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John Del Signore/Gothamist
There was great excitement in the cycling community last month when the DOT finally finished turning the treacherous Sands Street approach to the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn into an elegant, elevated bike lane. Transportation Alternatives even held an opening celebration, dubbing the Sands Street lane the "Budnick Bikeway," after Noah Budnick, a T.A. advocate who almost died riding his bike on Sands Street in 2005.
The new elevated lane makes accessing the bridge infinitely safer, and as an added bonus, it's wide enough to accommodate plenty of free parking! This morning we snapped this shot of a Time Warner Cable truck parked up on the elevated bike lane, just a half block from the Brooklyn tow pound. While pausing to document this new mixed-use bike lane/parking lot, one of the Time Warner employees shouted, "Hey! Are you all right?"—a query that sounded more threatening than concerned.
We sent our photos to Transportation Alternatives spokesman Wiley Norvell, who commented, "This lane was designed to deter the chronic double-parking that blocks half the bike network. If drivers aren't taking those cues, then it's time to talk about loading zones on the nearby curbsides for these types of deliveries and additional traffic agents to send a message during these first few weeks of operation. Seeing the city's premier bike lane blocked by a Time Warner van gets my blood boiling. This is why I don't have cable."
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one guy looks like a TWC employee, who's the guy in the khakis?
selling cable boxes on the black market while parked in a bike lane. classy TWC!
It's really the Verizon guy's fault. He got there first and took the spot the cable guy wanted.
unbelievable. all bike lanes need to be at a slightly higher elevation when possible, and if not, it needs to be almost a given that you will get a $200 ticket for double parking/parking/unloading in one.
pfft. whatever.
Infuriating, if unsurprising.
He would've gotten an earful from me. Retards.
Sounds like TA's spokescoyote is going to drop an anvil on their heads.
seperated bike lanes...
...anything less is just lip service.
I walked the 59th st bridge walkway recently and stayed on the pedestrian side of the line the whole time. I still had to dodge cyclists going by at full speed. I have no sympathy for those selfish maniacs. I'm shoving a broomstick in the spokes of the next one.
I'm surprised it took 9 comments for a jerk to show up.
This is a bike lane, separated far from pedestrians (unless they are jay-walking), in an area notoriously dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians (where several have been killed). So, the city tries to do something about it, and your contribution is to suggest the maiming of cyclists, law-abiding or not?
Classy. See you in hell d-bag.
It only took 3 comments, not 9.
no you won't.
Why don't you shove the broomstick up yr chute? And make sure you have your white veil on during..
"I'm shoving a broomstick in the spokes of the next one."
I'm sure no cyclist is worried that you might actually be able to pull off that feat.
Not all cyclists are assholes.
Just 99% of them!
An-n-n-n-nd......you're a nutjob.
good luck with that. dumbass.
Drivers not following the rules? This is madness!
Who cares? Just ticket the guy nicely and move on. You all sound like you've never seen this before.
more shameless baiting gothamist...
I have to agree with ides.
I cycle the bridges and often see these idiots fly down the bridges when its crowded. (Especially the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridges) However, I do get annoyed when people walk 4-5 deep in the bike lane and I constantly have to brake and shout to get their attention. I think everyone needs to be more aware of their surroundings. People should be responsible when they are walking or cycling.
Btw, if you shove a broomstick into someone's spokes- you'll get teeth knocked out with a kryptonite lock. lol
Not if they are too busy picking up their own teeth off the walkway.
Not if they are too busy picking up their own teeth off the walkway.
Or picking yours out of their knuckles and U-lock.
There are definitely a bunch of d-bag cyclists making the rest of us look bad. I made the mistake of cycling down the Hudson River Path recently, and in the parts which are clearly marked as "shared" on the UWS, all these spandex-clad twits were racing around pedestrians like it was the Tour de France. Asses...
... of course, in other sections there were peds walking cluelessly in the bike path despite the presence of their own ped-only paths, so the douchebagginess goes both ways (as always)...
i once counted how many signs or markings there were on the brooklyn bridge indicating that one lane was for pedestrians and one was for cyclists. i forget the exact number, but i believe it was literally somewhere in the 70s!
over 70 warnings for pedestrians to stay out of the bike lanes, and still there is undoubtedly numerous oblivious people walking in the middle of the bike lane, letting their young children play inthe bike lane, etc.
yeah, cyclists go fast on the bridge, because half it goes downhill at a fairly steep decline.
the fact that cyclist go fast is no excuse for wandering cluelessly into the bike lane.
no one ever says "yeah, he walked out into the middle of traffic before the truck hit him, but it's not his fault. those cars go much faster than pedestrians walk".
