Imagine the wait for those eight subway cars!

Luckily, as a prior Senior Vice President of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading international engineering firm, Commissioner Sadik-Khan, does get it.

It is also like when the big three auto execs traveled to Washington on their personal jets to give meaningless testimony in the midst of a dire economic crisis.

I was dismayed to learn that among the proposed cuts being considered to reduce the budget deficit for 2009 and 2010, is item 841, "Reduce Bike Network Development Funding." In your interview on WNYC, you stated that your staff was charged with identifying programs that are "not necessarily the core function" of city agencies.

When the amount of money involved is so small compared to the much larger expenditures on infrastructure for cars (which a majority of the constituents in your district do no even own), I fail to see why something as crucial to the future of NYC (and critical to the Mayor's vision of PlaNYC 2030) as the development of a viable and widely used bike network for New York City falls outside the "core functions" of the NYCDOT.

Especially when subway and bus fares are sure to rise in the coming year, it is more important than ever to provide safe and acceptable alternatives to driving for NYC commuters who may also be suffering from the ongoing economic crisis.

As a Chelseaite, I have been elated about the new protected bike lanes on 9th and now 8th Avenues, but I would be heartbroken to learn that no other parts of the city will be able to enjoy similar improvements to their bike networks because the funding for them has been cut.

"Green" infrastructure development like bike lanes is not a luxury that only deserves funding during economic boom times - it is a sensible and rational investment that makes sense for our city both at the top and the bottom of the economic cycle.

I sincerely hope that you will reconsider this ill-advised proposal and ensure that the development of the bike network remains fully funded.

When the City of Berlin was facing massive, unaffordable expenditures to modernize the eastern half of the city in the 1990's it realized that it could not afford to build and expand the subway into the east like it had done in the west over the 40 years since the city was divided. Instead it kept the streetcars and trolleys that were already there, modernized them and then spent a great deal of money building a bicycle network.

Why did they greatly increase there spending on bike facilities in tight financial times??

Because the city planners of Berlin knew that they could create the same level of accessibility and mobility in the city spending on bicycles for a fraction of the money they would need to spend on the subway. Literally 2 or 3 pennies for every dollar.

The result is that Berlin has seen a marked increase in bicycling mode share, at least 10% by 2001, in a city known for its sprawling nature (at least by European standards).

Evidently I have not yet begun to be offended.

Facing disaster a fiscal, Comptroller Thompson has told senior citizens that senior citizens are his top priority, and should not face any cutbacks (or taxes I guess) at all.

Of course for Mayor Bloomberg stadia and an age 55 retirement age for teachers are the top priorities.

Weiner's priority is probably Weiner.

Expect the school and transit systems, parks and public safety, to experience a 1970s-type collapse as fares and taxes on those who work (even the poor) soar.

That said, money leftover should be used on maintaining the amazing infrastructure that's been put in place by the DOT over the past few years.

I personally do not support Quinn and given the chance I wouldn't vote for her, but this is a sensible move considering the economy and I hope that the progress made with cycling infrastructure can be preserved over the next several years.

And we have so much to show for that "investment." Until wasteful, ill-conceived projects like Atlantic Yards are cut from city and state budgets, I'd like my $400, thanks. It's not "shared sacrifice" if billionaire real estate developers don't have to share, too.

However, she has more recently proved herself to be a corrupt politician like the rest of them and no friend to bicyclists--witness her attempts to require parade permits for groups over 50 (in a direct attempt to target Critical Mass), slash the number of pedicab drivers permitted on the street, and now this!

The good news is that as long as the bridges are open to bicycles (something I do not take for granted) it will be possible to get around, bike lanes or no.

And to the extent that bicycle infrastructure is just plans, posted notices followed by paint, as on Grand Street, it could be implemented by teens in the federally-funded summer-youth employment project, led by college kids in he NYC intership program.