tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76663269536359163672024-03-14T01:10:37.039-04:00Bay Ridge Bicycle Routes - BrooklynA melting pot of local cyclists collected in effort raise to awareness in the neighborhood and among civic groups about bikes, bicycle riding, bike paths and other activities involving fitness, transit and fun and on a bicycle in Bay Ridge and other nearby communities in southern Brooklyn.BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-8494508721080682752019-07-02T08:25:00.001-04:002019-07-02T08:25:41.415-04:0015When we made a quick re-ignite of BRBR just over a week ago, this is not the kind of news that was expected.<br />
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Once again, we offer our condolences, this time to the family and friends of Devra Freelander.<br />
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<a href="https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/07/01/fifteen-now-cyclist-killed-in-bushwick/?">https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/07/01/fifteen-now-cyclist-killed-in-bushwick/?</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-cyclist-killed-cement-truck-brooklyn-20190701-77nwf7q2lzbj5g2vinv5yjlrha-story.html"> https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-cyclist-killed-cement-truck-brooklyn-20190701-77nwf7q2lzbj5g2vinv5yjlrha-story.html</a>BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-60166785161365669772019-06-29T19:56:00.000-04:002019-06-30T14:12:08.370-04:00Robyn Hightman & Ernest AskewRobyn Hightman & Ernest Askew were two additional cyclist killed in NYC this week.<br />
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We knew Robyn.<br />
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Condolences to Robyn's and Ernest's friends and family. <br />
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<a href="https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/06/28/end-legal-murder-in-nyc-hundreds-mourn-cyclist-robyn-hightman-in-memorial-ride/">https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/06/28/end-legal-murder-in-nyc-hundreds-mourn-cyclist-robyn-hightman-in-memorial-ride/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/supermintusa/posts/this-is-not-the-story-we-wanted-to-sharewhen-we-created-our-teams-ambassador-pro/1809263149177100/">https://www.facebook.com/supermintusa/posts/this-is-not-the-story-we-wanted-to-sharewhen-we-created-our-teams-ambassador-pro/1809263149177100/</a><br />
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<a href="https://bklyner.com/cyclist-death-brownsville-ernest-askew/">https://bklyner.com/cyclist-death-brownsville-ernest-askew/</a><br />
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<a href="https://nypost.com/2019/06/28/brownsville-cyclist-fatally-hit-as-cyclist-deaths-soar/">https://nypost.com/2019/06/28/brownsville-cyclist-fatally-hit-as-cyclist-deaths-soar/</a><br />
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<a href="https://pix11.com/2019/06/28/man-fatally-struck-by-car-in-brooklyn-second-cyclist-killed-in-nyc-streets-this-week-police/">https://pix11.com/2019/06/28/man-fatally-struck-by-car-in-brooklyn-second-cyclist-killed-in-nyc-streets-this-week-police/</a><br />
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<a href="https://gothamist.com/2019/06/28/cyclist_brooklyn_death_nyc.php"> https://gothamist.com/2019/06/28/cyclist_brooklyn_death_nyc.php</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gVIvX_vDtTg/XRf4jhrZE2I/AAAAAAAAAj8/UHac4GHkPHogWWZYWzBzEADGxRRgiVQQwCLcBGAs/s1600/65108439_1809262612510487_5500506414885371904_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="717" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gVIvX_vDtTg/XRf4jhrZE2I/AAAAAAAAAj8/UHac4GHkPHogWWZYWzBzEADGxRRgiVQQwCLcBGAs/s400/65108439_1809262612510487_5500506414885371904_n.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robyn Hightman. Photo from the Hagens Berman Supermint Pro Cycling Team.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5BXnIQiRhI/XRf5cnQkv7I/AAAAAAAAAkI/2SlO0Vxlx3Iv5wTOI6mR2M28InsjaKjtACLcBGAs/s1600/62819cyclist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="640" height="191" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5BXnIQiRhI/XRf5cnQkv7I/AAAAAAAAAkI/2SlO0Vxlx3Iv5wTOI6mR2M28InsjaKjtACLcBGAs/s320/62819cyclist.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Location of Earnest Askew's fatality, Sutter Ave & Chester Street, Brooklyn. Photo from Google and Gothamist.</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-68494924284989892102019-06-22T20:17:00.002-04:002019-06-22T20:17:54.752-04:00Welcome to 2019!<br />
Hello and welcome to the concluding months of the second decade of the 21st Century!<br />
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It's been about 9 years since Community Board 10 last heard a consolidated push from DOT and the cycling community about improving bicycling connections in the neighborhood. Similar improvements were voted down in <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/07/independence-day-roll-out.html">2010</a> and <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2011/05/no-bicycle-lane-on-bay-ridge-parkway.html">2011</a> by CB10, and it was largely voted down again by CB10 in 2019. Though this time, <a href="https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/06/20/city-will-defy-community-board-and-paint-bay-ridge-bike-network/">DOT and our elected representatives are saying they will ignore the CB10 vote and paint the routes anyways</a>.<br />
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Perhaps because in the first 4 months of 2019, <a href="https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/05/13/southern-brooklyn-streets-account-for-half-the-cyclists-killed-this-year/">4 of the 8 cycling deaths in all of NYC occurred in South Brooklyn</a>?<br />
