Comments on: New Bike Stencils Completed on the Lower East Side http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:08:53 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Jason http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/comment-page-1/#comment-12637 Jason Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:51:25 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/#comment-12637 I take this route almost every day...I used to go uptown all the way from the Manhattan bridge to 78th street on 1st Ave. But the car fumes were killing me. I went to photograph these new stencils a month or so ago for Streetsblog, and I followed them to the East River Greenway. I agree with all the negatives comments here about the stencils, however - I do enjoy my ride much much more now (until the Greenway ends and I get spit into traffic hell). We all know the cars are dangerous for bikers...but I mind their fumes more than anything else. I take this route almost every day...I used to go uptown all the way from the Manhattan bridge to 78th street on 1st Ave. But the car fumes were killing me. I went to photograph these new stencils a month or so ago for Streetsblog, and I followed them to the East River Greenway. I agree with all the negatives comments here about the stencils, however - I do enjoy my ride much much more now (until the Greenway ends and I get spit into traffic hell). We all know the cars are dangerous for bikers...but I mind their fumes more than anything else.

]]> By: Martino http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/comment-page-1/#comment-12609 Martino Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:46:09 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/#comment-12609 Sigh. Get those cars off me. These sharrows are not helping. Sigh. Get those cars off me. These sharrows are not helping.

]]> By: sabina http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/comment-page-1/#comment-12204 sabina Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:29:56 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/#comment-12204 It looks like a bike LANE on Grand St (starting somewhere east of Clinton and going to at least Essex) might be happening. There is a "sketch" of a lane on the road as of like 2 days ago. This lane would conflict with all the cars turning to go on the bridge though, so it won't be a big improvement. It looks like a bike LANE on Grand St (starting somewhere east of Clinton and going to at least Essex) might be happening. There is a "sketch" of a lane on the road as of like 2 days ago. This lane would conflict with all the cars turning to go on the bridge though, so it won't be a big improvement.

]]> By: ddartley http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/comment-page-1/#comment-12178 ddartley Thu, 16 Nov 2006 14:53:48 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/#comment-12178 I'm sorry I missed the discussion that followed the story here about these markings appearing on 5th Ave. Now I have seen such markings in Times Square, and sure enough, I have a problem with them. They still cater to motorists. The markings are on the edge, which encourages cyclists to "keep out of the way." That is dangerous. How can a car and a bike "share" a lane whose width is designed for one car? This "pushing cyclists to the side" caters to motorists, and makes them compete with cyclists for a too-small amount of space. In places like Times Square, where cars can't bloody move for all the traffic anyway, cyclists need encouragement to *take* a lane. Marginalizing them (literally, that is) fosters dooring, sideswiping (uncommon, I know), and conflict with pedestrians. I mean, come on, has anyone tried to stay in the "bike lane" as they ride downtown through Times Square? Good luck. It's impossible because of huge clusters of pedestrians standing in them (don't blame them), and cars, you know, SHARING them. The City needs clear "take the lane" instructions in certain areas; otherwise what's the use of these new markings? Yeah, share the *road*, but not one lane! I'm sorry I missed the discussion that followed the story here about these markings appearing on 5th Ave.

Now I have seen such markings in Times Square, and sure enough, I have a problem with them.

They still cater to motorists. The markings are on the edge, which encourages cyclists to "keep out of the way." That is dangerous. How can a car and a bike "share" a lane whose width is designed for one car? This "pushing cyclists to the side" caters to motorists, and makes them compete with cyclists for a too-small amount of space. In places like Times Square, where cars can't bloody move for all the traffic anyway, cyclists need encouragement to *take* a lane. Marginalizing them (literally, that is) fosters dooring, sideswiping (uncommon, I know), and conflict with pedestrians.

I mean, come on, has anyone tried to stay in the "bike lane" as they ride downtown through Times Square? Good luck. It's impossible because of huge clusters of pedestrians standing in them (don't blame them), and cars, you know, SHARING them.

The City needs clear "take the lane" instructions in certain areas; otherwise what's the use of these new markings?

Yeah, share the *road*, but not one lane!

