A few weeks ago, an article appeared in the Bay Ridge Courier and Daily News about the opposition of local Brooklyn Community Board 10 and the Dyker Heights Civic Organization to the installation of a new bicycle lane along Bay Ridge Parkway.
In a sense of civic participation, a letter went to CB10 supporting the bicycle lane and expressing reasons why it made some sense to place it along Bay Ridge Parkway. Other relevant groups were cc'ed on the letter, including Councilman Vincent Gentile, nearby Community Board 18 (also noted in the newspaper article) and even Pastosa (the grocer of tasty Italian pasta and goodies that is on my own bicycling route and would be along the new lane on Bay Ridge Parkway).
The letter was dated June 22. An email reply came back from CB18 on June 25. A letter reply was received from CB10, dated June 29. Both reinforced the standpoints of the articles and further explained their reasons for opposition.
But replies from two groups in less than a week? Very impressive response time. More importantly, I realized this is a *hot* topic!
In the article and replies received, all expressed a perception that bicycle use was very limited in the neighborhoods and bicycle lanes would only impede vehicular traffic for transit, businesses and deliveries. The CB10 letter also stated that one board member had never seen a bicyclist on the southbound lane of Shore Road. But on July 3, between 10:15am and 10:30am, I counted at least a dozen bicyclist riding on southbound Shore Road as I shot the cover photo for this blog; three of them are in the shot.
Documenting how bicycles are used in the neighborhood and the routes that are followed will be the exact purpose of this blog. Marked routes and unfamiliar paths will be shown. But certainly feel free to contact us and give some of your own information and favorite bicycling paths and routines.
Happy 4th!
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