Comments on: Tomorrow: Speak Up for Safer Biking on Kent Ave http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/12/tomorrow-speak-up-for-safer-biking-on-kent-ave/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Moocow http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/12/tomorrow-speak-up-for-safer-biking-on-kent-ave/comment-page-1/#comment-61699 Moocow Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:51:12 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5251#comment-61699 And for what it is worth, I see no difference in the practices of loading and unloading commercial vehicles within the stiped bike lane zone. There are still pleny of trucks waiting to unload, sitting in the bike lane. I don't know where the Hasid school is, but if the locals are so concerned about the safety of those students, bike lanes and traffic calming are what they should be screeching for, not the loss of convinient parking. And for what it is worth, I see no difference in the practices of loading and unloading commercial vehicles within the stiped bike lane zone. There are still pleny of trucks waiting to unload, sitting in the bike lane. I don’t know where the Hasid school is, but if the locals are so concerned about the safety of those students, bike lanes and traffic calming are what they should be screeching for, not the loss of convinient parking.

]]> By: Kaja http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/12/tomorrow-speak-up-for-safer-biking-on-kent-ave/comment-page-1/#comment-61675 Kaja Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:23:05 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5251#comment-61675 > i haven't really been able to understand the bike land opposition. Okay, imagine you own a minivan and use it lots. You're accustomed to parking it on the street. So do all your neighbors. And then the government comes and removes 150* of your parking spots. It happened with (you think) no warning, while you were at Church on Sunday*. You now have to jostle with 150 of your neighbors who also lost their free parking spots to park your minivan. Parking your car takes twenty extra minutes now. Your hood also lost loading zones. If you're an industrial business or a school (and there's at least one major hasid school near kent and grand), you're dead without loading zones. The response to the Hasids shouldn't be "I don't understand the opposition," it's: - quit acting all surprised and "civilly-disobedient" you had ample notice, this isn't news, protest at the RFCs next time - the city's land-use patterns are changing, so the city's changing how they're used, if you don't like it see #1 - you don't own the streets. buy property privately, and park on it whenever you damn well please - make specific, reasonable change requests of the DOT, like "let schoolbusses stand afront the school" or "my business needs a loading zone on the nearest side street". you'll be surprised how fast you're accomodated I don't know how many spaces were really removed, I'm not a resident and don't recall the prior signage. But this all went down on a Saturday, and tickets were handed out immediately. And of course a bunch of socially-separatist religious fundies don't keep track of civic events. I'd bet good money that the Satmar are, statistically speaking, the least likely to be informed & involved. From their point of view, this all seems draconian, but they're going about it entirely the wrong way and they set themselves up to fail. > i haven’t really been able to understand the bike land opposition.

Okay, imagine you own a minivan and use it lots. You’re accustomed to parking it on the street. So do all your neighbors.

And then the government comes and removes 150* of your parking spots. It happened with (you think) no warning, while you were at Church on Sunday*. You now have to jostle with 150 of your neighbors who also lost their free parking spots to park your minivan. Parking your car takes twenty extra minutes now.

Your hood also lost loading zones. If you’re an industrial business or a school (and there’s at least one major hasid school near kent and grand), you’re dead without loading zones.

The response to the Hasids shouldn’t be “I don’t understand the opposition,” it’s:

- quit acting all surprised and “civilly-disobedient” you had ample notice, this isn’t news, protest at the RFCs next time

- the city’s land-use patterns are changing, so the city’s changing how they’re used, if you don’t like it see #1

- you don’t own the streets. buy property privately, and park on it whenever you damn well please

- make specific, reasonable change requests of the DOT, like “let schoolbusses stand afront the school” or “my business needs a loading zone on the nearest side street”. you’ll be surprised how fast you’re accomodated

I don’t know how many spaces were really removed, I’m not a resident and don’t recall the prior signage. But this all went down on a Saturday, and tickets were handed out immediately. And of course a bunch of socially-separatist religious fundies don’t keep track of civic events. I’d bet good money that the Satmar are, statistically speaking, the least likely to be informed & involved.

From their point of view, this all seems draconian, but they’re going about it entirely the wrong way and they set themselves up to fail.

]]> By: al oof http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/12/tomorrow-speak-up-for-safer-biking-on-kent-ave/comment-page-1/#comment-61673 al oof Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:17:48 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5251#comment-61673 i haven't really been able to understand the bike land opposition. people can't park on lots of streets. businesses can't receive deliveries in front on almost all commercial streets without double parking. why are these issues on kent so contentious? most of kent doesn't even have a lot of commercial businesses, just industrial ones, and it is not a particularly safe place to park our car. i haven’t really been able to understand the bike land opposition. people can’t park on lots of streets. businesses can’t receive deliveries in front on almost all commercial streets without double parking. why are these issues on kent so contentious? most of kent doesn’t even have a lot of commercial businesses, just industrial ones, and it is not a particularly safe place to park our car.

]]> By: Moocow http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/12/tomorrow-speak-up-for-safer-biking-on-kent-ave/comment-page-1/#comment-61646 Moocow Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:28:19 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5251#comment-61646 Usually that share the road line is about moving, occupied cars, to be considerate of lighter weight, smaller bicycles; not stored-on-public-streets-cars. Share the road on Kent means, look the other way when cars and trucks BLOW red lights, pass each other illegally, and play chicken with other road users like bicycles. Since there is no NYPD enforcement on Kent Ave, the road needs to be designed to slow traffic. -Slowed at least to the speed limit, and what would be a safer, true sharing of the road, would be to slow it down to around 20 mph. But Dan, have you ever ridden a bicycle on Kent? If so, were you thinking to yourself, this bike lane is not good, we need to share, share with cars that aren't being used, while other vehicles use Kent Ave as a test track? I'll take a bet you haven't. Usually that share the road line is about moving, occupied cars, to be considerate of lighter weight, smaller bicycles; not stored-on-public-streets-cars. Share the road on Kent means, look the other way when cars and trucks BLOW red lights, pass each other illegally, and play chicken with other road users like bicycles. Since there is no NYPD enforcement on Kent Ave, the road needs to be designed to slow traffic. -Slowed at least to the speed limit, and what would be a safer, true sharing of the road, would be to slow it down to around 20 mph.

But Dan, have you ever ridden a bicycle on Kent? If so, were you thinking to yourself, this bike lane is not good, we need to share, share with cars that aren’t being used, while other vehicles use Kent Ave as a test track? I’ll take a bet you haven’t.

]]> By: Dan http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/12/tomorrow-speak-up-for-safer-biking-on-kent-ave/comment-page-1/#comment-61611 Dan Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:30:18 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5251#comment-61611 The problem here is that it's not a simple question of "bike lane or no bike lane." The bike lanes on Kent as they are now are not good. They are right along the sidewalks and take all the parking away for the cars. If there's anything that we cyclists have to start with is that we need to share the road with the cars because that's always what we are asking of the cars--to share the road with us. There has to be a better design to these bike lanes. The problem here is that it’s not a simple question of “bike lane or no bike lane.” The bike lanes on Kent as they are now are not good. They are right along the sidewalks and take all the parking away for the cars. If there’s anything that we cyclists have to start with is that we need to share the road with the cars because that’s always what we are asking of the cars–to share the road with us. There has to be a better design to these bike lanes.

]]> By: Felix http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/12/tomorrow-speak-up-for-safer-biking-on-kent-ave/comment-page-1/#comment-61581 Felix Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:18:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5251#comment-61581 Who's making the phone calls to supporters to make sure they show up? Who’s making the phone calls to supporters to make sure they show up?

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