Bicycle boy - pedestrians have the right of way that's the rule for cars, and it's the rule for you too.
The solution is simple - mandatory drivers licenses for bicyclers - you should have to go down to DMV and get a license, like every other vehicle operator! And you should be required to have insurance and to pay to have your bikes inspected, and you should be required by law to wear a helmet or pay a fine - if you want equality with the car drivers, you have to play by the same rules!
If bicyclists want respect, they can start by showing it to other people. I'm tired of their sanctimonious bullshit. Stay off the fucking sidewalks, stop going the wrong way down the street, blowing by stop signs and red lights, dragging your bike onto crowded subway cars etc...
lol it's not "sanctimonious," dude. It's a van clearly in the wrong, parked in a bike lane. People are criticizing that action, that's it.
It doesn't matter what any cyclist does, this is still wrong and dangerous.
Even if every cyclist bent down and sucked on your tiny peen, you'd be pissed off. You're a loser, obsessed with cyclists. Is it because you're fat and ugly? I don't understand this blind hatred. Do you have nightmares about bicycles?
No, he hates the bike douchebags for the same reason that I do they are sanctimonious assholes, seeking special privileges over motorists and pedestrians
If you want the same rights as motorists, you should be subject to the same rules - you should be required to get a drivers license, have insurance on your bikes, have license plates for your bikes, be subject to a mandatory helmet law and be subject to license suspension and revocation for violating the rules of the road, just like drivers are.
Or, you could just learn how to act like a normal New Yorker and take the subway or the bus.
AMEN
i understand that there are crazy bikers out there who don't follow the rules. but care to compare the percentage of bikers not following the rules and the number of pedestrians who either jaywalk or step off the curb without looking?
You "understand", but people like you rarely complain about the asshole bicyclists that are visibly prevalent in flaunting their own safety and others.
Just because YOU don't break the rules doesn't mean that other people won't.
urgh, left out "disregard for"
And just because one biker respects the rules, that doesn't mean one pedestrian will magically respect bikers in return. There are plenty of assholes to begin with, lets start there, forget about the bikes altogether... that's one of the smaller problems out there.
Yes, but cyclists are the ones that bitch the most.
Whose counting ?
You just have to look at the comments of any cyclist-related story here. It's 80% asshole cyclists, 10% asshole drivers, and 5% level-headed folks.
What's that tell you?
And 5% "other".
That's why I'm calling for everyone to be responsible and more aware of their surroundings.
I have to agree with the bitching cyclists comment.
Cyclists don't realize how lucky we are to have all these new lanes in one of the most congested cities in the US. Just cause people occasionally park in them doesn't mean we need to raise hell. It makes us look petty.
Are auto drivers "lucky" to have paved roads?
Nothing to do with luck - bike lanes should be as routine as sidewalks and curbside trees. Oh that's right, the city can't get around to planting trees.
I agree with this logic.
Not to mention that paved roads are a result of cycling, not automobiles:
http://www.greentechhistory.com/2009/05/how-bicyclists-built-the-roads-that-carried-the-cars-that-pushed-them-off-the-roads
Duh, of course they can't plant trees, they're busy spending millions to replace working street lamps!
>>>" Seeing the city's premier bike lane"
"Premier" bike lane? As opposed to the crappy ones, like the one on
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/bedfordmid/bedford.mid.html
I said to a delivery guy in the bike lane on 5th Ave (Brooklyn), "Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you." His response: "Well get a grip guy; if we park in the middle of the street we get a ticket!"
Wiley clearly uses bike couriers....
You should take a look at the monstrosity Verizon has parked in the brand new TSq pedestrian plaza for 8 days now.
Tell that to the residents of the LES.
+1 bingo. the van in the photo is clearly wrong, but it's not representative of every motorist; just like the jerk cyclists and jerk pedestrians who disregard traffic rules. all the outrage as if one group is better and more entitled than the other... wasted energy.
Gothamist shamelessly preys on people's emotions!
Cat in a jar, stay tuned, TONIGHT AT 9!
