Brooklyn Daily Eagle Tries to Create Controversy Where There Is None

By on May 16, 2012 1:07 am in brooklyn bridge park, Transportation

This Brooklyn Daily Eagle story has the headline, “Brooklyn Bridge Park at odds with Heights over bike stations.” It implies some sort of Park-Heights conflict that doesn’t exist. Update: If you follow the link above, you’ll now find that the Eagle headline and story have been re-worded, evidently in response to this post.

The story quotes Nancy Webster of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy as welcoming a bike station near Atlantic Avenue and Furman Street, which is not on a residential street in Brooklyn Heights. It then notes that the Brooklyn Heights Association has expressed some concern over bike stations on residential streets in the Heights. This in no way conflicts with the BBPC’s desire for a station near the Park’s entrance, so the BBPC and the BHA are not “at odds.”

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  • John

    I have a horse and buggy I’d like to park on the street. I’m looking for a historically appropriate neighborhood in which to do it.

    Anyone willing to give up their car to help me? Anyone? Hello?

  • Slide

    For those of you concerned that bicycles detract from the historical nature of BH let me direct you to this photo.

    http://brooklynhistory.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bhs_v1988.468.28.jpg

  • Sajh

    I feel these stands should be placed on more commercial roads. It makes sense on Montague and on Old Fulton/Court St. It makes sense down by the water on Furman. It does not make sense on Henry,Middagh and other locations in the neighborhood.

    For me besides the aethetics (yes, the bright blue bikes will detract from streets that are solely residential), it will also be an issue of enforcement. More than likely, most residents of Brooklyn Heights either already have a bike or wont need this service. So the only people who will be using it will be for the most part tourists/people not from the neighborhood. Some tourists esp from other countries do not know the rules and regulations of our road system (staying on the right!) or even our traffic sign symbols. Take a look at the Brooklyn Bridge and see tourists all over the bike lane. This would be fine in small doses but Brooklyn Heights is in every tourist book so there will be a problem with capacity, both on the bike racks and in the streets.

    Another potential issue is the sidewalks are narrow in Brooklyn Heights. Add people (illegally) riding bikes on them b/c they are too afraid to be on road.

    I think this entire bike share problem is not thought out at all for the entire city. Yes, we want to encourage RESIDENTS to use bikes more but I feel it will largely be overtaken by tourists and the city does not and will not expend extra money for a police task force in keeping cyclists off the sidewalks and obeying traffic laws. I would much rather see larger rack facility hubs than this sprinkling all over the city.

  • John

    And yet tourists and foreigners can rent cars and drive through Brooklyn without a problem.

  • She’s Crafty

    Agree with @Sajh on the tourist points and the fact that we do not need this in BH. Tourists are constantly riding on the sidewalks because they don’t know it’s against the law and no one tells them. They don’t know the right arm and hand signals and just generally have no idea how to ride a bike safely (their safety and others around them). Why are we encouraging them? Please.

  • chicagokath314

    @Sajh: I live in Brooklyn Heights. I have no bicycle because it wouldn’t fit in my apartment. I do need this service. I can’t wait for the bikes to arrive, regardless of where the stations are placed, even if it will be harder to park my vehicle.

    From a tourist’s point of view: when I used the bikeshare program in DC, I did absolutely everything I could to follow the District’s rules of the road because I didn’t want to get injured or yelled at. I plan to do the same in Paris this fall. Yes, I won’t know the traffic sign symbols, but I may be able to figure them out, and if not, I could look them up in my tourist book. Worst case scenario, I’ll just ride where other cyclists ride.

    my $0.02.

  • http://inklake.typepad.com Peter Kaufman

    @Sahj

    You really don’t understand the purpose of bike-sharing. It works even if you have a bike.

    Let’s say I need to take the Q train.. and I’d need to transfer to get on it.. on a weekend, that might be an especially long trip.

    With bike-share, I can hop on a bike, ride it where the Q train is, and leave that bike there. I don’t have to worry about locks, etc.

    Everyone needs to take a freakin’ breather.

    The cops in the 84th precinct have written less than 10 speeding tickets so far this entire year . That’s way more of a threat to quality of life, and life itself, than any of this.

    http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/traffic_data/084sum.pdf

  • Hicks St Guy

    how terrified so many people are of something new.

  • http://inklake.typepad.com Peter Kaufman

    I should add, that the “rules of the road” are printed (literally), on the stem of the bike (where the handlebars meet).

    And just a refresher. in the last decade, I think a less than 3 pedestrians have been killed by a cyclist.

    Every year, several hundred pedestrians and cyclists are killed by cars. Every year.

