Tonight! January 25: The Great Williamsburg Bike Wars: A Public Debate w/Caroline Samponaro, Heather Loop, Isaac Abraham @ Pete’s Candy Store – 709 Lorimer St Brooklyn NY, 7:30pm.
Just before Christmas, 2009, a war broke out on the bike lanes of Williamsburg. On one side: the Hasidic Jewish community of the Southside, who had advocated–successfully–for Mayor Bloomberg to remove the Bedford Ave Bike lane. On the other side: A coalition of bikesters, whose defiance led them to re-paint the bike lanes, and threaten a topless ride in protest (it was snowed out in the blizzard of ‘09). Moderating: Hasidic bike enthusiast Baruch Herzfeld.
Saturday January 30th: Haiti Benefit Race @ Tompkins Square Park followed by an after party w/goldsprints @ Bklyn Wrek Room – 940 Flushing Ave Brooklyn NY
Saturday January 30th: Transporation Alternatives Brooklyn Commitee hosts their monthly ride. Check the TA calendar for route and time closer to the date.
You might remember last year of a major dispute between the Hasidic community and bicycle community in Williamsburg regarding the Kent Ave bike lane. While that lane though redesigned stayed, last week the DOT stripped 14 blocks of bike lane off the street neighboring Bedford Ave with no warning or community voice. Bedford Ave bike lane provides a direct connection for cyclists to the the Williamsburg bridge – possibly the most highly trafficked bike commuter bridge in the city. The community is understandably upset considering how much work and community support must go into installing a bike lane. Apparently removing one requires no thought at all.
Yesterday Gothamist reported that a few people were arrested by the Shomrim or local watchdogs for trying to repaint the lane on Bedford though other sources report no one was actually arrested. Regardless, a group called “OccupyEverything” succeeded in repainting the lane anyway!
The beautifully designed Bikestation, a facility that provides secure bike parking, changing rooms, lockers, bike rental, bike repair and retail sales has opened in Washington DC.
It will be staffed 66 hours per week and available to members 24/7. The Bikestation location at Union Station allows commuters to take public transportation to the station, pick up their bicycles and go to work, shopping or entertainment. [via Bikestation]
If you came out to El Tour de Taco this month, you probably met Emily, one of the organizers of the tour. Earlier this year, Emily was hit by a cab driver who was texting while driving in the rain. The front wheel of her bike was wrecked and she was injured. Last week, Emily had to call in to testify for her case and was unhappy with how it unfolded.
She writes that during the hearing “the attorney based her entire case on the fact that I shouldn’t have been riding my bike in the rain at 11:30 at night from Queens to Brooklyn, and that it was my fault that I got hit, because I shouldn’t assume that the cab would stop at the stop sign. Here I’m assuming that they’re admitting that he ran the stop sign. She also said that because I wasn’t filing a lawsuit that I must be lying.”
It’s kind of unbelievable to hear this would be considered a legitimate defence. Turns out the judge probably thought the same thing because Emily got a message from the Taxi and Limousine Commission stating that the cab driver was found guilty, which means 3 points on his license and a $250 fine. While this just a slap in the face for a guy who could have killed a cyclist, it’s good to hear the justice system isn’t a total wash and that there indeed was a verdict in favor of a cyclist.
São Paulo has been drowning in a sea of automobiles (6 million and counting). This car-centric urban transport model is showing signs of exhaustion. The average São Paulo inhabitant spends almost three hours a day stuck in traffic jams. That’s about 15 hours a week – or almost 2 working days.
Enter, São Paulo Intermodal Challenge. “The challenge: to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible – during rush hour – using the mode of transportation of your choice.” [via PSFK]
And guess who wins?
What a fantastic way to bring bicycles into the mix as a potential solution for São Paulo’s transportation issues!
Last Tuesday I headed over to see David Byrne speak about cycling on a panel with Janet Sadik-Khan, Paul Steely White of Transportation Alternatives and Mitchell Joachim. Byrne’s most entertaining bit consisted of showing slides of large urban/suburban street intersections and saying something like, “What’s going on here? There’s no people!” He wasn’t the best speaker but the panel was informative and entertaining nonetheless. Janet Sadik-Khan was the true highlight but to be fair, she talked to New Yorkers about how great NYC cycling infrastructure is and how great it is going to be. How could you not love that?
Though it is technically legal, cops are giving tickets to cyclists now for not using the bike lane . Thanks to @mattupstate for the note.
I tweeted that I’d prefer if they’d start ticketing those who ran stoplights first, self included. This caused 20+ people to reply telling me that I was stupid or that stoplights are not really stops for cyclists and they’d rather see cops ticket cars parked in bike lanes. Can’t really disagree with some of that but I do know we as cyclists have got to slow down for pedestrians. I’ve made a conscious decision to do so and have noticed how pedestrians grimace when they see a cyclist approaching even when the ped has right of way. It’s not right.
I love cycling and I love reading so to me there is nothing better than enjoying a book written by folks who love these things too. The following are on my “to read” list.
David Byrne, an avid New York City cyclist and former Talking Heads member released Bicycle Diaries last week.The book is “an account of what he sees and whom he meets as he pedals through metropoles from Berlin to Buenos Aires, Istanbul to San Francisco, Manila to New York.” He’ll be making an in store appearance in NYC today, 7pm at the Union Square Barnes and Noble.
Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities (Paperback)
“In Pedaling Revolution, Jeff Mapes explores the growing urban bike culture that is changing the look and feel of cities across the U.S. He rides with bike advocates who are taming the streets of New York City, joins the street circus that is Critical Mass in San Francisco, and gets inspired by the everyday folk pedaling in Amsterdam, the nirvana of American bike activists.”
The Cyclist’s Manifesto: The Case for Riding on Two Wheels Instead of Four
“The Cyclist’s Manifesto makes the most powerful case to date for a simple fact: America can no longer afford to ignore the bicycle as a tool for serious transportation.”
Zipcar is a fantastic alternative to owning a car in the city and as a perk they are offering complementary bike racks and national park passes this fall BUT only in Seattle and Portland! Bummer for us, but a great idea nonetheless which will no doubt spread to NYC.
You listening Zipcar? NYC has tons of cyclist who are just waiting to escape the city!
