I had a friend write me about this I first was hoping that the Protest would have more drivers who are angry against some of these dangerous bike lanes up against curbside. I will have another Protest but this time with the help of the Press.

Let me state again not against all bikers or bike lanes. I am also not always in car I often take the bikes and trains. I agree with many people who say that dangerous bikers should be ticketed and make good bike riders who follow directions look bad. I know of many people who are drivers from Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn who used to enjoy coming in with families to Manhattan to go out or shopping have no longer parking spaces.

For those who say use parking lots are you crazy how expensive they are. What is wrong with free spots and business. I am against bike lanes right upto curb side not all bike lanes. I am not against all bikers and won't respond to very nasty posts. Also my last name is not made up this is my name. I still see some dumb adults who make fun of someone name out there.

Also I was hoping for a turnout but I think people have the attitude what difference will it make with King oh I mean Mayor Bloomberg who does what he wants. How he got a third term I will never know. I am also against the new no turning signals that create havoc. There are many people who are handicapped, senior citizens, who depend on car. What take away there rights When I said I was from New York it was to say how much change I have seen.

When I put up signs at mostly 14th Street and below on 1st Avenue, Second Avenue many small business are loosing money from customers who drive and shop and eat. I just find it interesting how much money Mayor Bloomberg waste and who support him.

Re: Velo bikes. Who cares how they operate? A commie barter system is fine, but they also bring in money, too.

Also, bike commerce operates thusly: everytime you order food for delivery, and everytime you call a messenger to deliver anything. Bikers bring in pollution-free commerce. We don't idle engines, or turn so slowly @ corners b/c herds of pedestrians cross slowly b/c they're trying to text. We're quieter.As for rudeness, mostly it's because this sedentary society doesn't value healthy mobility and the effort taken to maintain course and heading. Peds always assume they have the right of way, and are not obligated to stay on the sidewalks designated for that verbally expressed purpose - walking on the side.. Well, maybe they have that "right" , but just because they have the right of way doesn't mean it's the right thing to dally, text, or simply not look where they're going while crossing.. Mostly, bikers want to get going, that's why they're on a bike. Personally, I bike wherever I need to, b/c I avoid trouble and obstacles. Bike lanes are for the novice/non-agressive rider. Keep them there for those people. For the really aggressive riders, don't penalize us for riding wherever and whenever it is necessary for safety. Frankly, I'm safe in the middle of the road.

Im all for biking, but people only see from their own perspectives. The 'city' has 5 boroughs and those who may be alone in a car, probably dont start and finish their day alone in that car. Tell the mother in queens that has to take kids to school, get to work in Manhattan, p/u kids, drop to after school activities, p/u again, then p/u groceries to give up a car.

Btw, I cant wait to see how all this works once the snow hits, who is going to shovel those bike lanes?!

Its unfortunate that these lanes seem to have grown over night, with little public input or discussion, but what else should we expect from king bloomie?

The same people who bury parked cars under of 5 feet of snow.

If its snowing, you won;t see too many people out there in their bikes. But of the 3 days a year when they are unusable, I wouldn't disparage the bike lanes. Same way that mountain passes should be shut down forever just because you can't use them in the winter.

I love how this mentally challenged woman has sparked such an intense debate. Please everyone, click on the EV Grieve link and read how this Leslie Sicklick believes she has more rights than bicyclists because she has (or so she concludes that she has) lived in the neighborhood longer than people who ride bikes. Also, she feels that she can can blindly walk into a bike lane and be angry that people on bikes (because it's a bike lane– get it?) almost hit her. And one last thing– Ms. Sicklick eats her own feces (I have no proof of this, but I've had crazier hunches that have ended up being true). Update: She does eat her own feces! I just saw it! It was really gross. I'll post the pictures on my blog. In conclusion, Libya is a land of contrast. (I feel like most people won't get that– it's a Simpsons reference).

This is interesting to me as an outsider (I live & work in Tucson, Arizona -- nowhere near the megalopolis of Metro Phoenix!); I like to read online of the actions & attitudes of the megalopolises nationwide towards urban cycling & bikes as alternate transportation.

Coming from a city like Tucson, attempting to attain Platinum Status as a Bicycle-Friendly community, it is dismaying & disappointing to see large pockets in the USA, still, refusing to acknowledge the carbon-emission dilemma & holding protests, all seemingly in the name of convenience/economy/commerce. I'm glad, however, to read that there was minimal turn-out for the protest!

It's time to acknowledge the future, NYC. Yes, I live in the West where the air is still clean, where the stars are still visible at night, and where motorists (delivery trucks, city buses, & commuters alike), yield right-of-way to urban cyclists (Yes, we have 5-ft bike lanes on every major thoroughfare -- expressways & freeways excluded -- in Tucson.) But if San Diego and Denver can do it, so can you!

Park your cars & ride your bikes, NYC, please?

I've been to Tucson several times. I like Tucson, but Tucson is not New York City and your experience there doesn't have much to do with ours. We live cheek by jowl here. It's a city that learns over and over again how to live with disparate element on top of disparate element, even as we beat each other up over our differences. We'll do fine once those bikers who think they are riding their Wild Horses Where The Buffalo Roam learn to follow the rules, and when inattentive pedestrians learn to look both ways, and when drivers of cars finally accept that they no longer have license to own the streets and roads of America.