    As the Times has been writing lately, more people have been killed by falling tree limbs.

  • Contrarian

    Isn’t the eagle “correction” still wrong? I haven’t seen any statement from Judy Stanton that “opposes stations in BH proper.” The article has no such quote. Just an assertion that the BHA is “protesting” the locations. Which I believe is fabricated – my reading of the BHA email and other statements is essentially, we urge everyone to take a careful look.

  • Slide

    The ignorance about the program is astounding. This is not a bicycle rental program. It is not for tourists. The pricing structure makes it very expensive for joy riding. It was structured to discourage tourists (and God forbid foreigners, oh my) from using the bikes. It is similarly absurd to suggest it won’t be used by Heights residents, even those that might have their own bikes as Peter aptly pointed out.

    This is a very well thought out program. They had a lot of other cities to study to see what worked and what hasn’t. This is not new guys, there are bike sharing programs in many cities and they have proved to be very popular and have reduced vehicular traffic.

    .

  • Slide

    Some bike sharing stats:

    43% of Denver B-Cycle users said they replaced car trips with bike rides. (Denver B-Cycle, 2010)

    Velib’ reduced Paris traffic 5% in its first year (Bremner, C., and Tourres, M., 2008)

    89% of Velib’ users said it allowed them to move around Paris more easily (Velib’, 2008)

    More than 400 jobs are connected to Montreal’s Bixi (Bixi, 2010)

    96% of first-year users of Lyon, France’s Velo’V had not ridden in Lyon before (Holtzman, D., 2008)

    23% of trips on Minneapolis’ Nice Ride would have been by motor vehicle (Nice Ride, 2010)

    Bicycling increased 44% in Lyon within the first year it introduced bike sharing (Buhrmann, S., 2008)

    Bicycling increased 70% in Paris since Velib’ was introduced in July 2007 (Bremner, C., and Tourres, M., 2008)

  • Sajh

    I’m not saying that the bike share shouldnt be done. I am just saying that the seemingly random scattering of the stations do not seem well planned out. Middagh at Henry? Come on. I dont disagree that a few BH locals will use them but I think specifically in Brooklyn Heights being so close to the bridges with waterfront views, it will absolutely be used for “joy rides”. It only costs $10 for the entire day!! I also think that Brooklyn Heights will be larger destination of riders, since this is the first stop off the bridges with views and a nice park. I’m not concerned about cars vs bikes or parking space issues. Or statistics about fatalities. I’m concerned about being overwhelmed with parades of cyclists. You dont think that tour operators will take advantage of this? I can see it now $25 2-hr tour of the best of Brooklyn where a tour person will lead a group of 15 cyclists at a time. I havent heard of any stop gap on control of this.

    My basic fear isnt “something new”. It’s more over based on the experience of the current trends of recreational/touring riders. I understand that some people may be wary of the rules of the road and abide by them. But if you use the Brooklyn Bridge walkway as an example, sure, 70-80% of the people on there stay to the pedestrian side. But when you have 250 people walking across the bridge at the same time, that 20-30% on the bike lane side the problem amplifies. I mean, basically on a nice day, it’s best to avoid the Brooklyn Bridge path after 10am till 8 or 9pm. Put those issues on to the surface street or on the Promenade.

    Yes, bike sharing is a good idea esp for neighorhoods that lack nearby subway access. But the hubs of these racks needs better thought and need to be placed away from areas that do not have commercial enterprises. These racks are a business and do not belong on residential streets no different than food carts do.

  • PJL

    Umm… right near the A/C station exit? I believe I read that bikes must be checked-in at the next station within 45 minutes, so seems more for getting from point A to point B….

  • Slide

    Sajh, if you are going to comment you really have to get your facts right. The Day Membership costs $10 but you can only use a bike for 30 minutes at a time. You can’t take a bike out and ride it all day.

    Middah and Henry seems like a perfect spot to me. This is where the Brooklyn Eagle building is right? It’s all commercial on that corner. They have a big parking lot on the NE corner now. Why can’t we have a bike station there as well?

    The planning for the location of these bike sharing stations has been extensive. There has to be frequent stations for the system to work. You can’t have someone have to walk 10 minutes before they get to a bike station because that defeats the entire purpose of it. They have to be convenient and frequent.

    Why don’t you let the program unfold first and then we can see if we have tour operators taking 15 bikes at a time. (I sincerely doubt this will ever happen). If that is the case and it causes problems in the community then it can EASILY be changed. The stations are not permanent and can easily be dismantled and moved/removed. What you are others are trying to do is kill the program before it gets off the ground based on some fears which may or may not materialize.

