Video: Ambulance Takes Prospect Park West Bike Lane

Someday this Prospect Park West bike lane war is gonna end, but today is not that day. And could it be that the tide is turning in the direction of the anti-lane forces, who are suing the city to get the controversial lane removed? The Brooklyn Paper reports that the local community board quietly dropped a scheduled discussion of new bike lanes on 14th and 15th streets between Third Avenue and Prospect Park West. The anti-bike lane crowd smells blood in the water, and they couldn't ask for better propaganda than this CBS 2 segment showing an ambulance driving in the bike lane to avoid a PPW traffic jam.

A couple of things about the video used in this segment. First, because it only shows one camera angle, we have no idea what's causing this traffic jam. Is there an accident up ahead that the ambulance was trying to get to? Is Marty Markowitz in the middle of the road doing the Truffle Shuffle to the tune of Take This Lane and Shove It? Correlation does not imply causation, and assuming that this traffic is caused by that bike lane is just that—an assumption. Later in the segment, reporter Marcia Kramer is repeatedly shown alongside a jam-free PPW, so what does that tell you? Secondly, a study has shown that not only is speeding is down on PPW, but there is no discernible difference between pre-bike lane and post-bike lane travel times on PPW.

But hey, we certainly get the appeal of sensational, anecdotal evidence and tendentious, one-sided reporting! This is Kramer's third segment on the Prospect Park West bike lane war, so we're not surprised to see this photo of Kramer acting chummy with Park Slope resident Senator Chuck Schumer, who is said to be anti-bike lane, along with his wife, former NYC DOT commissioner Iris Weinshall. Streetsblog thinks Kramer, who's done a great job locking horns with Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., should use her skills as a political reporter to get at the real story:

They call themselves “Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes,” but they actually just want to remove this bike lane. Interesting, no? What really makes the story pop, though, is that this group has some first-rate political connections. The most active members of the group include a former deputy mayor and the previous DOT commissioner, who happens to be married to Senator Schumer.
The law firm that’s suing the city for them? They’re one of the top firms in the nation — Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher. The head of their litigation arm, Randy Mastro, was deputy mayor under Giuliani, and it’s been reported that he brokered the whole arrangement with the anti-bike lane group. Oh, and the lawyer who’ll be suing the city over the bike lane made the maximum contribution to Chuck Schumer’s re-election campaign in 2010.

We reached out to Kramer for comment and will update if we hear back. In the meantime, expect the war to spill over onto the Windsor Terrace border, where Councilman Brad Lander (D-Park Slope) says he remains committed to making bike-friendly changes to 14th and 15th Streets. Though the topic was dropped from an upcoming community board meeting, Lander tells the Brooklyn Paper, "We look forward to having a dialogue later this spring with residents of 14th and 15th streets about a range of possibilities, including bike lanes and other approaches, to address the goals they’ve expressed — which is what we had planned all along."

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

By John Del Signore in News on February 14, 2011 2:42 PM

Comments [rss]

FU Boy

I like that a lot of people here are saying that this is an obvious benefit of the bike lanes.

BUT - the NY State traffic law states that if an emergency vehicle is approaching, all vehicles need to yield and pull over to the right so that the emergency vehicle can pass. Every one of those cars could, and should, get citations. They're breaking the law by not letting the ambulance through.

Unless every one of them is rushing to the hospital because of a medical emergency, there's nowhere they need to be that's more important than where that ambulance is going.

It's one of the things that pisses me off about the drivers in the city. last week I saw people who weren't just not getting out of the way, several cars tried to dart in front of two firetrucks because others were getting out of the way.

Because of shit like this, I'm surprised that the city's still standing.

petercow

More than once, I've had to jump in front of a car at an intersection and hold up my hand to prevent them from trying to beat the firetruck/ambulance across the intersection.

Detex

Why did you HAVE to? Am I missing something? I mean people should stop for emergency vehicles but what makes you a cop? that just sounds retarded to me. What happens when you get hit? Now you not only caused an accident but you have further slowed the response of said emergency responders...

petercow

Why? Because I mistakenly thought the ambulance was on the way to help your mom.

