhattan is gridlock for the DMZ 96th street down.

The Edge

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:51:48 -0500

Bikes are so vital to our economy. No really, they are.

RatherBe

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:35:36 -0500

What? I still can't hear you. Go back and check your facts, admit you were wrong, then we'll continue to waste our time moaning to eachother about a lane that isn't going anywhere.

thefacts

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:32:52 -0500

#50 Look at the picture. Gridlock;no bikes. That a FACT! Regrettably, there are none so blind as those who will not see.

drewo

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:29:08 -0500

And his sister Adeline blames the bike lane for a dip in tourism: "There used to be 42 tour buses a day, now they’re down to 35. The tour buses can just move a few blocks north and park illegally in front of my building on Cleveland Place. Oh wait, they've been doing that for years now! #44 - the lane does stop temporarily at Chrystie, then picks up again further east on Grand. Maybe you should take a ride on it sometime.

RatherBe

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:26:47 -0500

All I can read is blablabla until you explain your 'facts' from earlier.

thefacts

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:24:15 -0500

#48/43 So full of venom and hatred. I shall say a prayer for you at church tomorrow. Look at the photo: gridlocked and not a SINGLE bike. Just another bone thrown to Transportation Alternatives from their lapdog, DOT Diktator Sadik-Khan. But you don't care about residents who have to hear the din of backed-up cars all day long, or the delivery men and workers who must schlep for a living, or the mom&pop stores, or the emergency workers and the safety of families, old people or children. You only care about your selfish need to put that little toy of yours between your legs on a regular basis, and then spew hatred to those who disagree with you the rest of the time. Ora pro nobis.

RatherBe

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:08:26 -0500

If you did some fucking research, you'd find that muni-meters are going to be installed within a few weeks for the south side of grand. If you had actually knew shit about what you complain so lengthily about, maybe you'd be saying something else. "Especially during the daytime where it's mostly commercial vehicles on the road, not passenger." another random incorrect statement from you. what about the other ones you made earlier that you haven't owned up for? Good luck making your deliveries - I hope the traffic cops ticket blitz you every day.

blablanyc

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:00:36 -0500

Bike lanes are a waste because they are severely underutilized to justify their existence. Honest. Bike lanes are more of a PR thing for the Bloomberg administration. The Grand St. bike lanes suffocate the traffic flow in the area. Why risk ruining commerce with bike lanes?

The Edge

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:50:20 -0500

Oh, I forgot to point out that on the south side of Grand, where the bike lane is, those parking spots are NOT metered and cars are allowed to park there ALL FUCKING DAY LONG.

The Edge

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:49:00 -0500

#43- So go back to streetsblog.

The Edge

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:44:41 -0500

BH, Dude, have you ever tried to unload 4 trailers loaded to the brim with 100' bundles of EMT pipe, 250' rolls of bx cable, cases of paint, etc? We're already open @ 8am. Deliveries don't tend to start showing up til about 9am. Have you ever tried to plot a delivery route? Do you really think all vendors and all shipping companies operate the same hours? Do you really think it's so easy to load/unload the kind of material we deal with? Why don't you tell UPS, Fedex, etc to operate at a certain hour? See how far that gets you. I have never been against bike lanes -- I've always said there are douchebags on all three sides: pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists. This, however, is clearly a very small minority somehow being able to give the big shaft to everyone else on what was never a heavily used street by said minority to begin with. And again, the bike lane stops @ Chrystie street. What is the point of trying to make Grand the east-west thruway for cyclists? I would think that Houston St. would have worked better for this, if they had actually even tried to do it right. There's certainly more space there for cars AND cyclists than there is on Grand. A fine job Sadik-Khan is doing for this city, which needs vehicular traffic for it's economy. Especially during the daytime where it's mostly commercial vehicles on the road, not passenger.

RatherBe

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:43:12 -0500

More garbage from thefacts. Get a job, you troll.

thefacts

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:30:59 -0500

Look closely at the picture: Cars gridlocked, no one using the bike lane. Transportation Alternatives' baby is stillborn.

thefacts

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:48:31 -0500

On Curbed,com, there is photo of a bus unable to make the turn onto Grand. How will firetrucks? I bet none of the cyclists - who don't live or work near this under-used boondoggle - care about emergency issues regarding others' safety, just their own desire to ride a cute little bike in a tough city. They just rant and rave and whine bitterly that their own self-entitled narcissism must be indulged, and let everyone else burn, just like they don't care if mom&pop stores go out of business.

eveostay

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:23:17 -0500

Hugh-- And for what reason do motorists think they are entitled to 90% of our public space to the exclusion of others?