    Again, this is not something new. Cities around the world have bike share programs and we can see how they are used.

    You also say, “These racks are a business and do not belong on residential streets no different than food carts do.”

    No, they are a means of transportation. Just like all the cars that are parked everywhere. This is not to make money, this is to improve the quality of life for NY’s. Yes, the city had to partner with Citibank for the funding but it is wrong to suggest that this is just a business like food cart.

    Don’t be so afraid of change Sajh. Its ok.. the sky is not falling.

  • yoohoo

    I attended CB2’s meeting and heard the testimony of the more than 20 individuals. Every speaker expressed support for the Bike Share program in principle, but several voiced specific and justified qualifications. The Oro Condo president was not opposed but pointed out that Johnson Street (this also goes for Gold Street and for the sidewalks) is filled with private vehicles of 84th Precinct officers and firemen stationed at the engine company on Tillary Street. This has been a sore point since long before the Oro and other high rises were built on the east side of Flatbush Extension. It seems that the planners did not conduct site visits to vet proposed station locations as one had to scratch one’s head after residents gave detailed descriptions of some of the bike stations in Brooklyn Heights. Another valid point was raised about the potential danger of letting go of one side of the heavy bicycle’s handlebar to signal directional changes while riding in heavy traffic and in close proximity to cars and buses on sometimes uneven road surfaces. Unless you had a chance to try out one of the demo bikes, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

  • David on Middagh

    Yoohoo, I’m interested in the hand-signal question. Are you saying the bikes are more difficult to control than lighter bikes?

  • John

    Are the bikes more difficult to handle than the dozens upon dozens of cars that crash into buildings, scaffolding, other cars, and people?

  • Slide

    Regarding the safety issue, from the faq:

    Bike share bikes are extremely stable, not capable of high speeds and are routinely maintained by professional mechanics. Safety features such as always-on lights, bells, and GPS devices are integral to bike share bikes. All bike share station locations will be reviewed and approved by DOT traffic engineers to ensure safety.

    Today, cycling has never been safer in New York City. Since 2007, DOT bike counts on key routes have more than doubled, while cycling injuries and fatalities have fallen or remained flat. Overall, the risk of injury to cyclists in New York City has decreased by 75% since 2000. The City has added over 270 miles of bike lanes in the city since 2006, which has made streets much safer for cyclists. There are now more than 700 miles of bike lanes city-wide, including parks and greenways. Data from London and Washington show that people riding shared bicycles are involved in fewer crashes and receive fewer injuries than people riding their own bikes.

    The City will use bike share to increase the outreach already underway around bicycle safety. The program’s visibility and its correspondence with subscribers will create a great platform to further educate New Yorkers on how to safely share the streets.

  • Sajh

    Again, one no one is arguing bikes vs cars here. So why does that keep being brought up, I am not sure.
    Asthetically, these stations do not fit on residential streets. They should be kept within visual distance of subway stations and at key throughfare intersections. Brooklyn Heights you can walk end to end in 10 mins. Why do they need so many? I dont see the need or reason. In fact, why not just have them ALL on Court St strategically placed every 3-4 blocks from BBP to Atlantic Ave and then maybe one at 1BBP condo and down Columbia Heights St along the cargo yards. If you are too lazy to walk 3-4 blocks over to Court St (less than a 10 min walk) then you are probably not in the correct shape to be using a bike.
    Slider, I dont understand why you need to throw “get your facts straight” comment. They were correct. Yes, that’s great $10 for the day rental for “30 mins” but minor fees for going up to an 2 hours. In fact a 3 hr bike tour would cost $36 plus the $10 initial day pass. And only $12/hr after 3 hrs. Not a bad rental deal.
    http://a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/bikeshare/faq/#how-much-is-it-going-to-cost.
    http://citibikenyc.com/pricing
    The whole POINT of this program is to encourage people to use the bikes to get from point A to point B. Not to go on tours. But the penalties don’t deter people from using them for general touring. There doesnt need to be a wait and see. All you have to do is look at the behavior of the tourists on the Staten Island Ferry or the Brooklyn Bridge to know that this will be an extremely popular program among them. In fact, I could see avid bikers also annoyed with this program as ‘joy riders’ will be very slow and block their path as well. Point being: the racks dont need to be on narrow residential streets. Anywhere in the city, people are within walking distance of a business street or larger boulevard and this program does not address the issue that overuse by tourists will cause.
    Oh and btw, Middagh has the FDNY station which will need large amounts of swing room (plus their staff parks on the sidewalk as it is) plus two new residentail developments coming along (the Eagle being one of them) so Old Fulton/Court & Atlantic would be better across the board for the rack locations.