Next time I'll keep reading the paper. Sh*t happens, right?

Rod

some people care about others.

it's a decent thing to do, you wouldn't understand.

GothamExtremist

If the road has two lanes and the two lanes are packed and the front is packed with no where to go, HTF do you suppose the drivers yield to the EMT?

petercow

Yeah, like in Brooklyn Heights, where the parishioners of a church block the bike lane every Sunday, so it reduces the street to a single lane.

Fronko

Yeah, because that's completely different from 90% of most streets in NYC, which have two lanes of traffic or even just one! You don't see people complaining that much about all the parked cars blocking ambulances on one-lane streets.

FU Boy

Well, there's an enormous spot on the side of the road that could fit the black SUV and the white van. That'd be a good place to start if someone even bothered to try.

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

you're right, there used to be PSA ads on yielding for emergency vehicles.
I rarely see any cars in the city pulling over in Manhattan yield because traffic is so congested. Prospect park is lucky they have that bike lane.
I think the ad was "Yield for Life". as in, saving a life.

facted

I was waiting for this video to appear on gothamist...

As others stated above, if anything this video is in SUPPORT of bike lanes. Anyone who has read anything about vehicular traffic will tell you that making more lanes for cars does not reduce traffic AT ALL. The perceived increase in spacial supply will be met by increased demand and viola, more traffic. Having this bike lane there allowed the ambulance to bypass the traffic that they would have otherwise been stuck behind.

And if anyone is listening to CBS on the issue of street safety, they should read a little something about distracted driving (i.e. where CBS news anchors give reports WHILE driving a car down busy city streets, occasionally looking at the camera).

Communist

They should replace bike lanes with ambulance lanes and let hipsters use the roads after passing road test, licensing and insurance requirements.

luke_1

I would wager that most people over the age of 16 have a drivers license. In addition, you have to be an idiot not to pass a road test in the US of A. How about we make it mandatory for anyone who is going to use the road, but we actually make it worthwhile? Then all the anti-cycling freaks might learn to share the road (drive with courtesy) and we wouldn't need bike lanes in the first place.

ilovebrooklyn

I agree -- this video could be used to argue in favor of the bike lane. It's not like PPW never got backed up before the bike lane was installed. Now there's an alternative route that could save lives.

(BTW, though, I look out on PPW from my apartment and I've never seen an emergency vehicle have to use the lane -- not once.)

I can't believe these sore losers are going to use the resources of our courts to try to undo a bike lane that is demonstrably safer than the old configuration and that the majority of Park Slope residents favor. Which is probably why they feel they have to make the name of their group totally misleading: "Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes"? Yeah, right.

Fronko

And not just the bike lane in front of their homes, ilovebrooklyn. Norman Steisel, Chuck Schumer, his wife, and Louise Hainline are coming after bike lanes down the road next.

Considering they are suing to get this one removed, what sane community board would want to take up the issue of bike lanes if a rich, politically connected minority could simply threaten to sue the DOT or subpoena community board members?

If you care about safe streets, bike lanes, traffic calming, you should be pretty pissed at the Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes crowd along with Marty Markowitz and Chuck Schumer for pretty much ruining the chances of your 'hood getting safer, no matter how far from PPW you live.

petercow

They haven't sued yet. I suspect this is a lot of bluster/head-games.

Anyone can file a suit against anyone of course.. especially when you have lawyers working for free, but it is hard to imagine a worse case for them - and I'm sure their smart lawyer knows that.

Mike Epstein

I don't think there IS a traffic jam here. I think it's just a few cars stopped at a traffic light. You can see them begin to move again at the end of the clip...

IvoryJive

Agreed - it's a complete manipulation. Where did this video come from? Is it publicly available? Can we see the minute before and after?

