I haven’t had to ride too much in the Joralemon/Hicks vicinity, but I’m wary of sidewalk extensions that hinder my ability to skirt a line of cars and get to the front of the line at a red light. It’s an anarchic tactic, I know, but one that I’m used to.

Kent’s end at Clymer Street was, at the time, completely confusing. I didn’t see any signage. I just went with the unpleasant flow of traffic until I wound up at Flushing Ave. I don’t know if there’s a better solution than a sanctioned sidewalk ride — with the BQE and all that crap around there, it’s an intractable bottleneck.

And then once in a while you’re awarded the pleasure of politely evoking fury from someone whose wife or girl’s in the passenger seat, and knowing they may sleep on the couch thanks to your speaking up.

Though I totally love the new Wburg St lanes, I’m also skittish about riding on the sidewalk north towards Clymer, since it’s illegal and all. Until I’ve plausible deniability for overzealous cops I’m staying in the car lanes.

Mike Epstein’s tips are the best tips, never stop posting.

Although it is not perfect, I think this bike path greatly improves the trip between southwestern queens or northern brooklyn and many other parts of brooklyn. I’m not sure I want too much more enforcement; I prefer not to have police regulating every aspect of our interactions.
As Kaja says, you can just yell at people, or else deal with it.

At worst, I’ve been verbally abused and threatened in response to “inflammatory” remarks such as, “this is a bike lane” (to walkers), “you need to look before pulling out” (to a car service driver who nearly hit me), “why are you parked in a bike lane?” (to the driver of a box truck) and “on your left” (to a security guard loitering in the bike lane – this fine gentleman threatened assault).

My point is, in the absence of enforcement, words are often ignored.

Robert: How old are you?

If you’re over 21 or under 65-ish, and don’t have a family, you should be yelling instructions with a tone of OBEY to anyone exhibiting the antisocial behavior you describe.

You are the front line of social norm enforcement. Everyone else has more of an excuse than you do. If you don’t do it, no one will.

Clarence said everything else that needed be said!

The only downside I have been seeing to some of this great biking infrastructure: I have actually noticed my travel times have increased a tad bit. Why? I am starting to enjoy riding a more laid back style…the other night while riding Kent I felt almost peaceful, felt like I was on a bike boulevard in Portland, Oregon. Before the physically separated lane on Kent, I would ride as fast as I could because I just wanted to get off of it as quickly as I could. As far as I am concerned, it is an awesome trade.

In the past week *alone* I’ve seen:
-Several box trucks and vans parked in the bike lane *next to* an adjacent parking area.
-Construction area security personnel standing in the bike lane, refusing to step aside.
-Many pedestrians walking in the bike lanes.
-Many runners running in the bike lanes.
-Car service drivers pulling out of side streets into the bike lanes without looking or yielding, nearly causing a collision.
-Vehicles crossing the bike lane without yielding to bicycle traffic.
-Pedestrians standing in the bike lane (specifically in front of the East River State Park entrance).
-Cyclists riding in the opposing bicycle lane.
-A car continuing south where Franklin becomes Kent (and one-way northbound) at the 14th Street intersection, into the oncoming bicycle lane.

I’ve seen no enforcement keeping the bike lane clear, which makes it difficult to speak up while riding. I’m hopeful that it will get better when the condos’ construction is finished, but it’s less than ideal now.