Brooklyn Bridge bike lane officially opens
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
The long-awaited Brooklyn Bridge
bike lane opened Tuesday, Sept.
14, providing a protected and permanent
two-way path for cyclists on the
iconic span, according to the city’s chief
streets planner.
“Anybody who has ever questioned the
role of cycling in this city, is it a big deal, is
it just a pandemic thing,” said Department
of Transportation Commissioner Hank
Gutman, “the answer is pretty clear today:
cycling is a big deal, it is here, and today
one lane of the Brooklyn Bridge is being
dedicated to cycling forever.”
The DOT, local politicians, and bike
advocates cut the ribbon on the new path
which replaced the innermost car lane on
the Manhattan-bound side of the bridge.
The change will allow cyclists to cross
the connector without having to fend
for space on the wood boardwalk above,
which is already crowded again with out-oftowners,
noted one elected offi cial.
“I can confi rm there are tourists back
in New York City now because riding over
The Brooklyn Bridge bike lane opened on Sept. 14.
the Brooklyn Bridge on the boardwalk
is as perilous as it ever was today,” said
Brooklyn Councilmember Steve Levin,
who represents areas on the Brooklyn side
of the bridge. “Yelling out, ‘bike lane, bike
lane, bike lane,’ every 10 seconds is not
PHOTO BY KEVIN DUGGAN
something I’m gonna miss.”
DOT workers started installing the barriers
and fencing for the bike lane in June,
and set up “No Bike” signs on the walkway
Monday, which is now pedestrian-only.
One advocacy leader said it was
refreshing to celebrate new bike infrastructure
amid a rash of deadly crashes in
the city, most recently when a driver killed
a 3-month-old baby and critically injured
her mother in Brooklyn over the weekend.
“Instead of going to vigil after vigil, this
is where we need to be, groundbreaking
after groundbreaking,” said Transportation
Alternatives executive director Danny
Harris.
The news bike lane’s offi cial opening was
fi rst broken by amNewYork Metro Monday,
and Gutman said in a draft release obtained
by the paper that DOT will set its sights on
the Queensboro Bridge next.
“Bridges for the People is a step in the
right direction towards a safer and more
sustainable transportation future that puts
people fi rst – and we look forward to implementing
similar changes to the Queensboro
Bridge this year,” Gutman said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio was initially slated
to show up at the presser but didn’t come.
The project was the fi rst reconfi guration
of the bridge since trolley tracks were
permanently removed in 1950, according
to DOT.
City Council hears Kallos’ push to end illegal hotels
BY DEAN MOSES
The Coalition Against Illegal Hotels,
City Council Member Ben Kallos
and Assembly Member Richard N.
Gottfried touted a new bill Monday, Sept.
13, aiming to crack down on illegal hotels
by creating a mandatory registration system
for short-term rentals.
Minutes before the fi rst hearing on City
Council Intro. 2309 was set to begin, the
Coalition and lawmakers urged passage of
the bill which hopes to stop illegal hotel
renting to tourists while opening up free
housing space for homeless New Yorkers.
“I’ve been a tenant for most of my life
and I’m tired of having to compete with
tourists for housing in this city, housing
should be for New Yorkers, hotels, should
be for tourists. It’s as simple as that,” Kallos
said Monday, standing alongside advocates
in the shadow of City Hall.
“Every renter had to pay an extra $384
more in increased rent due to the expansion
of Airbnb from 2015 to 2017, he added.
“Now this spike in rent actually forced me
and my wife to move during a high risk
pregnancy and I didn’t know until today
where the spike came from. There were
37,000 units on Airbnb in February, and
half of them listed entire homes, which is
not allowed in buildings with three or more
units under state law, short-term rentals are
City Councilman Ben Kallos speaks about the illegal hotel bill prior to a City
Council hearing on Sept. 13, 2021.
restricted to less than 30 days where the
resident is home at the time.”
In addition to contributing to the housing
shortage, Kallos also believes safety of
these rented spaces should also be called
into question. Kallos feels that the devastation
wrought by the remnants of Hurricane
Ida proves that rooms which haven’t been
properly inspected can lead to the loss of
life. Not only that, he also affi rms that if
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
these residential properties are prevented
from being rented in the short-term, unhoused
New Yorkers will be given more
housing options.
Following the conference, dozens of
individuals entered City Hall where they
testifi ed to members of City Council, hoping
to aid the bill’s passage before 2022.
The afternoon was spent recounting the
impact illegal hotels have on neighborhoods
in which they are found and the people
within them, with the promise of affordable
housing being of the most signifi cant
facing factors.
“This legislation, by requiring hosts to
apply for and obtain a registration number
in order to operate a short-term rental business
in New York, is essential to preserve
our affordable housing,” Vivian Abuelo of
the Coalition Against Illegal Hotels said.
During the hearing, Kyle Ishmael represented
Airbnb and gave a testimony on the
Int. 2309, underscoring that the company
supports the concept behind the bill; however,
they are calling for amendments to
be implemented so that it does not place
undue burden onto New Yorkers trying
to responsibly seek out ways to earn extra
money throughout the year, such as imposing
expensive or redundant requirements.
Joy Williams owns a townhouse in Harlem
and shares her home through Airbnb
in order to maintain it. She cautioned the
council against passing legislation that
would “handcuff” property owners looking
to maintain affordability of their own homes.
“I own my townhouse in Harlem and
share my home in order to afford to maintain
it. Airbnb hosts are afraid of the City’s
inconsistent, confusing and intimidating
policies around home-sharing and this bill
would only make it worse,” Williams said
in her testimony.
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