I don't see "rush hour traffic congestion caused by the controversial Prospect park West bike lane" as the copy suggests. It just looks like a bunch of cars sitting at a red light and the ambulance decides to use the bike lane to go around them. If the lane wasn't there, the ambulance would be blocked by the cars and have nowhere to go. It's not very different than when you see a cop or ambulance ride up on the sidewalk or drive the wrong way down a street to get around traffic. But concluding that it is the bike lane that is CAUSING the traffic congestion is a leap - totally unsupported by any information provided in the story.

Fronko

How do we know it wasn't the CBS2 news van, Mobile2, blocking traffic?

lizzie_d

Breaking News: Gothamist publishes yet another tired piece about bike lanes in order to garner attention, page views and a ton of comments from both pro and anti bike lane New Yorkers... yawn.

jaycjay

"The anti-bike lane crowd smells blood in the water, and they couldn't ask for better propaganda than this CBS 2 segment showing an ambulance driving in the bike lane to avoid a PPW traffic jam."

I don't get it. That seems to be a good argument for bike lanes. If that instead were a regular traffic lane, it'd also be jammed up and the ambulance wouldn't be able to get through at all.

I don't think any cyclist would really mind an ambulance on a call utilizing a bike lane; in fact they'd probably be more likely to yield to it than many motorists are.

FallOut

Perhaps you missed the story here last week where all the nagging, whiny cycling zealots were complaining when an ambulance was in their precious bike lane in Manhattan.

But I must give JDS credit for seeing that the Writing is on the Wall.
"The anti-bike lane crowd smells blood in the water, and they couldn't ask for better propaganda than this CBS 2 segment showing an ambulance driving in the bike lane to avoid a PPW traffic jam"

The elected officials listen to The People and The People are sick of the whining cycling lobby. This story is a perfect case in point. After three years of autocratic bullying, Sadick-Khan is on the defensive.

Letss see how many bike lanes she builds this year, kids, let's just see how many she tries to force on us in 2011!!
Any bets?

TIME'S UP!

Rod

you scrambled the facts again, fucktard.

TIME'S UP for you living in your mom's basement.

jaycjay

"Perhaps you missed the story here last week where all the nagging, whiny cycling zealots were complaining when an ambulance was in their precious bike lane in Manhattan."

No, I didn't. Perhaps you missed the words "an ambulance on a call" in my comment that you replied to.

"On a call" and "parked and idling" are two very different things.

Gwinny

why bother? basic comprehension is beyond his abilities.

I too would have no problem with an ambulance responding to an emergency using the bike lane. other sane people (i.e. cyclists who care) would surely feel the same way.

facted

Oh and another thing: the "The People" are not sick of bike lanes:

http://bradlander.com/ppwsurve...

The vast majority (>75%) of those surveyed about the bike lane in prospect park by the council member Brad Lander's office actually voiced support for the lane.

Maybe you should stop your moaning and complaining and realize that people are sick and tired of cars clogging up space in the city and why projects such as the pedestrian spaces at Times Square, the redesign at Madison Square Park, and the new protected bike lanes in Chelsea, the UWS and now in PPW are actually extremely popular.

And of course you're going to try to refute this by pointing to some CBS interview of a cab driver complaining that he can no longer drive 65 mph down the street. I'll save you the trouble by replying right now: THAT'S THE POINT.

FallOut

My friend, I shall educate you.
There are lies, damn lies and statistics! Capice?

If not, do read the methodology.
"The survey was covered in TV, print, and online media. More than 3,000 people responded, with the percent of residents on or near PPW responding to the survey (approximately 8%) much higher than percent of resident of Park Slope responding to the survey (3-4%).

One thing I must credit the cycling lobby with is, well, being an effective lobby. You know as well as I that TA and streetsblog have an extensive online network - small, but active.

So, your little survey included >90% NOT from Park Slope.
Do you really doubt that most of the "yes" votes were not generated by a sophisticated network of cycling fanatics, who broadcast it around to their allies.

Further, most of the opponents of the bike lane are older and less likely to use online methods of community organizing.

