Streetsblog New York City

This video is nuts, how can that guy NOT cross the street?

Traffic is no worse on Grand Street, and cycling is now a thousand times safer on it.

Clearly slower traffic makes it harder to cross the street. Typical reactionary journalism. Hopefully New Yorkers are bored with news stories screaming about every tiny change that happens in the city.

You're over reacting guys. It's bad but at least they actually spoke to Transportation Alt. Remember this is Fox. BTW, the Soho Alliance (Sweeney) fought hard to get a fully protected bike lane as part of the Houston St. construction. They don't generally object to bike lanes. DOT rejected the idea because they wanted more lanes of traffic along Houston.

This is completely insane. The protected bike lane is the best thing to happen to NYC cycling since the RNC convention. Other than riding Grand Street every day, how can we show the DOT that there is more support for protected lanes then for cars? Do we even need to make our voice heard or is the DOT pretty set on keeping these lanes?

Not just Lafayette and the Bowery - the Bleecker bike lane needs protection its whole length.

That report was incredulous!

All I see here on Grand Street is an actual bike lane that's usable for once!

Thanks, Timmy @ #6, for correctly clarifying the position of the SoHo
Alliance regarding the Prince/Houston bike lane imbroglio. The link
that the blogger, Ben Fried, supplied clearly shows that I and the
SoHo Alliance wanted a first-class Houston Street bike lane - along
with T.A. and Time's Up. Shame on Mr. Fried for using the same yellow
journalism he accuses the reporter of.

Of course, SoHo Alliance opposed a Prince Street bike lane. Why settle
for crumbs when further efforts could have gotten what we wanted?
SoHo helped defeat Moses' Lower Manhattan Expressway through constant
agitation. In comparison, getting a Houston Street bike lane is a
cake walk.

We have also been promoting a real, workable cross-Manhattan bike
lane, one extending from the W'burg Bridge, across Delancey and
extending over to Broome to Sixth Avenue. Broome Street is what we
suggested as a second option to DOT over Houston, but this reasonable
suggestion was rejected.

The fact is that EVERYONE near Grand Street in Little Italy, Chinatown
and SoHo is complaining to us about this, even cyclists. Everyone.

The fact is that within one week at least two fire trucks - two - were
delayed navigating the narrow corner-turn, despite the snarky doubting
of Mr. Fried. If this delay should ever tragically result in a death,
who here who thinks that this bike lane is a brilliant idea would
attend the funeral? Would Mr. Fried?

It is not only the well-respected veteran journalist, Ti-Hua Chang,
who reported on the failure of this experiment. Just out today: http://thevillager.com/villager_290/thenewgrand.html

NYC needs bike lanes. But this one is simply not the right one in the
right place.

Mr. Sweeney,

I was wondering if you could tell us a little about the current membership of the SoHo Alliance. The organization has a vaunted history, defeating Robert Moses and all (thanks for that), and I looked at every page on your website and can't find any information about you, your staff, board, members, nothing. Just curious about you all.

In regards to whether or not cyclists like the Grand Street cycle-track, I've been polling people, and so far everyone I've talked to (12-15) love it.

I agree with you that Houston Street should have a cycle-track too. Every street should have one! They're amazing!

Sweeney,

Everyone? Not so. If Everyone was complaining about it the lane wouldn't be there, and as has been pointed out before, there were few objections to the plan when it was proposed by FD, NYPD, etc.

Don't use words like everyone, since I live nearby this lane and support it, I don't appreciate that statement.

Oh great, another story interviewing someone on the street who says the bike lanes will prevent emergency vehicles from getting through. Never any quote from the emergency response professionals who approved the plan.

It seems to me that real the story from the Villager is that residents and businesses were used to illegally double-parking to load and unload vehicles as a way of life. Now that there isn't room to do that, they are complaining:

1. "On the block between Centre and Baxter Sts., a tractor-trailer from Quebec parked on the green-marked bike lane as workers from a corner store rushed up to the big rig to unload furniture. “What can I do?” the driver asked."

2. "The cafe owner said deliveries to his establishment are now scheduled for before 11 a.m. daily because of the street congestion, which he said is caused by the new bike lane."

3. "Soho residents charge that the new lane accommodating cyclists is making it difficult for them to unload their automobiles after shopping trips."

I charge that all of these problems can be easily solved with a few minor adjustments to driving and delivery habits: Don't get deliveries to Soho in big rig trucks, but if you have to - park on a bigger street and walk the goods to the store with a hand truck. Have your deliveries scheduled for off-peak hours. If you must drive your car to do your shopping, do that at off-peak times too. Park your car before you unload. Use a grocery cart to get to and from the place you parked. It's not life and death we're talking about here. The only thing that's life-and-death is not safely accommodating cyclists. That's when people die. Hundreds of them each year.

I heard Jan Gehl say in one of his recent presentations that in Copenhagen, when they first began installing protected bicycle lanes 25 years ago, it took about 90 days for people to become accustomed to the changes and for traffic patterns to settle. I don't expect most reporters to be savvy enough to actually interview an expert on something when doing an article. But I do propose we wait a little before rushing to judgment. This thing was installed a month ago. Give it a chance.

Regarding the Sweeney/SoHo Alliance controversy: certainly the Alliance has done a lot of good for the community. Successfully blocking an expressway through a historic neighborhood is something we can all be eternally grateful for (sadly, the Bronx wasn't so lucky).

What I don't understand is the Alliance's current either/or mentality: either we can have a protected bike lane on Grand Street or Houston Street. Well, why can't we have both? Why can't we also have a pedestrianized Prince Street? European pedestrian and biking capitals like Amsterdam and Copenhagen are interlaced with a comprehensive network of protected bike lanes, not just a few here and there. I say, never oppose a measure because it doesn't go far enough--it's still movement in the right direction.

I have a bunch of choice things to say about Sweeney's distortions, but why waste my time!

And of course he's wrong about "everyone". The community board and myself have received supportive letters - rare, because usually people only write to complain - some with helpful suggestions that we'll be working to implement with DOT. Sweeney just wants it his way (despite his vote In FAVOR of the plan at the community board meeting, which surprised many of us).

Poor Ian D. seems confused.

He writes @24: "... despite {Sweeney's} vote In FAVOR of the plan at the community board meeting, which surprised many of us."

But on July 25, on this blog regarding the CB2 vote on the Grand Street bike lane, he contradicts himself: "Community Board vote: unanimous in favor except one against ... and one abstention (Mr. Sweeney)."
http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/07/25/plan-for-grand-street-cycle-track-features-new-design-treatment/

Odd mistake to make, isn't it? In July, Ian says I abstained. Today, he misrepresents that I voted in favor. (For the record, I abstained.)

However, I'll be gracious and attribute Ian's distortion to his confusion from being a bit jet-lagged after flying those 767 jumbo jets all around our precarious atmosphere.

How about this response Liam: You claim in your post that you "live nearby this lane" yet YOUR OWN BLOG says "Got into the city late Friday Night on the bus. First thing I did was ride downtown to see the new seperated Grand Street Bike lane". Seems like a strange statement for someone to make that he is a resident of Soho yet has to "ride downtown".

That's because the bus stop is UPTOWN. Thanks for investigating, now go get a job.

Mr. Sweeney,

I see your back here posting comments. I'm wondering if you can return Mr. Dutton's courtesy and tell us about the current composition of the SoHo Alliance.

Thanks in advance,