Welcome to BRBRbrooklyn! Whether you are pedaling to the shore, the store, your neighbor’s stoop, or back to your own coop, this blog is for you. Bay Ridge Bicycle Routes is an effort raise to awareness within our neighborhood and among civic groups about the activities of bicyclists in Bay Ridge and other nearby communities in southern Brooklyn.

Our neighborhood’s immediate access to the harbor, less congested street traffic, friendly atmosphere, expansive parks and flat terrain (except, of course, for the steep ridge in Bay Ridge!) makes our corner of New York City one of the most fantastic places to ride a bicycle. Whether for transportation, recreation, fun or fitness, cycling is great in Bay Ridge.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Gounardes Like Bikes!

 
 
Here's a story from the Brooklyn Paper - Gounardes: I Like Bikes

State Senate candidate Andrew Gounardes wants to see more bicycles in Bay Ridge — setting the wheels in motion for a showdown with Republican state Sen. Marty Golden, who opposes bike travel on major thoroughfares.

Read more here.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Out of Darkness

We're into June and the longest daylight days of the year are now upon us.  Warmer temperatures give a clear indicator that bicycling season is in full swing!

Bike Month happened in May, marking the start of the high riding season.  If you haven't gotten out yet on your two wheeled pedalmobile, there is still plenty of time to put some rides into your days.  Daylight begins at 5am and goes almost until 9pm at night.

The Five Boro Bike Tour passed through Bay Ridge on a sleepy Sunday last month (May 6) and the Tour de Brooklyn was last weekend (May 28) .

Not to worry because the Brooklyn Waterfront Epic Ride will pass through on Saturday, July 28.  We can envision the terrified residents of Shore Road cowering in their apartments and looking down upon the melee below as Kurtz whispers, "The horror!  The horror!"



Unfortunately, Bay Ridge will not be receiving any of NYC"s new bike share stations.  Those are currently only planned for areas of Manhattan below Central Park, northern Brooklyn above Atlantic Avenue and a bit into Long Island City.


We have to wonder if the share system will ever make its way into South Brooklyn.  The 38th parallel of bicycling spite begins in the region between 23rd and 38th Streets, along the border of Greenwood Cemetery and the MTA Bus Depot.  The 5th Avenue bicycle lane abruptly halts at 23rd Street and the DMZ-like void of bicycle lanes south of Greenwood forms the black hole defining the attitude our community boards and elected officials would have us believe about bicycling in South Brooklyn: fuhgetaboutit.

But still, the 2012 bicycling map for NYC indicates more dotted lines of hope with new lanes projected for:
  • Ridge Boulevard
  • Ft Hamilton Parkway
  • 92nd Street
  • 100th Street
  • 101st Street
  • 14th Avenue
  • Bath Avenue
  • and even Bay Ridge Parkway still remains in the future


An excellent article was printed in New York, predicting the incredible convenience that the bike share program will bring to crosstown traffic in Manhattan.  Imagine what it could do for Bay Ridge:
  • Ride a bike up to the Brooklyn Army Terminal and catch the ferry
  • Ride to or from the subway or express bus to near your home
  • Ride to a restaurant on the opposite end of 3rd ave or 5th ave, which you never visit because the parking is too bad
  • Ride to the VA hospital or Ft Hamilton
  • Ride to a softball game or go play some pickup basketball
  • Ride to the pier to go fishing
  • Ride to get a slice of pizza
Bay Ridge has lost bus lines and has infrequent service on the subway on weekends and during off hours.  Why not ride a bit?