The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Striking Fear Into the Deathstar

Did you read this? Streetsblog reports that DOT is afraid of Brooklyn Community Boards reactions and tailors bike lane proposals to suit each's temperature. From the below, you'll read my favorite line "have you read any coverage of CB9? They are literally disintegrating over gentrification." 

Look, I'm the incoming CB9 Transportation chair. If you don't like common sense proposals to keep traffic moving AND keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe...well, let's just say that you and I will have to agree to disagree? Come voice your thoughts, third Wednesday of every month at CB9 headquarters. But I don't want to hear any of this crap about how the city's being taken over by the "terrorists at Transportation Alternatives," as was recently shouted in a CB9 meeting. Terrorists? Wow. Hate to think what you're feeling is on ISIS.

Oh, and for a larf, check this out. I got the inside scoop today from an inside source on what happens each time Alicia Boyd gets hauled into the precinct. Smiles and hugs. That's right. She gets all quiet and sweet and tells 'em it's all an act, not to take it personally. Funny, she was never so backpedally with me or any of the other folks she hurled insults at! Not that you and I didn't suspect, but it was nice to get confirmation that her fits are full of merde. Problem is, now that she's started to get violent in order to get some good video, the cops aren't so warm to her tactics. The hugs aren't being returned anymore. 

Back to the article from Streetsblog on DOT:
Community Board 9 has a mixed record on bike lanes — its members pushed DOT to add them to an Empire Boulevard road diet in 2009, yet weren’t able to muster enough votes last year to support a road diet with bike lanes on Franklin Avenue.
On both Kingston and Brooklyn, DOT proposed keeping two motor vehicle lanes on the southernmost blocks near Kings County Hospital and going down to one lane north of Lefferts Avenue. Though there is plenty of room for bike lanes in CB 9, the plan doesn’t include them. Instead, parking lanes on both sides of the street would be enlarged to up to 13 feet wide [PDF].
Why didn’t DOT propose extending the bike lanes south into CB 9? I asked DOT Deputy Commissioner Ryan Russo after a press conference this morning. “There’s differences in widths and traffic flow, and those sorts of things,” he said.
Later, he cited rapid neighborhood change as a factor. “Have you read any coverage of CB 9? They are literally disintegrating because of gentrification. Literally disintegrating,” Russo said, referring to rancor over a rezoning study for Empire Boulevard.
Trouble is, ditching the bike lanes didn’t help DOT get CB 9’s support. Although its transportation committee backed the proposal in June [PDF], the full board voted it down later that month, DOT says.

3 comments:

Dave 'Paco' Abraham said...

Looking forward to lots of great Bike & Ped safety enhancements in CB9 to complement other still needed actions to keep drivers safe as well. I'm already eager for the next Transpo committee meeting!

Alex said...

Tim, I am happy and relieved that you're the new transportation chair, but I must say that I don't think DOT should have to consult CB's when it comes to safety improvements, especially when they're based on evidence and experience in other cities. Lay people who prioritize parking over everything else have no business voting on improvements to our streets. Science rules, Luddites drool.

Scrumptiousmunches said...

Tim im interested in joining and helping the transportation committee. Ill try to make the next meeting, though sometimes i have to work on tuesday.