Think twice

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:03:32 -0500

Methinks the shriveled up, old, bitch was already dead. Now she's replaced by some high maintainence, leggy, coked-up, cunt named LiTa aka NoLita.

HughGass

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:29:55 -0500

Manhattan biker-Nazi's remind me of settlement building Zionist Israeli's. They won't stop until the entire city is made of bike lanes, for some idealistic reason they think they're entitled to it because of their beliefs.

breaknight

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:42:00 -0500

"The bike lane’s designed for people who ride their bikes slowly...I prefer dealing with cars." Well, fuck you, you pretentious, self-indulgent douche bag. You really are sooo coool, I wish I could be like you...

ufquacker

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:11:42 -0500

I'm just really miffed by the comments about the lack of bikes that use Grand Street and how that somehow justifies removing the bike lane. I stopped riding on Grand Street two years ago after getting doored on Grand near Mott, in the bike lane. The new bike line will definitely keep people safe. The damage to business is speculative at best. If your business model involving endangering the public, please re-evaluate.

smacky

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:37:16 -0500

The Italians from Little Italy have caused the "demise of Little Italy". They all sold it off. "Little" Italy used to stretch over to Bayard and beyond. The rest of the wops put up crappy restaurants to draw the tourists in and put on the dreaded San Gennaro "festival" More bike lanes. Less petite Italy

RatherBe

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:05:59 -0500

starrygordon, Having a pedestrian come out between cars or off the sidewalk is far less dangerous with this lane design. With the older lane, you'd have very little chance to respond since the lane was right next to the parked cars. Now theres a buffer between the lane and the cars, and it's pretty easy to see people on the sidewalk who might walk out in front of you. Give the lane a chance, ride it in a few more times before you ride in the street and make it harder for those of us who choose to ride in the lane.

RatherBe

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:05:37 -0500

starrygordon

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:58:07 -0500

I tried using the Grand Street bike lane in the evening a few days ago, at about 7 p.m. I did not see any other bicyclists. The bike lane contained many pedestrians, plus a guy pushing along a pushcart with a long metal arm that would have speared me very neatly had I not seen it at the last moment. Oh, there was a dog as well, but the dog was alert and got out of the way, unlike the pedestrians. While being doored may be less likely, having a pedestrian pop out between cars or off the sidewalk forces one to take things pretty slowly. Like Doug D., I prefer the open street. I'd say I'm a medium-speed rider and very cautious; I defer to everyone and I never ride on the sidewalk. (Riding over all those lumpy pedestrians makes for a slow trip!)

matthew

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:30:38 -0500

In addition to killing little italy, bike lanes are also responsible for the deaths of countless innocent white babies every year. The more bike lanes we create, the more innocent white babies they will kill. We must put a stop to them!

ny2102

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:18:40 -0500

DOT's got this one right. Driving a private vehicle in this city SHOULD be as miserable and expensive as possible. Our city is choked by traffic. And I say this as someone who has to drive occasionally for business.

JacqueMehoff

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:39:22 -0500

I'm surprised LI get's 45 tour buses a day and has mulberry street closed in the summer. I like this path, now I can get to the hipster events at SDR park and Economy candy. anything to avoid the Bowery.

BrooklynBredTom

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:30:44 -0500

Little Italy hasn't been alive in ages. Spare us. It's a bike lane, not the closing of the block itself.

RatherBe

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:41:27 -0500

Shaen, This bike lane gives much better protection from dooring. This lane is about the same width as the old one + the buffer zone.

RatherBe

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:33:51 -0500

@JenChungsBra I wasn't the only cyclist there - and this was very early on a cold monday morning. @The Edge What is he right about? He didn't actually put much on the table. "I'd say that about 80-90% of the cyclists here always end up riding in the middle of the street or on the sidewalk." That's entirely false. You also state that less then a dozen people use this lane per day. Anybody who has even a single functioning brain cell should see the ridiculousness of that statement. @jaycjay it's a CLAIM made by a restaurant owner that's been latched onto and blown out of proportion by people like the author of this post.

