Comments on: John Liu on Bicycle Access Bill: Why Is DOT Involved in Bike Commuting?

By: john campo

john campo — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:54:11 +0000

I brought my bike to work all of last week at 1290 6th Ave AXA Equitable. They have a lock up in the basement for over 100 bike all of 3 bikes are down there. Today Monday second week of working in this building I was stopped at the loading dock and told I couldn't bring the bike in the building. When I pointed out that I had done so all of the previous week.
They called my employer and told him I was not allowed in the building any longer. On a day when we celebrated the taking down of the Berlin Wall, USA love of security guards and it miss-use makes one wonder where we are headed and at who's expense. The Bike law is a sham, smoke and mirrors...

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:20:25 +0000

You are not the only person to wonder who the real John Liu is. The guy takes campaign money from everyone. And he cannot remember his past. Will the real John Liu please stand up?

By: SL

SL — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:48:11 +0000

Ben, thanks for the update on what I missed, and for the anonymous cameo!

For what it's worth, I felt like Liu, while certainly employing a combative style of questioning, generally supports this bill. I felt he wanted to make sure it was strong enough to mean something, thus his desire to close up the freight elevator exemption that was, in his words, "a loophole big enough to ride a thousand bikes through."

I don't think you can compare tenant-requested inspection of specific building violations with blanket enforcement of all stoop-side stand encroachment.

By: Urbanis

Urbanis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:43:01 +0000

In my current office building (much more enlighted than my last one!), we are required to bring bicycles in the freight elevator during the day and after hours we take them out via the passenger elevators. It's a reasonable policy that meets everyone's needs.

I see no reason to categorically force bicycles onto a freight elevator and exclude them from being carried on passenger elevators. Are we going to exclude strollers and wheelchairs while we're at it? Is the fear that 50 bicyclists (without a parade permit) are going to show up to work at the same time and clog the elevators for the next hour?

By: Shemp

Shemp — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:27:11 +0000

Gimme a break - Liu had about 19 different positions on congestion pricing, depending on who he was talking to and how the issue was playing.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:24:59 +0000

All city council members seem to care about is finding an exemption that they "spearheaded" or at least "fought for" to use as a message in their campaigns. "It's a great idea, but not for 'insert special interest group that either has narrow interests or deep pockets'"

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:14:16 +0000

Liu supported congestion pricing. He's deteriorated since then. Maybe he saw CP as a political liability and is backpedaling. If that's the case, it may well backfire -- his recent grandstanding has created a lot of animosity among the growing livable streets constituency. I'm very leery about voting him into a citywide office -- but before I decide, I'd like to see him campaign against someone else and choose the lesser of two evils. If both comptroller candidates are putrid, I'll go to Plan B, which is not to pull the lever at all.

By: Shemp

Shemp — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:07:44 +0000

What possible reason do you have for respecting John Liu?

By: My Office Doesn't Have a Freight Elevator

My Office Doesn't Have a Freight Elevator — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:20:53 +0000

Typical. With a history of never bypassing an opportunity to make a point in front of the cameras this recent display doesn't surprise me. Honestly- it's a quality that would have probably made him a good Public Advocate (a position he ran for) but there's no way this guy should be put in the Comptroller's office (the position he's now running making the switch ironically after Mark Green entered the race). I'm sure he has good intentions- but all he managed to do today was divert time away from making a substantive case-- he could have been the case for amending the law to include buildings w.o freight elevators but instead he interrupted a serious hearing to further his own agenda. I respect John Liu- but these kind of shenanigans are what's wrong with politics-- after what happened in upstate last week, where "the show" and gamesmanship of politics trumped the substance, he's the last thing this city needs in city-wide office.

By: Rebelfish

Rebelfish — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:04:47 +0000

During the discussion this morning, it seemed Commissioner Sadik-Khan was missing the point of many of the questions, specifically those about the ability of the DOT/DOB to deny exemptions under the current text of the law. It seemed that all of the councilmen present thought that buildings w/ freight elevators could get a waiver (to deny access) too easily, and most of the discussion centered around reworking the bill to clearly outline the powers of the DOT/DOB.

By: Slappy

Slappy — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:00:53 +0000

Not being permited in passenger elevators is frustrating. Many buildings have limited hours of freight elevator service. Some end access at 4:30 or 5pm this would give people who work till 5 or later the shaft. There is always a way to take a good bill and make it useless.

By: danlatorre

danlatorre — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:44:00 +0000

The Bicycle Access Bill with full access for any building would be a sea-change for cycling in New York City, and bring about multiple benefits from citizen's commuting options, their spend on transport, air quality, to street safety. Anyone looking to be comptroller should understand the entire ecosystem inherent to budget, policy and quality of life for citizens in New York.

By: Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Clarence Eckerson Jr. — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:19:28 +0000

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/tour-de-queens-2008/

John Liu speaks from :20 to :41 seconds in about making this a far better city for cyclists....

By: Brad Aaron

Brad Aaron — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:12:46 +0000

For what it's worth, Liu was also at the pedestrian memorial march on Saturday. I caught up with the march in progress, so if he spoke I missed it. Didn't see him later on to get a pic.