  • David on Middagh

    GPS? We’re being tracked!

  • John

    Why do people need to park their cars so close to where they live? Why not park on Atlantic or Court or along the cargo yards? I don’t see a need or reason for people to be able to store their private vehicles on public streets!

  • Slide

    Yes, we are talking cars vs bicycles. That is the whiole point of the bike share program – to reduce vehicle traffic.

    Sajh with all due respect your objections to the program are ridiculous.

    Heavy handlebars will make signalling dangerous. (absurd)

    The bike stations could be 10 minutes away and be effective (nonsense)

    Henry and Middagh is residential (wrong)

    Oh the fire trucks won’t be able to turn (please!)

    Tours will come and take 15 bikes at a time (laughable)

    Everyone in BH should have to walk to Atlantic Ave to pick up a bike (words cant describe the stupidity if that comment)

    Yada, yada, yada. Just say you don’t want a bike sharing program because you personally dont have any intent to use it so you don’t see any reason to have it.

    Thankfully you are in a very small minority of BH residents who are able to see the value of a program to reduce vehicular traffic which is more dangerous, louder and dirtier.

  • http://inklake.typepad.com Peter

    @Slade.

    Agreed on all points.

  • Sajh

    I never brought up any point about using hand turn signals. Very simple: I am for this program just not permanent structures that will detract from Brooklyn Heights residential streets.

    My concerns about over use by the tourist population (highest it has ever been since 2001) are valid considering the pricing structure and will prove to be a nuisance. I suggested BOTH Atlantic and Court St/Old Fulton as they are wide streets of commercial nature. It’s easy to get to one or the other in Brooklyn Heights. Middagh from Henry to its dead-end is residential.. There are at least 25 individual circa 1850s townhomes on the street. The Eagle & the old Candy Factory will be developed into residential properties.

    If the racks are placed within or near the Fire Lane areas of Middagh, it will inhibit the turning radius of the fire engines esp when coming off of Henry on to Middagh.

    I dont care about vehicles. I dont own a car, Your “statistic” of majority of BH residents is invalid. You have no source and are basing that on personal assumption.

    You could say the same thing about my assumption of tourist use however I have much experience with working in that industry and know the patterns. Brooklyn Heights is perfectly situated to be over-run by tourists as Brooklyn Bridge is extremely popular and if the racks are located in the center of Brooklyn Heights, right over the bridge, it will be a major destination for bikes.

    You misquoted me several times (using colorful adj along the way). I am not sure why you seem to take an aggresive tone however my main concern is there will be no noticable change in vehicle traffic in Brooklyn Heights and that these racks will take away from the aethstics of the neighborhood and bring unwanted (and unintended) problems.

  • Slide

    It is so hard to keep up with all of Sajh’s misconceptions but lets try:

    Sajh: I am for this program just not permanent structures that will detract from Brooklyn Heights residential streets.

    Reality: there will be no permanent structures. The bike stations are easily dismantled and moved. Nothing is permanent.

    Sajh: My concerns about over use by the tourist population (highest it has ever been since 2001) are valid considering the pricing structure and will prove to be a nuisance.

    You just saying that doesn’t make it so. Why don’t we just wait and see if it is a problem before you try and kill the program based on some dire beliefs on your part on how hordes of tourists are going to terrorize the good residents of BH.

    Sajh: I suggested BOTH Atlantic and Court St/Old Fulton as they are wide streets of commercial nature. It’s easy to get to one or the other in Brooklyn Heights.

    Again that defeats the entire purpose of the bike share program. The stations have to be frequent and convenient. If you want to ensure that the program is not successful that would be one way to do it.

    Sajh: Middagh from Henry to its dead-end is residential

    At the corner of Middah and Henry is the ugly Eagle building. Across the street is a parking lot for a dozen cars or so. Are you actually suggesting that a bike station will detract from the beauty of a parking lot and industrial building? Please you insult us all.

    Sajh: If the racks are placed within or near the Fire Lane areas of Middagh, it will inhibit the turning radius of the fire engines

    If the racks were make of chocolate they would melt in the summer. What absolute nonsense. The DOT and FDNY would not allow anything which would interfere with their operation. Stop being silly.

    Sajh: Your “statistic” of majority of BH residents is invalid. You have no source and are basing that on personal assumption.

    No, I am basing it on all the reporting of the community meetings that have been held including some eyewitness reports here on this thread. Overwhelming support are the words that I keep hearing.

    Sajh: I dont care about vehicles.