Shaen

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:29:32 -0500

Did nobody really ever use the old bike lane? I LOVED that bike lane. It was the best way for me to get from the West Side to the Manhattan Bridge without nearly dying on Canal Street. I'm torn about this one until I try it, I guess...it seems like a dooring magnet for me, but maybe with the buffer it's wide enough for a cyclist to dodge. Also, can someone get a similar view of Grand before this bike lane? It looks a lot narrower to me, but maybe that's because of the camera angle.

eveostay

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:18:25 -0500

Sounds like the real problem is too many cars. If there's not enough parking, people should be fighting for market rate parking, adjustable to be more expensive at peak times. If the traffic is too congested, people should be fighting for market rate usage of the streets, adjustable to be more expensive at peak times. The current car communism, where society as a whole pays for the convenience of a relatively few drivers, isn't working.

babyhitler

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:10:18 -0500

#18 - you see that picture? there are parking spaces. the only reason you got delivery shit there before is cause you illegally double parked. Now you got to get up early in the morning to get a spot like everyone else and you are pissed. Crying about not being able to illegally double park is absurd. Maybe the reason you guys haven't seen as much cyclist lately cause it's cold as fuck outside. In the summer it's pretty full.

JacqueMehoff

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:07:39 -0500

I did not know this, sounds like a great way for me go get from the West to Eastside. the edge is chinese, too? and work's at Lendy's?

The Edge

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:03:54 -0500

#19- When you've got vehicles parked on both side--especially with trucks and buses--it squeezes the one driving lane into something a lot narrower than 10'. This is also assuming that everyone can park perfectly. Many others? Are you kidding me? With the exception of, on average, 5-6 cyclists a day, they're pretty much all delivery guys. You can't tell me it's a heavily used thruway for cyclists, because it simply isn't and hasn't been, even with the old bike lane. Most of the vehicular traffic--during the day, where this lane hurts businesses the most--is commercial traffic, I'd say about 20-30% is passenger only. You can't turn on Bowery from Grand anymore, so there's little incentive for passenger cars to come down Grand even though it's still a fairly major alternative to Canal as a B&T artery. Again, just because *you* don't own a car and you can afford to pay the rent here doesn't mean that everyone else can.

brendan866

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:51:34 -0500

"Lepore complains that he now has to schedule deliveries to Ferrara before 11 a.m. because of traffic congestion wrought by the bike lane." It's not the "Deliveries Lane." Or the "Double Parking Lane." It is the "Bike Lane." There are many Delivery parking spots in commercial areas where 30 minute maximum parking is allowed Mon - Fri. Lepore should be requesting the city designate more of these spots instead of attempting to reduce bicyclist safety. This is the safest and most cost effective style of bike lane. I hope the city uses this simple prototype for all other city bike lanes. One suggestion; minimize the buffer zone between the parked cars and the actual bike lane. This would create a little more space for cars and trucks.

gibson3

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:39:26 -0500

I live in the neighborhood and use the new lane every day. For me and many others, it's an enormous improvement. For automobiles, the street isn't actually any narrower than it was-- the only difference is that double-parking now blocks other drivers instead of cyclists. That seems fair enough, no? The Edge: "It was really bad on the weekends the Summer Streets shit was going on, but that doesn't really matter to you folks, who seem to feel that if you don't own cars, NOBODY else should either." The huge number of cars in Manhattan are a waste of public space and money (funding for highways, tunnels, etc), they wreck the public's health with excessive air pollution, and they endanger pedestrians. Don't fool yourself into thinking your choices don't affect other people.

The Edge

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:03:03 -0500

Someone explain to me how a handful of cyclists are more important than all the businesses on this street. I've said it before, I work in the area--no, not in a restaurant--and this directly affects my business. Where I work (which is visible in the picture posted), there has to be ample parking available for my customers -- contractors, electricians as well as for deliveries. Blue collar guys. With the way they've squeezed Grand even tighter than it already is, plus the usual asshole meter maids (who never seem to know the laws they're supposed to enforce), it's really putting a dent on my business as well as my customers. There already was a bike lane on Grand before, which DOT *admitted* did not "work" because hardly anyone used it. I'd say that about 80-90% of the cyclists here always end up riding in the middle of the street or on the sidewalk. They still do this even with the new bike lane. I've been pointing out for awhile now that this was supposed to be "the" east-west thruway for cyclists, yet stops quite short of the east river @ Chrystie, which everyone seems to overlook. You guys like to complain about all the Duane Reades, Starbucks, and Chase banks popping up everywhere, yet here you guys are laughing at the family-owned businesses that have been here for 30+ years. So what exactly do you guys have in mind for this area? Because it doesn't just affect Little Italy businesses, it also affects the people who live around here. thefacts can probably attest to this, traffic gets spread out even more to the "quiet" side streets. It was really bad on the weekends the Summer Streets shit was going on, but that doesn't really matter to you folks, who seem to feel that if you don't own cars, NOBODY else should either. You guys are fooling yourselves if you believe bikes are more important than cars.