Well, since the "protest" was less than a block from my house, I walked out at 5pm to have a look-see. Kind of lame. Seemed like there were less than 10 anti-bike-laners and maybe an equal number, maybe a few more, pro-bike-laners. I talked to a woman for a while who may or may not have been Ms. Sicklick. She seemed mostly pissed off about how expensive Hell's Kitchen has become, and how Bloomberg is turning the city into something for tourists only, or something. Somehow this was all the fault of the money spent on bike lanes. My favorite part was the weirdo chubby lady who kept trying to whisper sinister things about "violations of the Disability Act" into the woman's ear. I have no idea what that was about, but then I don't think the woman I was talking to had any idea either. All in all, it felt a little like a Tea Party where somebody forgot to bring the lunatic outrage.

If she hates bikes so much i wonder how sicklicknls@aol.com feels about porn spam....

She seems to have no problem since she keeps sending them to me. Sicklick.com

I am SO SICK of bike haters using the "businesses can't get deliveries" excuse. I ride on 1st ave almost every morning and trust me, there are most certainly a SHIT TON of delivery trucks making their way to the stores on the west side of the street. So many in fact, that I usually have to ride in the other lanes because of it.

Let's have more bike lanes AND more tickets and fines for bikers who break the rules. Drivers unhappy + bikers unhappy = the best solution.

Seriously a protest of a bike lane? I think a lot of bikers in the city ride like assholes much the same way cab drivers drive but this whole bike protest thing is bullshit. These people just need to STFU. Who cares about parking, most people who live in the city don't even have cars. So sorry your over privileged ass has to drive around to find a spot. If it's that much of a problem rent a parking space and shut up. I'm more concerned about the higher subway fees and less service than some stupid painted bike lane.

I've said this in the past . Some parts of the city shouldn't have bike lanes . The East Side is just to congested fora bike lane . You have all types of traffic sharing the same lane and cyclist trying to weave, and bob their way through all of that ! So I actually agree with the drivers on this one . Cyclists are not equals to drivers, and will never be ! Point blank !

Why aren't cyclists equal to vehicles?

The majority of vehicles are transporting a single passenger. They are both individuals getting from point a to point b. The automobile is burning oil at an absurd rate, releasing toxins into the air, have a negative impact on the infrastructure and gets free public space to leave its 10 x 6 metal frame.

Is it because the car costs more that you value its space more?

This city is big enough for all of us. I think we can all coexist if done properly. I am concerned for small businesses and wonder how they feel about the bike lanes or, more importantly, how it impacts their business. NYC has been known as "The Capital of the World and that's due to its commerce and we mustn't let anything get in the way of that or impede businesses in this city. It's already tough enough for businesses to survive in this city.

Bike lanes are virtually a new concept in this city and we should proceed with caution to make sure we do it right because we cannot, or should not, rush any change that makes it impossible for these small businesses to survive and prosper.

NYC's business is "business" and until a few years ago bike riding was largely a novelty in this city and while I welcome the idea of exploring bike riding as an alternative medium of transportation let's not forget what made New York City, The Capital of the World.

Bike lanes are nice but with the city's current joblessness what we need is more thriving businesses that can provide jobs.

By that same logic, people who have enough money to drive into town and treat their family to a meal at an expensive restaurant are not going to mind spending 10 extra dollars parking in a garage.

On the other hand people who would be stopped from going to the movies from an added $5 subway charge, are more able to if they can avoid it and ride their bike.

Furthermore, you are missing a huge cost component: 7-12% of our GDP actually - healthcare costs. Taxes pay for the healthcare of poor primarily. If that poor fat kid has to ride his bike downtown it might improve his life and save the city money in the long run. Fewer people with type II diabetes is a good thing.

Sorry, logic and fact fail- garages in manhattan are $25-45 a day/night, taxes do not pay for the healthcare of the poor 'primarily' and those 'poor, fat' kids have a free metro card to get around during the week. Oh, if someone is struggling for $5 because of the increased transit fare, I doubt they are going to ride a bike to the movies and waste the savings on a flick.

I *think* you were trying to reply to a thread I participated in, but you were highly illegible.

I'll comment off the one thing I think I understand though - I might pay 12 bucks go on a neat 20 minute ride & go see a movie, but I wont pay 17 bucks to sit underground for 20 minutes up to an hour to see the same movie.

Its not about being too broke for a car or an MTA ride - bikers (like me) drive, and broke people dont shop in Manhattan at all.

The biggest problem is that people want to jump to conclusions about the socio-economics of urban biking, but they don't like biking to begin with...so rather than simply walk up to a bunch of bikers and patronize the same business, shed a little light on some of their more easily ascertained questions, they keep spouting their arguments from the comforting shadow of ignorance.

John L, consult google again.

The location of the bike lanes disputes your claim that we're talking about frugal riders - we're talking about some of the most expensive urban zip's on the East Coast. We're talking about young people with discretionary income. We're talking about dad's and mom's commuting to work.

Also, i didn't mention bike shops to compare bikes to cars - i'm saying the 30-ish bike shops in NYC represent a couple hundred people making a decent wage. Its "big" small bussines of the sort presidents have been expecting to bail out the economy since before I can remember.

Finally, congestion has nothing to do the price to park. I'm talking about rich, and poor, locals and tourists, who avoid the LES because of parking (there arn't too many garages either, not that I've spent long looking).

You can measure the business cost of traffic congestion (gas, driver's labor, ect.).... and it seems like a very knee-jerk reaction to say having to drive two blocks further up an avenue before making a turn is killing business. The delivery industry itself hasn't said a peep - unlike when gas spikes and recession actually DO affect their costs.