So, frankly, if you think some hipster in Bushwick or Wburg who voted 'yes' for the bike lane represents The People of Brooklyn, I have a nice bridge in Downtown Brooklyn that we sell to the gullible.

facted

I'm actually quite educated in statistics so you don't need to help me out ;)

The fact of the matter is that this survey profiled 3,000 people who live in Brooklyn and while you tend to look at the geographical slant as a con, I actually see it as a positive aspect of the study (I care more about what people who actually USE PPW and who live nearby have to say than someone who lives 20 blocks away and drives through once a week).

Furthermore, it's clear that you view all things pro-bike lane with grey-tinged glasses. If this study had come down on your side, you would have been up in arms proclaiming it's greatness from the highest rooftop. But it didn't. And most survey's that look at people's perception of what this administration has done with regards to bike lanes and overall street safety is overwhelmingly positive.

So that leaves with you with a tough predicament. Either calm down and let progress take over, or use anecdotal, contrived examples as "evidence" that this administration is ruining the city. Unfortunately, you've taken the later and even more unfortunately for you, you're in a rather small, though vocal minority.

FallOut

"most survey's that look at people's perception of what this administration has done with regards to bike lanes and overall street safety is overwhelmingly positive."

Please supply the links. Anything from TA or DOT is suspect, so don't waste your time with those.

At least we agree that stats can be used both ways. Fine.

But you do not deny that this survey does not represent the vast majority, or even the majority, or even a small plurality of PS residents. It represents a tiny fraction, many of whom might be linked to streetsblog's network.

Frankly, I discount what people in Wburg have to say about what should go on in PS.

Do we let the people of nearby Jersey City dictate what gets built in NYC?
Should our Canadian neighbors' opinions count on what should be torn down in Kansas?
Of course not.

If the residents of PS are opposed to the bike lane, Lander's loaded survey nothwithstanding, then that is whom I support, not some underemployed Wbrug hipster sitting in front of her computer with an agenda to spread.

I only know what I know, and most people whom I talk to think these bike lanes are useless. That is what I know.
I urge you to stand on a corner and ask every tenth person walking by their opinion of bike lanes and I am sure the results will reflect mine.

End of thread. Have a nice night.

facted

For starters, I'm sorry that I believe the city agency in charge of studying the very topic of satisfaction when it comes to traffic design in NY. It's like, their JOB after all. But then again, when I show you studies not done by the DOT (such as the PPW study), if they're not to your liking you criticize those as well (moral of the story is you're going to criticize anything that doesn't support your point of view and you, I, and everyone on this board knows it).

Wow. So again, you "know what [you] know" is your evidence that people hate bike lanes. That and what "most people" tell you. Sounds like you're really well connected. Maybe you could use all your connections and do some real studies that actually show your results rather than just post your ideas about how bike lanes suck and everyone you know hates them.

As for the study that was done, it represented 3,000 + people who lived near the PPW bike lane. That's 3,000 more than you've got on your side.

And when you write "if the residents of PS are opposed to the bike lane", what exactly is your proof of that? That a few of them formed an opposition group and are suing the city? How about the fact that they actually represent a tiny fraction of the people who live in PS. How about the fact that when they held a rally in PS for their cause, the were out-represented by over 20:1?

If they have so much support why don't they perform a study on how much people hate the bike lane in PS? If the world is as you say, then surely the results would be in your corner and you could get the bike lane cleaned up real quick. Or maybe things aren't quite the way you think they are?

I agree that this thread is over, though. I'm done with you and your anecdotal BS.

FallOut

Thread was over for last night.

Thanks for admitting that you have no credible, unbiased survey to support your outlandish claims that The People of NYC support bike lanes. Gotcha! More lies and bullshit from the cycling zealots. No surprise there.

You're too boring to entertain myself with further.

