The ‘War on Cars’ rages on!
They’re taking the green light
away from motorists — and giving
it to the cyclists!
City transportation honchos
quietly enhanced the fl ow of bicycle
traffi c at the expense of motorists in
Brownstone Brooklyn nearly a year
ago, the city’s top transit offi cial announced
Wednesday.
“In a year when two thirds of cycling
fatalities have unfortunately
been here in Brooklyn, we are excited
to embark on innovative new
safety projects,” said Department
of Transportation Commissioner
Polly Trottenberg.
The cloak-and-dagger bike-safety
scheme — which the department
rolled out in December — saw for
longer delays between green lights
at successive intersections along
two one-way streets in Boerum Hill,
allowing traffi c fl ow to better synchronize
with the slower speeds of
cyclists compared to drivers.
Traffi c lights along the eightblock
stretches of Hoyt and Bond
streets — between Schermerhorn
and Baltic streets — has been secretly
turning green 11 to 12 seconds
after the previous light in an effort
to match the average pace of bikers,
who regularly travel around
15 miles-per-hour, according to the
agency.
Readers had a lot to say online:
Why was this necessary? Most bicyclists
do not stop for red lights anyway.
I’ve had more close calls as a
pedestrian with bicycles than I have
had with cars.
Jay from Park Slope
Will the mayor be taking his bike
to his 14th Street? Justifying the
“congestion charge” by creating congestion.
Anywhere else that’s known
as racketeering.
Rufus Leaking from BH
Ha!! What about more lights for
CARS???
Cintronella from Bed Stuy
Why is it that motorists always
have to make some sacrifi ces just to
appease cyclists? If anything, cyclists
COURIER L 36 IFE, NOV. 1-7, 2019
should be following the rules of the
road rather than fl outing. Also, I’m
getting annoyed that every time a cyclist
gets hit the motorist has to take
the blame even if they weren’t at fault
are even not solely responsible for it.
There have been cases where the cyclist
literally did place themselves
into harm’s way just by fl outing the
traffi c laws, and this really needs to
be stopped. They have to learn that
riding a bicycle isn’t a get out of jail
free card for avoiding traffi c laws.
More importantly, if they played their
role in safety, then there wouldn’t be
so many deaths of their kind. For the
record, I don’t have anything against
those that choose to ride bicycles, it’s
those who believe that having one
makes them holier than thou and
claim that it means how much their
needs outweigh everyone else’s. Of
course we could start better enforcement
on such cyclists, but then bike
zealot groups such as Transportation
Alternatives and others will start
crying foul and act like as if they are
victims to the rules in that they are
being picked on.
Tal Barzilai from Pleasantville,
NY
Pedal pushers and their lobbies
get everything they want. They never
stop to look and listen. They prefer to
speed up and swerve instead. DeBlasio
is a tool of the special interests.
Fiddle Faddel from Flatlands
Did anybody actually read the article
or just the misleading fi rst sentence?
There is only upside here - no
impact on traffi c (save for perhaps
an extra few seconds wait for cars
at cross streets), and there will be a
reduction in cyclists running red
lights. What’s not to like? Even if you
don’t cycle; you may have a family
member or friend who does. These
kinds of tweaks keep the traffi c moving,
minimize injuries to cyclists and
reduce stress for everyone.
Wexford from Windsor Terrace
Automobiles trucks and buses
stop as two wheelers speed through
and swerve. Another cave in to the
bike lobby and their stooges mayor
DeBlasio and the DOT.
Heebee Jeebies from Benzenhurst
Dear Motorists - The simple fact is
that you have to share the road. The
roads are not your own personal playground
to do as you see fi t. As more
and more people cycle to get around
- the infrastructure has to accommodate
them. This includes safer bike
lanes, retimed lights, and reconfi gured
roads. Yes, I understand that you
are losing some parking spaces. On
the other hand, we cyclists are losing
our friends and family members.
David Meltzer from Park Slope
Make no mistake about it, this is
just another in a long series of cave
ins to the special interests by De-
Blasio and the DOT. How about safe
streets for sidewalkers when they
are dodging the never stopping pedal
pushers speeding by .
Harre’ Krispes from Gerritsen
The bike war is wages on
with garbage cans!
Talk about trashy.
A Park Slope lawyer says he
witnessed workers from the Department
of Sanitation creating
barricades out of garbage cans
along the Ninth Street bike lane to
protest cyclists.
Sloper Adam White noticed
several walls of trash cans blocking
the protected bike lane on his
ride into the Prospect Park YMCA
early Saturday morning.
The cyclist at fi rst chalked the
hazards up to simple negligence —
until he spotted municipal trash
haulers deliberately placing the
cans in the lane. When he confronted
them, White says one of
the waste collectors went on a long
rant about cyclists, who he accused
of riding recklessly and wreaking
havoc on city streets.
Readers spoke up online:
This is corruption. Do your jobs
properly.
Tyler from PPS
Bikers have no regard for pedestrians
& traffi c. I am a senior citizen &
they come barreling down 9th Street.
I have to get out of my car sevice in the
middle of the street and pass parked
cars and bike lanes to access sidewalk
and they come spending down the
block - I have been almost knocked
over many times. The bikers have a
sense of entitlement & the city is encouraging
this behavior. They do not
pay toll, they do not have a license,
they do not have insurance and now
the lights are timed to accommodate
them. We drivers and pedestrians are
left to fend for ourselves!!! What about
children and the elderly - what are you
doing for us?????
R Farrell from Park Slope
So just slow down and carefully go
around the garbage. What’s the big
deal here?
Fiddle Faddel from Flatlands
They are just doing their job? Not
purposely blocking the bike lane?
They only this everywhere. They
have a hard job. It just happens to be
in the bike lane. Why are bikers never
happy and complain and whine about
everything?
Christina Tairi from Bensonhurst
Would you like city employees using
your property to endanger people?
Cornfed Husky
I live on 9th street, and am a regular
cyclist. As with so much about
the lack of public input to the planning
for protected ones, which I favor,
someone forgot to ask sanitation
workers whose distance for carrying
refuse has been doubled by the illdesigned
pathway. Also, please note
that since they have been in place
injuries to both cyclists and pedestrians
have increased because of irritated
drivers, and reckless cyclists
who are aggravated by incredible
congestion. Bring your camera to the
9th st intersections as 8 am everyday,
and especially on collection dates. the
best routes for bikes in park slope are
8th and 10th streets which are much
calmer. Another great idea would be
streets devoted solely to commuting
cyclists to downtown.
Jerry Krase from Park Slope
I’m for supporting cyclists, but
I hope this same lawyer and supporters
fought to defend sanitation
unions. Many private haulers in
NYC have crushed their unions and
operate bottom-feeding, cutthroat
businesses that push drivers to break
laws, work too fast, and work way too
many hours, creating dangerous conditions
for all of us.
Celia from Kensington
This is a route I use to take my
children by bike to and from Little
League games in Prospect Park.
Shame on these people for endangering
us.
Resident from Park Slope
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