Kent Avenue Bike Lane Turned Into Parking Lane

photos from Gothamist reader Sam

Williamsburg cyclists got a new bike lane on Bedford Avenue yesterday morning, but they lost one last night when dozens of cars obstructed the cycling path on Kent Avenue. Just hours after biking activists repainted a cycling path on Bedford Avenue that was recently removed by the city, the equally controversial Kent Avenue bike lane was blocked by parked cars for a major Hasidic celebration.

Gothamist reader Sam says the Kent Avenue lane was severely blocked between Clymer Street and Division Avenue:

my thoughts were wandering as I biked home along the Kent Ave bike lane. Suddenly I shook myself back to attention because I wasn't sure were I was -- the bike lane was gone and I thought maybe I had turned onto another street. Nope. It was just that cars were completely obscuring the bike lane, so much so that I couldn't even see it as I biked by. There were perhaps 50 cars or more diagonally parked all along Kent from Clymer to Division. I called in a 311 complaint (another cyclist was there had just done the same) and then biked over to the 90th precinct to report it since the NYPD does not have to respond to a 311 complaint until 8 hours later. I told an Officer Williams at the 90th the situation and he said he would send a car over. However, he made that pledge before I had told him exactly where the cars were parked, so I biked back over to Kent to see what happened. There was a police van there, but they were not doing anything -- I waited about 30 minutes, the cars left (an event had ended) and I went home.

South Williamsburg community activist Leo Moskowitz told Gothamist that the Kent Avenue bike lane was obstructed by guests attending a major Satmar celebration at Steiner Studios, where thousands convened to celebrate the anniversary of the day when Satmar Grand Rebbi Joel Teitelbaum — the leader of the religious group — escaped from the Nazis. "They were parking angled on the bike lane because it was overcrowded with people and there wasn't enough parking spaces inside," said Moskowitz, who added that drivers were being encouraged to park on the cycling path by the police (the NYPD has not yet confirmed this with Gothamist). "This was from about 8 pm until 11 pm, it was a cold night, windy, not too many bikers. I understand that people are trying to make a big issue about it, but it was only in the nighttime, and really there weren't too many bikers."

Here's a video of the celebration at Steiner Studios last night.

Miss Heather over at NewYorkShitty.com has an account from a passersby to another major Hasidic gathering on West Street in Greenpoint last night, which might or might not be linked with the festivities in the Navy Yard.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Muessig in News on December 8, 2009 11:50 AM

Comments [rss]

Billiamsburg

it cracks me up how all the 'real' new yorkers are so in support of a backwards insane religion running it's own city-state in the city and controlling politics.

"I'm'a original new york'a i'm'a open minded ayyy. i just hate the nigras and the indians and any young white people who make more money then me. they should go back to ohio. capiche?"

Christ

They already hide in their minivans' getting blow jobs on Kent ave and block Bedford Ave with too many diesel guzzling buses. Who's surprised at that. Get with the times and start wearing condoms.

babyhitler

This video actually reminds me of Leni Riefenstahl's TRIUMPH OF THE WILL but instead of German's it's jews. ironic, No?

JacqueMehoff

isn't there a law for blocking the bicycle lane?

if there isn't, then no big deal but if there's a LAW, now we all know how much you white people love LAWS.

BiffAckley

I'm a Brooklyn cyclist who frequently bikes through Williamsburg and am a member of Transportation Alternatives. And even I can't see how this matters. So the lane was blocked for a few hours, who cares? You bike around the parked cars and forget about it.

Honestly, safe bike lanes are worth fighting for, but learn to pick your battles. This piece of "news" is totally irrelevant.

NattyB

I was waiting for a friend on E Houston yesterday (actually early morning today) around 12:15 am.

I was wondering why it seemed that over half the vehicles were cars (mostly mini-vans acutally) filled with Hasids.

Now I know why.

I am a bit confused about the significance of Rebbi Teitelbaum?

It's just a rabbi, right? Isn't their something, sorta, ya know, Idolitric (is that even a word) about such a big event for a single mortal man?

Or, is the Rebbi believed to have powers or religious influence, directly from G-d?

Just wondering.

Spirit of 76

Like I suggested when the Bedford lane was first closed, let's start a new bike ride next May and keep it up through September. Take a leisurely tour of Williamsburg with frequent rest stops near synagogues every Shabbat, er, Saturday. The less clothing the better. Bikinis and Speedos encouraged.

natis

Word. All religions should be toyed with.

NannyState

I like your politics!

hug0chavez

I used to really like gothamist.

eyekantspel

it's time for another post about street art. something we can all join together in hating.

maevemealone

What the heck is the occupancy code for that building?!

zodak

i ♥ bike thread comments!

felixthecat2

+1

pal

this crowd isn't as big as it looks.

just CGI technology.

buttface

Notice how it's pretty much men only.

Oppressive backwards religion FTW!

potsmoker

the police are not required to find reasonable (&Free) parking alternatives to for public events.

i dont think if i parked at a bustop or bike lane on 8th Ave i could uise the excuse of having an MSG ticket in hand?

find legal parking and walk, thats the reasoning used when confronted by whiners on 7th ave in park slope.

every other event the mayor goes on tv and asks people to use public transportation or car pool.

except this is favoritism and the city should be ashamed.

DanielJ

WAH WAH WAH. There's something called mixed use; The priorities of the largest group of people take precedent, especially when it's a gathering like that. Yuo don't own the road just because you have a bike. Go around.

eastbwayanglo

Yuo don't own the road just because you have a car. Go around.

DanielJ

You don't own the road just because you have a car either, that's what I'm saying. At that moment, it appears that the Hasidim owned the road. Hence "mixed-use."

thewildpansy

What the FUCK are you little transplant shitheads complaining about? A bike lane is a good, nice thing but if there is nowhere to park and the police need to find a reasonable alternative, of course they should use the side of the road outside of the event. Stop fucking complaining about everything and ride on the road like you're supposed to learnt o do, and ride in the bike lane when it is available to you.

sam

A bike lane is not a nice thing -- it is a necessary thing if all users of the streets are to be kept safe. The issue was not simply that the bike lane was closed, but that there was no warning, that there was no detour offered. Whenever a street is closed to cars or a sidewalk is closed to pedestrians, there are warnings and signs. In fact, in the case of an event, there are usually signs posted along the street a couple days in advance. This courtesy/safety measure was not extended to cyclists in this instance.

thewildpansy

That is because you are supposed to be capable of riding in the road, you little fucking girl.

hunter.blatherer

That's better. If there's more than 9 words in between "fuck," I start to get confused.

hunter.blatherer

"like you're supposed to learnt o do"

I can't understand this. Due to the lack of salty language.

hotstepper

jews really know how to party.

elpollodiablo

Damn those Hasids with their generations-long roots in the neighborhood, blocking the way of my SICK FIXIE with their atavistic ghost-worshiping! I gotta get to Barcade, motherfucks!

pal

yeah seriously, i ride my bike too but this is no big deal. when they had the concerts over at kent street park last summer on sundays they blocked off traffic for two blocks each time for a few hours every sunday and these bike nerds are complaining about this event that lasted one night for just a few hours. give me a break.

streets, including bikes lanes, are blocked off for parades and all sorts of shit that goes on around town. this shouldn't even be a story.

seven

Really? So tenure in the neighborhood = the right to break laws? Interesting. I'll remember that the next time some Dominican guy mugs me on the way home to my apartment in Inwood. It's their neighborhood after all, I guess.