Yesterday saw two important moment in the Department of Transportation's handling of bicylist quality of life issues. One was the installation of bike racks on North 7th at Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, which the DOT said was "the first time car parking spaces have been removed to accommodate bicycle parking in New York City." Previously, cops have sawed through locks chained to the subway entrance and impounded bikes, leading to community demand for bike racks.
The other was that a stretch of bike lane on Henry Street between Clark and Montague in Brooklyn Heights had been painted green to better distinguish the path from the rest of the road. The DOT is reportedly testing out other color schemes (which Brownstoner would like), but let's face it - any paint is better than none since many times cars drive over the plain, unpainted bike lanes. Now, if only the DOT and city could do more to get drivers off actual bike paths.
Update: The picture of a DHL delivery truck parked squarely in the green bike lane on Henry St. in Brooklyn Heights accompanying a New York Sun article is not encouraging.
Photographs of Brooklyn Heights' super green bike path by dietrich on Flickr
