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ALSO COVERING ELMHURST, JACKSON HEIGHTS, LONG ISLAND CITY, MASPETH, MIDDLE VILLAGE, REGO PARK, SUNNYSIDE
Tragedy strikes in Long Island City
Family of deceased LIC cyclist blames political process for slow implementation of bike lanes
BY MARK HALLUM
Michael Vega had no
patience for politicians
at Saturday’s rally in
memory of his brother
Robert Spencer, 53, who was
fatally struck by a car on an
uncompleted bike lane just a
block from his Long Island
City home on March 14.
During the March 16 vigil,
a crowd of about 50 transit
reform advocates and family
members set up a ghost
bicycle and a placard on the
northeast corner of Borden
Avenue and Second Street,
many of them still grappling
with the emotions of having
recently lost a loved one.
Vega blamed a city
government that seems to
wait on community boards
to vote in favor — or against
— bike lanes before moving
forward with what data has
shown to be a life-saving
redesign.
“We do things in this
country for the benefit of
our citizens,” said Vega,
a retired Marine Corps
veteran. “These politicians,
they answer to us; we don’t
answer to them… I have to
live for the rest of my life,
my brothers and sisters have
to live for the rest of their
lives, knowing Robert is no
longer with us.”
Nicole Spencer, the victim’s
sister, was certain that while
the investigation is ongoing,
her brother — an experienced
bicyclist and motorcyclist —
would have not put himself in
such danger.
“I know for a fact my
brother is an avid biker;
there’s no way he would have
rode into traffic, no way. He’s
been riding bikes for years,”
Spencer said, claiming that
Michael Vega and family comfort one another as a memorial is set up for Robert Spencer, 53, killed
while riding his bike in Long Island City. Photo by Mark Hallum
the police report statement
from the driver blaming the
victim would be settled once
the full investigation was
is complete.
“There’s no way on God’s
green earth he could have
made any kind of mistakes,”
she added.
City Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer said he and
others had been advocating
for years to have safety
improvements made in
Hunters Point South to
make the streets safer and
indicated a number of places
such as Vernon Boulevard
and Center Boulevard.
There is currently a twoway
protected bike lane
running north and south
along Second Street, though
the bike lane is shared with
cars at the intersection
where Spencer, who traveling
westbound, was killed.
“If there’s a politician
here, I don’t want to hear
them say anything, just to
observe,” Vega addressed
the crowd.
Van Bramer said he
supports calls from the family
to cut through the bureaucracy
of the community board
process in the implementation
of bike lanes.
“What we’re going to
need to do as a city is have a
political will to say that we
should not be going blockby
block, community board
vote by community board
vote and instead taking
it citywide and having a
comprehensive, data-driven,
safety-driven approach to
the bike lane network,” Van
Bramer said. “We’re going to
be free of this culture where
cars are the priority.”
The NYPD said Spencer,
while traveling westbound,
was struck by a southbound
Chevy Cruze with a 51-yearold
woman behind the wheel
who remained at the scene.
“DOT recently added
safety enhancements
at nearby Fifth Street
from Borden Avenue to
46th Avenue. Treatments
included enhanced
crosswalks, painted curb
extensions, and converting
a portion of Fifth Street
to a one-way southbound,”
a city Department of
Transportation (DOT)
spokeswoman said. “With
regards to this recent
tragedy, DOT will look
into potential safety
enhancements at Borden
Ave and Second Street, as we
do following any fatality.”
The DOT added that
there will be area-wide
traffic calming measures
along Borden Avenue and
will re-examine existing
construction projects to
ensure the paths are safe.
Reach reporter Mark
Hallum by e-mail at
mhallum@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718) 260–
4564.
Vol. 7 No. 12 52 total pages
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