Because building safe on-street bicycle facilities is being debated hotly in the community, we invited Andrew Barwick, the biker in the limo-bike crash last week, to weigh in with his view of how to make biking safer in our neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Since there is a tendency for\u00a0“flame wars”\u00a0to break out over bike-related issues, I would urge you to read our comment guidelines in the sidebar before posting a response)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nTo those unaware, Community Board 1 is currently in a debate over whether or not to install a bike lane on Kent Avenue. According to bike lane foes, Williamsburg is already saturated with enough bike lanes running North-South, and that to earmark more road space on Kent avenue would be overkill. Teresa Toro’s (Committee Chair of CB1) very logical argument against this reasoning is, that because Kent Avenue is the shortest, most direct route between north and south Brooklyn, it is naturally favored by cyclists and motorists alike. I myself rarely use the lanes on Wythe and Bedford\/Berry, unless I am forced off of Kent by a glut of construction vehicles. I won’t go into the various advantages of Kent over neighboring streets (less intersections, scenic waterfront views, etc.) in the interest of space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a cyclist who uses Kent to get to and from work everyday, I am well aware of the dangers in using it, and I exercise the additional requisite caution and respect. And yet still on Tuesday morning, while cycling to work northbound on Kent Avenue at N 7th Street, a south-bound Northside Car & Limo sedan made a left-hand turn on to N 7th Street directly across my path. The driver neither yielded nor slowed even though I was presently crossing the intersection. To avoid going up onto his hood, I had to slam on both brakes, the sudden stop flipping me over the handebars, and throwing me directly in front of his bumper. Reckless driving habits aside, this driver might have been more cautious had there been a bike lane present to alert him to the possible presence of cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personally I believe a bike lane on Kent Ave would underline to motorists, that YES, this is a multi-use roadway and not a freeway. It would encourage motorists to anticipate the presence of cyclists and other users, even if none are immediately visible. This would do a great deal towards preventing accidents. A bike lane would also encourage cyclists to ride on the correct side of the road, as well as in the correct direction by accommodating a piece of roadway in which to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will be the first to admit that while the burgeoning bike culture in New York is a great thing, it has brought with it terrible road etiquette and behavior exhibited by new cyclists and those that simply can’t be bothered. Bike lanes are a reminder to cyclists as well, that like motorists, they themselves have a responsibility for their own decisions and actions on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We all share the same streets to get to where we need to go, conveniently and safely. Sometimes we give a greater priority to getting someplace quickly over using our common sense in certain situations. It is my hope that through better roadway design and markings, driver\/cyclist education, and activism; that bicycling will someday soon gain widespread acceptance as a viable mode of transportation in the city for those that choose it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Because building safe on-street bicycle facilities is being debated hotly in the community, we invited Andrew Barwick, the biker in the limo-bike crash last week, to weigh in with his view of how to make biking safer in our neighborhood. 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