GOP

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:22:04 -0500

This will definitely kill the ONE remaining block called "Little Italy."

jaycjay

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:12:34 -0500

"How exactly are the restaurants and other businesses there going to "adjust" their delivery schedules?" "'the death of lil Italy' give me break. More irresponsible so-called journalism by del signore." Do people not bother to read a piece before they comment on it? 1) In the post above, a restaurant owner complains that he has had to do just that. 2) That's not Del Signore's "irresponsible" statement; it's a claim made by the same restaurant owner.

babyhitler

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:58:19 -0500

#12 - they were doing illegal shit in the first place. fuck people who double park. they can adjust their delivery schedule to deliver earlier in the morning, when there is plenty of parking space. there are tons of businesses with one lane parking that survive. How is that possible?

yakatori

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:57:03 -0500

"the death of lil Italy" give me break. More irresponsible so-called journalism by del signore. You should try another profession.

Toby von Meistersinger

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:43:40 -0500

Little Italy has been dead for decades. All that remains is sort of a back lot experience for the tourists which sort of hides the fact that they are basically in Chinatown.

The Edge

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:30:06 -0500

#3- How exactly are the restaurants and other businesses there going to "adjust" their delivery schedules? And I totally love that picture you took of the bike lane, cuz there's totally tons of bicyclists on it. Wasn't this supposed to be "the" east-west thruway? Which is why it stops at Chrystie. GENIUS!

The Edge

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:26:21 -0500

Man, you guys just have no idea. #8 is right.

Billiamsburg

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:21:59 -0500

OMG a bike lane its gonna bring NYC to it's knees it's like 9/11 to the tenth power!

satanslaundromat

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:14:40 -0500

Little Italy died decades ago. Give me a break.

JenChungsBra

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:55:49 -0500

Good thing they put they bike lane there. Just look how it's covered wall-to-wall with bikers.

babyhitler

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:46:03 -0500

that doug d guy is fake. The bike lane is wide enough for 4 guys to drag race if they wanted to. Why the fuck would he care if another dude was going slow? he'd just blow right past him. Also the little italy guy is really saying "even though business is down nationwide because of the shitty economy I'm going to blame it on the bike lane cause I can't illegally double park all the time like I used to and not get ticketed"

savedbyzero

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:41:03 -0500

The demise of commerce, conveniece & safety in NYC!! From The New York Times February 13, 1920 Objections to the plan to alter Fifth Avenue's traffic scheme next Monday. as announced recently in THE NEW YORK TIMES, developed yesterday on the ground that the proposed change was impracticable and that it did not have the full support of the avenue's merchants.

RatherBe

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:39:53 -0500

-edit Cyclists like Doug D. are the kind of cyclists who make using bike lanes more difficult for the rest of us. I'd bet ten bucks he also rides on sidewalks and cuts off pedestrians in crosswalks - something that MOST cyclists don't do.

spnder

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:37:26 -0500

"This could be the demise of Little Italy." Oh spare me...

RatherBe

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:36:01 -0500

this bike lane is safe, and grand street has always been congested with vehicular traffic. many of these business owners have to make adjustments to their delivery schedules because it's now impossible to illegally obstruct the bike lane like they used to. +1 for the grand street bike lane! - RatherBeBiking

Kevin Walsh

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:35:41 -0500

>>>And at least one cyclist, a messenger named "Doug D.," is also displeased...The bike lane’s designed for people who ride their bikes slowly...I prefer dealing with cars." Boo f!#$in hoo. I hope they design MORE bike lanes for people who ride at a normal pace and don't want to race. The west side highway bike lane is impossible, it's dominated by racers. www.forgotten-ny.com

babyhitler

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:30:02 -0500

this is the best bike lane in the UNIVERSE!!! I use it all the time. nobody can double park and the cars are a great buffer.