Greenpoint Puts Manhattan Avenue Bike Lanes To Good Use

July 24, 2008 by missheather
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic

I am still fascinated by the responses to my post about the newly created bike lanes on Manhattan Avenue. Streetsblog called it “hysterical” by which I suspect they meant “alarmist” and/or “anti-bicycle”. So be it. If some people want to construe my concern about the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in such a manner there’s nothing I can do about it. In any case, over the last week I have seen bicyclists using this new path, along with a few folks of the four wheel persuasion.

When this guy (from Java Car Service) noticed I was taking his picture he immediately tried to extricate himself from this bike lane.

Worried that your dry cleaning won’t arrive on time? Don’t worry, the city has provided ample parking.

Need a quart of milk? Why bother parking, it will just cost money at the meter. Why not use the bike lane instead?

The same goes for the Garden. Isn’t it, after all, “greener” to park your car (and truck) in the bike lane instead of idling?

The same goes for scoring that valuable parking space. Why go around the block when you can sit in the bike lane and wait for the guy to pull out instead? You saw that spot first, dammit! It’s yours!*

Miss Heather

*This is satire. Those of you who don’t/can’t/won’t “get it” might be interested to know that the fair babes of the Emerald Isle are in grave danger. But I suppose cannibalism is greener than factory farming.

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Comments

7 Comments on Greenpoint Puts Manhattan Avenue Bike Lanes To Good Use

dearbirthday on Thu, 24th Jul 2008 9:49 am

yes, bad drivers and jerks will use the bike lanes for their own selfish purposes, but does that mean that the lanes shouldn’t exist at all? granted, i don’t know how effective this is in preventing such violations, but there is a site dedicated to outing these fools.
forgive me if i’m misinterpreting, but i just don’t understand the logic behind ignoring the need for bike lanes because drivers would prefer to ignore bicyclists. yes manhattan avenue is busy, but franklin (which receives its fair share of big truck traffic) isn’t necessarily a useful alternative for every rider.

Twisted Lister on Thu, 24th Jul 2008 10:30 am

The Manhattan Ave bike lanes aren’t as funny as the Greenpoint Ave bike lanes that roll past the sewage treatment fun factory. Who’s riding down there anyway? It’s the crossroads of 18-wheeler Hell!

jake_tuff on Thu, 24th Jul 2008 10:33 am

If you think that is bad, you should check out Greenpoint Ave before right before crossing the bridge to queens. The bike lane there has turned into a right side passing lane for cars* doing 60+ Sometimes the allure of LIE can be so powerful that you can’t resist mowing over other people to get there.

*Early 2000s BMWs

missheather on Thu, 24th Jul 2008 11:24 am

dearbirthday, I am not ignoring the need for bike lanes. I’m all for them, in fact. Rather, I am making light of BAD urban planning and rude motorists.

dupreciate on Thu, 24th Jul 2008 11:53 am

Since they painted lanes on Greenpoint Ave between Manahttan Ave and Queens, I’ve been using that route exclusively in the morning. It is 18 wheeler hell, but so far drivers have been pretty good.

People shouldn’t abandon those lanes because of the big scary trucks – we need more people to use it so drivers become more accustomed to keeping an eye out on that route.

This morning, a pickup truck was using the bike lane on Manhattan Ave to accelerate into traffic. I skidded up to him and rammed my shoulder into his window until he stopped.

Then a Java car tried to accelerate the same way while I passed him, almost clipping me.

My favorite thing is when cars honk at ME when I have to take the lane because some fat asshole is parked in the bike lane.

Kai on Sun, 27th Jul 2008 5:32 pm

The Polonaise Terrace uses the westbound Greenpoint Avenue bike lane for “valet parking”, which in their case means just leaving the cars there.

workingeva on Sun, 27th Jul 2008 8:30 pm

All this explosiong of bike lanes may be another way of addressing traffic congestion by the City Hall after the idea of traffic congestion pricing failed… For a long time Times-Up and Transportation Alternatives have been advocating not only implementing them but also enforcing their proper use (for bicycles as opposed to parking). Now it is happening all over town – have you seen the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue? Very impressive. Still, anytime I ride down Fifth I feel like I am risking my life more than riding down any other street. Manhattan Ave looks more civilized with the bike lanes. A little more mutual respect among all people using the roads would benefit all. And save lives (I refer to the Ghost Bike on India and Mc Guiness).

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