I wouldn’t say that violence never solves anything, but in this case, the guy with the car has more powerful means of violence at his disposal; not just the big hunk of steel he’s sitting in, but the police he can call.

My own fantasy would be a bit of street theater: instead sitting in front of the car, sit behind it, and get others to join you, waiting for the path to be unblocked. When the driver finally comes to move the vehicle, give him a round of sarcastic applause.

I don’t seriously expect that anybody would actually do this, but that’s my fantasy.

Second, I believe we can deliver a loud “wake up” call to Mayor Bloomberg by deluging him with emails calling for a directive to the police department. There is absolutely no reason why police officers in cars cannot use their turret lights and sirens on a routine basis to “sweep” double-parked motor vehicles from bike lanes. If enough individuals exert constant, daily pressure on the mayor through a torrent of emails, I believe this strategy might succeed.

“For the fourth consecutive day, numerous motor vehicles are double-parked in the new bike lane on Lafayette Street between Kenmare and Franklin Streets, rendering it useless to cyclists. Please direct all police officers who are on patrol to use their turret lights and sirens to routinely clear bike lanes on Lafayette Street and throughout New York City. Again, I thank you for installing the new bike lane.”

http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.bd08ee7c7c1ffec87c4b36d501c789a0/index.jsp?doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fmail%2Fhtml%2Fmayor.html

All it will take is an order from above and bike lanes (especially the lanes and sidewalks around my local station house at 123rd and St. Nicholas that are currently clogged with cop cars) will be passable.

And I don’t mind if John Hunka keeps posting that nyc.gov feedback link. I just sent an email in. I guarantee that if everyone who has posted here sends an email in, there will be a reaction.

“For the third day in a row, numerous motor vehicles are double-parked in the new bike lane on Lafayette Street between Canal and Franklin Streets. Please ask police officers to use the sirens and lights on their cars to clear the lane while the officers are on patrol. Thank you.”

http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.bd08ee7c7c1ffec87c4b36d501c789a0/index.jsp?doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fmail%2Fhtml%2Fmayor.html

A very successful solution to AIDS and multi-drug resistant TB treatments included a lot of one-on-one personal involvement. It seems that advance “leg work” including one-on-one personal involvement and planning could greatly limit the amount of time trucks clog our streets, and the city could start establishing and implementing methods to do this.

Wonder if there could be developed some kind of “E-Z Delivery” device(s) and or systems for facilitating deliveries around the city so truckers don’t have to double park and tie up traffic (including bikes)? . . . and, make everyone happy.

“For the second day in a row, numerous motor vehicles are double-parked in the new bike lane on Lafayette Street south of Kenmare. I urge Mayor Bloomberg to issue a directive to the police department directing the NYPD to: a) ticket all motor vehicles that are double-parked in bike lanes and; and b) use lights and sirens on police cars on a regular basis to clear the bike lanes of occupied motor vehicles.”

http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.bd08ee7c7c1ffec87c4b36d501c789a0/index.jsp?doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fmail%2Fhtml%2Fmayor.html

And as for “not talking about something expensive,” IMHO a citywide program to create a standard for RFID-controlled traffic furniture is not small potatoes (or won’t be when DOITT and DCAS and DOT get through with it). Let’s focus on small-scale initiatives that can be quickly implemented.

In fact it’s quite obvious–even to us “brilliant” people–that that’s how the Manchester ones work.

Despite Ian’s latest comment, I suspect that Jonathan’s worries over expense and difficulty might be pretty on-point. If it were easy and affordable, then BRT lanes would be a great place to roll out ELECTRONIC (okay, zilfondel?) bollards–but along the whole route, not just in bus stops–so they’d be visible to even dumb or dangerous motorists and would not surprise anyone.

But yeah, sounds pretty expensive and disruptive, doesn’t it?

And yes, electronic bollards can lower (but not raise) during a power outage.

In order to install six measly bollards on 9th Ave, you need to create an entire system that involves handing out the RFID passes to every ambulance (FDNY, voluntaries, and privates), fire apparatus, and police car, that might possibly need to operate in Chelsea. And will they work without power, during the next blackout?

While this bollard thing sounds great, it could end up being a big expensive citywide program (so that identical bollards could be installed anywhere they are needed). I would rather the city DOT focused on smaller-scale solutions that can be implemented more quickly.

Ever heard of technology? RFID tags can – gasp! – automatically detect a vehicle that has them installed, and lower ONLY for that vehicle! Anyone else… shit out ‘o luck.

Remote sensors like this are used extensively in HOV lanes, the Manchester Bollards linked to on youtube, Antwerp, and many other applications, including for inventory tracking by warehouses and for employees to be admitted through secured doors.