Markowitz Frothing at the Mouth Over PPW Bike Lane

Marty Markowitz, self-loathing cyclist? (Courtesy The Brooklyn Paper/Ben Muessig)

On the eve of a major anti-bike lane hate-in on Prospect Park West, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has lashed out at the changes to what was once an idyllic, three lane thoroughfare. "Prospect Park West was one of the most beautiful, scenic, majestic thoroughfares in Brooklyn and the bike lane has destroyed its beauty!" declared the incorrigible cornball in an interview with The Brooklyn Paper. "[Pedestrians] cannot see bicycles on the other side of parked cars... When you cross the street children often break from their parents and there is a danger that a cyclist won’t see the kid in time — or a senior citizen!" Or a kitten—a defenseless little kitty cat could be sitting there blinking her adorable little eyes as the wheels of some bloodthirsty cyclist bear down on it!

Of course, cars and trucks have also been known to do some damage to innocent children and fragile old people, and Prospect Park West was a notoriously high-speed boulevard. According to a report from community group Park Slope Neighbors, before the bike lane 85 percent of drivers were exceeding the 30 mph speed limit. A follow-up last month showed the new street design, with two traffic lanes instead of three, has increased compliance with the speed limit five-fold, and average speeds are down about 25 percent.

But Makowitz says getoutahere with yer surveys—he never saw any problem. "I lived on Prospect Park West for eight years!" bellowed Markowitz, who previously called NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan a zealot. "My windows faced it, and I rarely saw speeding. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, but I rarely saw it. [The DOT] is using Brooklyn as a guinea pig! Nobody asked for this! This is the vision of the DOT! Their belief! Their ideological approach!" And these sick ideologues won't be satisfied until all car owners are rounded up into chain gangs and forced to makeover every street into one interlocking bike lane pedestrian plaza. You know who else liked cycling, don't you? Hitler.

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

By John Del Signore in News on October 20, 2010 5:40 PM

Comments [rss]

brooklynbrenda

This jackass was just re-voted in and we have to deal with his anti-bike antics for another four years.

BGGB

Did Markowitz really just use the "I can see it from my house" logic made famous by well-known quitter Sarah Palin?

Oh Marty. I used to think you were qualified for office. How wrong I was.

ckl

it wasn't beautiful. it looked like a shitty drag strip for early 90's toyotas.

Think2wice

Go rot all borough presidents.

slope185

I used to like this guy. He loves Brooklyn, what can be wrong with that? That is until I went out to dinner on Seventh Avenue with friends and we were among several groups waiting outside for a table. Markowitz pulled up in his SUV with a party of four or five, and of course, he got right in. I have no problem with that, he is the Borough President; however, a lady on line did not feel the same way and made a stink. My party was seated immediately after and our table was right next to his. He was speaking loudly to his friends calling the lady a bitch and other names. Classless.

kevd

The DOT should consider installing red yellow and green lights on the bike lane at some of the major pedestrian entrances.

the flashing yellow lights mean what exactly? Caution! There may or may not be a person about to step in front of you!

Everyone on a bike knows that already. Actually traffic signals at a couple major crossings would clear up some confusion on both sides.

Manitoba

I didn't realize there was just a stupid flashing yellow light; that is dumb. How are you supposed to know if pedestrians have the light in their favor? Can you see that?

Why don't they just put up a bicycle traffic light, like the ones in Herald Square/Times Square. I know there's at least one near the crappy mall.

kevd

Exactly!

you are much smarter than izsosic.

then, even is cyclists blow the light, everyone knows who's being a dick and who isn't.

now its just a confusing mess.

izsosick

bikers just blow by lights anyways.

what conceptually be cool are drop down barriers like the ones at railroad crossings. totally stop them in their tracks. till they get off the bike and try to tear them apart.

kevd

No. Thats fucking stupid.

izsosick

here's an idea on how to avoid getting run over by bikes.

it's an idea that was taught to you when you were very young.

LOOK BOTH WAYS WHEN CROSSING THE STREETS!

izsosick

here's a couple of idea's on how pedestrians can avoid on getting by bikes.

one is to stop talking/texting when crossing the streets.

the other is something that you learn when you were very little, "look both ways". et voila, accidents avoided.

unretrofiedforu

You forgot:

"and bikers can follow basic traffic laws. use their eyes and have a little courtesy".

paulie

Why don't we wait a few years and see if the overall amount of injuries (involving bikes and cars) is down on PPW?

SuburbanAntiChrist

Marty Markowitz also can't see Russia from his house, so that probably doesn't exist either!

Whatta douchey comment from Markowitz... and I kind of like him...

random transplant

...So the Boro president is a recent transplant to park slope.

He considers factual statistics about speeding and accidents to be "ideology". Which means he doesn't know what the word means.

He sees traffic economics, oil economics, sociology, & the desire for clean air a Manhattan-borne conspiratorial "ideology".

good to know.

Sommelier

Guess he hasn't stopped to figure out how many bicycle riders in Brooklyn vote.

juliec

Wow, his hyperbolic language made me think he was joking. That's not my president!

kevd

Good use of helmet strap you fucking 'tard.

I guess its good he's on the side walk, because if he were in a real accident that lid would go flying.

Though, if his brain were smeared on the pavement Brooklyn would be better off.