Why is John Liu illegally posting signs all over they city? This man has no damn ethics. what do I expect from someone who exploits the suffering of real sweatshop workers for his own political gain?
i once counted how many signs or markings there were on the brooklyn bridge indicating that one lane was for pedestrians and one was for cyclists. i forget the exact number, but i believe it was literally somewhere in the 70s!
over 70 warnings for pedestrians to stay out of the bike lanes, and still there is undoubtedly numerous oblivious people walking in the middle of the bike lane, letting their young children play inthe bike lane, etc.
yeah, cyclists go fast on the bridge, because half it goes downhill at a fairly steep decline.
the fact that cyclist go fast is no excuse for wandering cluelessly into the bike lane.
no one ever says "yeah, he walked out into the middle of traffic before the truck hit him, but it's not his fault. those cars go much faster than pedestrians walk".
sorry, i didnt mean to post that twice.
Are you also going to take into account the sheer amount of *foot* traffic the bridge gets?
I'm not saying pedestrians are right, but the BB can get really, really packed sometimes. Add to that people stopping to take pics (whether you like it or not is irrelevant) and it creates choke points where the only viable way to continue walking is through the bike lane.
I doubt this is something that is "fixable", either.
I see those assholes on their bikes all the time in the pedestrian lane. The Brooklyn Bridge is an international landmark, the tourists are there all the time and they might not see or know the signs. They should ban bikes on there during 9 am to 9 pm.
If the bikes actually stayed in the bike lanes i wouldn't mind so much...But they never do. Try living in our now oh so trendy williamsburg neighborhood. You have to hope you don't hit some jerk on a bike who is swerving in and out of the bike lane on a narrow street, or one who's blowing a red light and not abiding by the traffic laws. I get it..bikes are great for our environment and that's wonderful..but don't put people walking and or driving in danger because you think you own the road!!! I've had to stop short or try to avoid someone on a bike many times because they weren't doing the right thing!! I've lived in this neighborhood all my life and never had a problem until recently. The bike lanes make our narrow streets impossible sometimes...and more than that..the people who live here and ride their bikes as if they don't have to watch for cars at all just infuriate me!!! And please.. for cryin out loud.. keep your bike off of my gate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's rude and since it's not your property i DO have the right to tell you to move!!! pedestrian walks and bike parking are an inconvenience to more people than you realize. You have the right to ride your bike..but please do it respectfully!!! and p.s. Don't shoot me the finger when i honk at you for cutting across the street in front of my moving vehicle!!!!!
Duly noted. I'll try my best next time I see you.
People on bikes are really easy to push over. Just watch out if they have a big bike lock, those things are hard.
the verizon van is at the hydrant too..you fuckin' KNOW this.
The city needs to set aside 3-4 spots on each block to be dedicated for short-term (30 minutes max) commercial truck or van parking.
If a commercial van needs longer than this, then they either should procure a work permit, or find a legal longer-term spot. Plus, if any non-commercial car is parked there, tow it and ticket it. Likewise if a commercial vehicle hangs around more than a half hour.
Rules, Rules, Rules... I can tell you are a stick-up-the-ass Canadian!
How about leave the damn working men alone and let them do their jobs - and tell the God damned bike assholes to swerve around (or, better yet, be a normal New Yorker and take a train or a bus instead of riding a bike - this is not Amsterdam)!
Who cares
My sentiments exactly!
Here is TWC's cut and paste response for violations like this :
" Thank you for your recent correspondence to Time Warner Cable.
Time Warner Cable operates hundreds of vehicles every day in five boroughs in order to serve over one million customers. Our employees who operate those vehicles are required to adhere to parking and driving regulations outlined by the City of New York's Department of Transportation.
As you might imagine, traffic, congestion and parking limitations can be a real challenge for commercial vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and residents. While, we take steps to ensure the safety of our drivers, other drivers and cyclists, we will address this matter immediately and remind employees of the importance of adhering to these regulations.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
Sincerely,
Time Warner Cable
Customer Support
"
(in response to this photo)
Ha. I look forward to (not) hearing from them. Which is too bad, because I also got a shot of the license plate.
The thing is, if he had just parked an extra foot to the right and put his mirrors in, cars could still get by, and cyclists could still use the lane.
Granted, it still would have been "illegal", but I doubt many people would have cared. On Lafayette, lots of vans park in the "neutral zone" between the street and the bike lane. It's irritating, but it makes things much more workable/livable for everyone involved, drivers, cyclists and delivery peeps.
Of course, that only works on streets with this striped neutral area next to the bike lane.