]]> By: John http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/comment-page-1/#comment-12098 John Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:38:51 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/#comment-12098 I get the distinct impression that the individual in charge of this program at DOT is ignorant about biking in Manhattan. An experienced cyclist in Manhattan would know that very few cyclists use this part of Delancey Street on a regular basis. A better idea would be to put the stencils on Delancey Street from the end of the bike path on the Williamsburg Bridge to Essex or Allen Street, since so many bike commuters ride from Brooklyn to Manhattan on that part of Delancey Street in very heavy traffic. I get the distinct impression that the individual in charge of this program at DOT is ignorant about biking in Manhattan. An experienced cyclist in Manhattan would know that very few cyclists use this part of Delancey Street on a regular basis. A better idea would be to put the stencils on Delancey Street from the end of the bike path on the Williamsburg Bridge to Essex or Allen Street, since so many bike commuters ride from Brooklyn to Manhattan on that part of Delancey Street in very heavy traffic.

]]> By: ddartley http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/comment-page-1/#comment-12093 ddartley Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:53:45 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/#comment-12093 Oops--I didn't mean to call them "lanes," which I know they're not. Oops--I didn't mean to call them "lanes," which I know they're not.

]]> By: ddartley http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/comment-page-1/#comment-12085 ddartley Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:33:56 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/#comment-12085 I'm sort of worried by this---"they give us bike lanes," to put it informally, but only in the most ineffectual places. I do travel that stretch of road periodically. And, I grant, only in the early evenings, so I don't know what it looks like during morning rush or midday. But when I'm there, almost no moving cars use it. Small wonder, since it's alongside the bridge ramp. It's used by cars almost exclusively for its parking spaces. So it's nice that it's calm, but I don't think it needed any further calming. IMO, Class III markings would be much more useful elsewhere, especially if "we" are only going to get a finite number of them! So my fear is that this is a symptom of still not wanting to inconvenience motorists. I hope I'm just being paranoid. I'm sort of worried by this---"they give us bike lanes," to put it informally, but only in the most ineffectual places.

I do travel that stretch of road periodically. And, I grant, only in the early evenings, so I don't know what it looks like during morning rush or midday.

But when I'm there, almost no moving cars use it. Small wonder, since it's alongside the bridge ramp. It's used by cars almost exclusively for its parking spaces. So it's nice that it's calm, but I don't think it needed any further calming.

IMO, Class III markings would be much more useful elsewhere, especially if "we" are only going to get a finite number of them! So my fear is that this is a symptom of still not wanting to inconvenience motorists. I hope I'm just being paranoid.

]]> By: miss representation http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/comment-page-1/#comment-12070 miss representation Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:39:09 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/11/15/new-bike-stencils-completed-on-the-lower-east-side/#comment-12070 The Delancy markings are somewhat unique due to the characteristics of that area: angle parking on both sides, irregular traffic control (hard to see the stop signs), and the area around Pitt is awash in illegally parked police and fire vehicles. So the lack of a defined lane strikes me as bad (it looks like a recommendation, not a lane). It's not a bad recommendation since it is a low traffic area, and since so much traffic is funneled to the FDR crossing at the east end (jogggers, walkers, etc) I think drivers are reasonably aware. On the other hand, it's not a great long route option. If you were heading south on the East River, you would be better picking up the path at South Street at Montegomery. Except there is no good south routh (Pitt would make the most sense, but it's reverse flow up to Grand, and still more private vehible parking hell from the Police/Fire station). And if you were going north, turning up Pitt to C to 21st St would be better, since both north and south routes out of the park have improvement issues (too narrow north at 14th and unimproved just south of Grand). The Delancy markings are somewhat unique due to the characteristics of that area: angle parking on both sides, irregular traffic control (hard to see the stop signs), and the area around Pitt is awash in illegally parked police and fire vehicles. So the lack of a defined lane strikes me as bad (it looks like a recommendation, not a lane). It's not a bad recommendation since it is a low traffic area, and since so much traffic is funneled to the FDR crossing at the east end (jogggers, walkers, etc) I think drivers are reasonably aware.

On the other hand, it's not a great long route option. If you were heading south on the East River, you would be better picking up the path at South Street at Montegomery. Except there is no good south routh (Pitt would make the most sense, but it's reverse flow up to Grand, and still more private vehible parking hell from the Police/Fire station). And if you were going north, turning up Pitt to C to 21st St would be better, since both north and south routes out of the park have improvement issues (too narrow north at 14th and unimproved just south of Grand).

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