    Well I do. The honking. The pollution. The noise. The danger. Bike share programs have PROVEN to reduce vehicle traffic.

    43% of Denver B-Cycle users said they replaced car trips with bike rides.

    Velib’ reduced Paris traffic 5% in its first year

    23% of trips on Minneapolis’ Nice Ride would have been by motor vehicle

    And let me say one last thing about your anti-tourist approach to this. Do you think the businesses on Montague Street would be upset if more tourists visit because they have an alternative means of transportation. Is it not a good thing that one could get to Montague Street by bike. Lock it up at a station. Do some shopping or perhaps eat a meal, and then be able to hop on another bicycle for your ride back. This is a bad thing? We want to discourage people spending money in the Heights? Really?

  • BH’er

    This is going to be an interesting experiment in transit for NYC, I’m looking forward to seeing how this works.

    After reviewing the official websites for the program, there are many misconceptions in the thread above, e.g. the stations will have no more advertising than the news kiosk in front of City Chemists does

    The web site is here:
    http://www.citibikenyc.com/home

    Homer, perhaps a news story dispelling the myths, i.e. the BHA’s official position, CB2 & community involvement to date and a photo of what the station would look like, perhaps at Clark St?

    This should be an interesting experiment, and, with all the real time bike data, planners should be able to move bikes around to match supply/demand and react to issues.

    Just because a site has 31 docks, doesn’t necessarily mean there will be 31 bikes “domiciled” there

    My hope is that these will spread commuters out – take some cars off the road and passengers off the trains.

    Perhaps we’ll have slightly slower traffic (a good thing locally!), but with fewer total cars that could work nicely.

    And, I wouldn’t mind fewer people on the train! Maybe there will be more open seats underground with people pedaling around on a bike seat?

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/13189502@N02/ Eddyenergizer

    I own a car 3 bicycles and a metro card. I will also get an annual CitiBike membership. It will be great to be able to ride one way. Say, I want to do some errands in Manhattan then later meet my girlfriend for dinner, I can bike in, then we take the train or a cab back home. It will be a great asset to the city.

  • Sajh

    Slide: I’m not sure you understand. I think the program is great. The placement of the racks however are at arms against the beauty of Brooklyn Heights. The racks will be bolted down. They will not move. Can they be removed eventually? Sure. Anything can be removed. However they won’t move without significant complaints and even then it will be significantly difficult. Once bolted down, these will be there for at least a year or two. Better thought needs to be put into where they are located for the following locations: Joralemon/Henry, State/Clinton. I still think that Middagh/Henry is bad. Why not one block further east (not a big deal, it’s literally 10-12 footsteps) on Old Fulton at Middagh, north/west corner. It’s perfect as it across the way from a bus stop and in visual sight of the High St stop. Since it is assumed that these racks will be located on the street, it would make sense to leave the clearance as much as possible for the FDNY and its staff. All the other Brooklyn Heights locations of the racks are seemingly intelligently placed away from townhomes and have adequant space for their purpose with the exception of the three intersections mentioned here.
    In your statement you mentioned that you “care about (the annoyances) of cars”. That’s great. However Brooklyn Heights doesnt have those issues at large. Aside from Clinton St, it isnt a pass-through neighborhood. Vehicle traffic isnt a major problem here.
    Beyond understanding the logic of living in NY considering your issues with cars, Brooklyn Heights is a unique neighborhood in NY that has always fought to preserve its beauty and charm. This is why the BQE goes around and under BH instead of Moses’ plan to go through it. I understand the goal to reduce traffic but the unintended adverse effects on our neighborhood shouldnt be ignored.

  • Slide

    Brooklyn Heights is a historic neighborhood and we all want to preserve that but when these beautiful homes were built one major means of transportation was the bicycle. A bicycle not very much different than what we ride today. There were no automobiles. There were no trucks. There were no motorcycles. So I’m a bit confused when we seem to accept automobiles and parking meters in our historic neighborhoods but not bicycles that co-existed 150 years ago.

    If you were consistent and said you didn’t want any cars parked on these streets and would want all car owners to leave their cars on Atlantic Ave or Court St. To
    Reserve the beauty of our neighborhoods then perhaps you would have an argument but you don’t do you? And that is because you know that is absurd. I think it equally absurd to have the bike stations so far distant from their intended users. Perhaps as someone that apparently has no intent to use the bike share program as intended (for daily commuting) you can’t appreciate that, but again all the arguments you make for not having bikes on your historic streets could more easily be made about automobiles.

    It’s hard to get out of the mindset that cars have priority over bicycles but try for a second. More bicycles ultimately will mean less cars and that is very, very good for Brooklyn Heights.

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