Suffice to say, listen at noon to Speaker Quinn's State of the City address. Note how she supports easing of parking restrictions, forgiveness of parking tickets and NOT A SINGLE mention of more bike lanes. ROTFL

The Era of bike lanes is over. You had your 15 seconds of fame. Quinn knows what appeals to voters: bike lanes ain't one of them. Stringer, her competitor for mayor, is re-thinking his position as well.

TIME'S UP! The People have risen, The People have spoken, and the electeds are listening. My sympathy, loser, although you don't deserve it.

Rod

your posts are all rhetoric, dickhead.

for instance, you fail to provide any proof that bike lanes cause more congestion.

and we proved otherwise and will again if you wanna come out with a videocamera.

but you're just a troll and we are wrong to treat you as if you're a cogent human.

facted

Love your use of the word propaganda in your post. Thanks for proving our point ;)

FallOut

My use? I was quoting JDS directly!
Whatever.

Propaganda is originally a neutral construct. There are two types of propaganda: truthful propaganda and fictitious propaganda.

DOT has been spreading fictitious propaganda since Sadick-Khan took over, since Robert Moses took over. You don't think government officials engage in propaganda? Do you believe government propaganda? I hope not.

However, here we have this video illustrating The People's propaganda. Videos don't lie. Emergency personnel have no reason to lie. Their job is to save lives. Bureaucrats do lie! Their job is to save their own jobs, not people.

I always believe the citizenry over an overpaid government bureaucrat any day. You should too.

facted

What exactly does the video show? At some point on one street that there was a stoplight with cars stopped at the light and that at the same time an ambulance tried to get by. Cars did not move to let the ambulance by and the ambulance chose to go through the bike lane. Also in the video are the cars actually moving at the end of the video (as they would when the light turns green).

So in essence, the video shows what happens on every NY street when there is a stoplight --> traffic which blocks emergency vehicles. The only difference here is that there was a possibility for the emergency vehicle to get by via the bike lane. Get rid of the bike lane and you'd have the same level of traffic without a possibility of the emergency vehicle getting by.

Is that your goal?

FallOut

Fewer traffic lanes result in greater traffic congestion.

As the PS resident in the video said about taking his 94-year old mother-in-law to the hospital in the back of an ambulance: "The congestion on PPW slowed us down." Slowing down an ambulance can cause death.
(EMT workers also complained the Grand Street bike lane in the city slowed them down. Whom do you believe, an EMT worker or Sadick-Khan, who wants to keep her job?)

Bike lanes make traffic congestion worse for the majority of us, for the benefit of a few cyclists.

Sorry, but that is iniquitous.

facted

That is simply not true. It's clear you've never studied street engeineering or traffic pattterns. Furthemore, it's clear you didn't read the analysis of actual traffic times on PPW before and after the bike lane was placed (or you might have and simply disregarded it as another piece of evidecne you didn't like).

Instead, you continue to rely on anecdotal evidence a) that congestion on PPW slowed the ambulance down (just like congestion on any other street in NYC would slow an ambulance down) and that b) the bike lane caused that congestion and that c) **MOST IMPORTANT*** that removing the bike lane and adding a traffic lane would all of a sudden make all the traffic dissapear.

If you think all three of those things are true, then I ask you to follow a simple experiment. Walk to the nearest busy street without a bike lane at about 4pm on a Friday and observe. Bike lanes don't cause traffic, my friend, CARS do. Getting rid of bike lane will not solve your problem and neither will adding more traffic lanes. As I mentioned before, demand ALWAYS meets supply when it comes to cars and pavement.

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

keep at this John, I don't understand what that video was supposed to convey?
if the bike lane was not there, the ambulance would be stuck behind all those cars. Am I missing something?

j44ke

Right, this seems like a highly reasonable use of a bike lane in an emergency situation. I'm a cyclist, and I certainly would be happy to give over the use of the bike lane to any emergency vehicle on a call. If that use needs to be codified into the regulations, then that seems completely logical.

bilowj

These are the same people who walk across a bike lane without looking and complain they almost got run down by an out of control biker who was swing a battle axe, you need to lower your expectations.