Prospect Park West Bike Lane Haters Appeal Lawsuit's Dismissal

Bethany O'Grady / Gothamist

Last month the dismissal of the lawsuit against the Prospect Park West bike lane led to a cleansing, "Tahrir Square" moment for cyclists who felt the community-approved bike lanes were under siege by a few rich NIMBYs. Hopefully that feeling was savored, because Streetsblog reports that Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes and Seniors for Safety have appealed the ruling.

As city attorney Mark Muschenheim says in a statement, "This development isn't surprising. We are confident that our win will be upheld on appeal…The bike path's installation was an entirely proper, thoroughly considered project that continues to enhance the safety of PPW and remains widely enjoyed by the community."

What should give cycling advocates and the city cause for concern is that the suit was dismissed because the plaintiffs filed too late, not because their argument—that the DOT fabricated positive data to building the bike lane—was invalid. The judge in the case has ordered the DOT to release all the pertinent documents in the case, and if they refuse, the DOT must show cause as to why not.

Jim Walden, the pro-bono attorney for the plaintiffs, said when the suit was filed that his clients are "huge supporters of bikes" and he hoped the litigation did not have "an impact on the broader bike lane plan." But just this week Walden told Reuters in relation to a story on bike lanes in Chicago that, "For most big cities, bikes are not a practical way to move." Kind of like how lawsuits are not a practical way to dismiss hard data?

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By Christopher Robbins in News on September 27, 2011 4:46 PM

Comments [rss]

kspecs

Im not a bike hater but youre never going to stop double parkers and if one person is parallel parking there is serious congestion. It was fine the way it was for the 35 yrs ive been living on ppw. The park is huge and it is literally steps away from the bike lane.

Cyclerock

With 2 lanes for cars to drive on, there is enough room. With Prospect Park bordering one side, there are less cross street and cars flow fast enough there. The bike haters were spoiled with an excess of room. Now PPW is on par with other roadways.

kspecs

if the bike lane wasnt there then double parking wouldnt be such a problem. All the bike lane does is cause traffic. Isnt the actual park, which is ten yards away from the bike lane enough? I mean, it is a pretty big park.

personalspaceinvader

no. double parking on a major thoroughfare will cause traffic, even if the street has all the car lanes in the world.

some people have places to go and simply don't have time for a stroll (or roll) through the park.

Fronko

kspecs, the solution to this is to remove a few parking spaces every few blocks and install loading zones for delivery vehicles.

but NBBL wouldn't want to lose even one parking space, so it's clear they're not interested in solutions.

Friar Tuk Tuk

Drivers who double park cause traffic. Double parking was an issue on PPW when it was 3 automobile lanes sans bike lane. The same problem persists with two lanes and won't go away until drivers stop double parking.

bggb

Sorry, bike lane is more important than double parking.

cetriche

Seriously. Bike lanes do not cause traffic and double parking. What causes traffic and double parking is belligerent, self-entitled obese Brooklyn drivers who should be taking the train instead of lugging their road hogs around a city that WAS NEVER designed to be densely filled with motor vehicles.

booboobooboo

I live on President Street, a few doors in from PPW, and right around the corner from the senior center.

Several times a day, busses park on President Street, at the corner, to drop off or pick up busloads of seniors. Sometimes they double-park, sometimes they triple-park, blocking all traffic from getting by. Just last night, I couldn't turn onto my own street, because of the senior center. Traffic was backed up on PPW because of it, and it was just dangerous.
The senior center is a nuisance, and should be gotten rid of.
The seniors against the bike lane should take a good long look at themselves before pointing the finger at others. I cross PPW at Grand Army Plaza multiple times a day by foot, and never have I felt unsafe, and never has there been a close call or incident. Wish I could say the same about the center, where wheelchairs and throngs of confused seniors clog the sidewalk, making it impossible for myself and my dog to get by.
Get rid of the senior center!

Fronko

One correction: the community board members, volunteers, activists, families, children, hundreds and hundreds of people who came to public hearings and thousands more who support and approve of this traffic calming project didn't feel that the "community-approved bike lanes were under siege by a few rich NIMBYs."

All of these people KNEW that it was under siege by a few rich NIMBY's: Chuck Schumer, Iris Weinshall, former deputy mayor Norman Steisel and a few other people living in some of the priciest real estate in Brooklyn.

NBBL has no community support, just a lot of help from wealthy, well-connected, bitter ex-politicos who hate what the city has done to "their" street. Iris Weinshall, one of the city's worst DOT commissioners never received the accolades Janette Sadik-Khan has nationally or internationally and it stings.

The rest of Seniors for Safety are a bunch of dupes who have been lied to by Jim Walden, who's probably telling them they have a chance of winning. They don't. The only reason he appealed is to make sure they can keep spreading their lies in the media. After all, who would listen to two dozen cranks if they weren't organized around this "cause." These are old people with nothing better to do who are being taken advantage of by people who know a hell of a lot better than to say that the city did anything wrong here. They didn't.

Norm Steisel might have pushed his weight around when he was in charge, but that doesn't mean that's how it works anymore. They don't believe the data because they never used data when they were in charge - they used money and political favors. They cares as much for the "community" as they really do for safety.

This is political theater, nothing more.

Emmily_Litella

The fools that are still opposing the lanes need psychoanalysis. Most of them are being being manipulated by power brokers with other agendas and are too stupid or just needing something to hate on. I don’t like the fact that people idle their cars for long periods in front of schools when it lets out. How about taking up a useful cause like that you schmucks! Its all about you and your precious front yard aesthetics and social climbing isn’t it?