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Maybe because a decade of street improvements and traffic calming methods being used throughout the city still have not been widely implemented in Bay Ridge, <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/04/23/residents-reckless-driver-brooklyn/">resulting in repeated reckless driving</a>? The driving ignorance is higher than BRBR has ever seen. As one example of its worst, we've first-hand witnessed a car blow through 3 red lights in a row along 3rd Ave: Marine Ave, 99th Street, and Shore Road.<br />
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We're looking forward to taking a step towards joining the rest of NYC's present-day street design methods and policies.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the expanded bicycle route network. Image from Streetsblog.</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-56558469550072543442016-01-19T07:29:00.003-05:002016-01-19T07:29:31.341-05:00Bay Ridge Parkway Markings<br />
Bay Ridge Parkway has a new coat of paint. It is placed at a point wide enough to accommodate a parallel parked car and a bicycle turned sideways (shown bike is 5.5' long). If there was one more stripe at the edge of the parked car, the street would have a true 5' wide bicycle lane!<br />
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For reference, <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/streetdesignmanual.shtml">see page 59 of the DOT Street Design Manual</a> - an on-street, standard bicycle lane is 5' wide.<br />
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<a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2011/04/bicycle-lane-on-bay-ridge-parkway.html">The community has been aching for a bicycle lane here for over 5 years</a> but it's still not being marked. The only limit is perception, not physical dimension or street geometry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sizyh9-gArk/Vp4m1Af7CYI/AAAAAAAAAhc/zmgL2M1lY-Y/s1600/IMG_5015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sizyh9-gArk/Vp4m1Af7CYI/AAAAAAAAAhc/zmgL2M1lY-Y/s320/IMG_5015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bay Ridge Parkway's new stripe with parked car and bicycle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3XZhM6MrI4/Vp4m1NlEV3I/AAAAAAAAAhk/LRU0Lw8soYw/s1600/IMG_5017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3XZhM6MrI4/Vp4m1NlEV3I/AAAAAAAAAhk/LRU0Lw8soYw/s320/IMG_5017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It's opener, out there, in the wide, open air." says Bay Ridge Parkway, channeling Dr Seuss</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-22980153327397989482015-11-07T17:26:00.001-05:002015-11-07T17:26:03.389-05:00Fall 2015 South Brooklyn Bicycling StatusThe continual improvements and expansion of New York's bicycling infrastructure in recent years has made little impact in the neighborhood of Bay Ridge. However, 2015 brought some significant new bicycle support: <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2015/09/cross-verrazano-with-bicycle.html">bicycles can be loaded onto buses crossing the Verrazano Narrows Bridge</a> and new <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2015/05/bicycle-sharrows-on-marine-avenue.html">sharrows have been placed on Marine Avenue and Ft Hamilton Parkway</a>. Last month, a <a href="http://a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/greenway/2015/10/07/owls-head-park-connection-of-the-brooklyn-waterfront-greenway/">presentation was made to Community Board 10 for a plan to link Second Avenue and Owl's Head Park with a connecting segment of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway</a>. <br />
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Wakeman Place is a narrower street and its real world function has it serving as an extension of the off-ramp from the Belt Parkway. Providing an effective connector is
crucial here.<br />
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Second Avenue is a very wide street and can easily accommodate the greenway's bicycle and pedestrian path. The currently proposed plans indicate a <a href="http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2015/43/br-sunset-park-bike-lane-2015-10-23-bk.html">loss of on-street parking along Second Avenue</a>. This stems from both the addition of the greenway and providing additional lane markings for through traffic and turning lanes. Currently, there are no distinct lane markings on Second Avenue and the street acts as if it had one very wide lane each way. Parking along this stretch of Second Avenue and the nearby side streets have very limited use; the loss of some on-street parking as the plan proposes would be a very small burden to absorb. DOT can certainly manage to develop a reasonable plan to implement.<br />
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<a href="http://a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/greenway/files/2015/10/2015-10-05-CB10-Presentation.pdf">View the full DOT presentation here</a>.<br />
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As an additional improvement to the greenway, it would be a good idea to provide an on-street bicycle markings extending along Second Avenue to 67th Street, and west on 67th to Owl's Head Park. For practical daily riding, this is the best and safest route to navigate. 67th Street is a quiet, low traffic road and the intersection with Colonial Road contains an all-way stop.<br />
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These improvements are long overdue in the area. The bicycling network in South Brooklyn is very small, with limited connectivity to other portions of the Borough. There is one zig-zagged on-street marked pathway leading from the vicinity of Ft Hamilton and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge into central Brooklyn, and none lead east from the harbor. <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2013/07/5th-avenue-shared-bicycle-lane.html">Sharrows were placed along 5th Avenue in 2013, leading northward to a dedicated, marked lane in the 20's.</a><br />
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It's good to recall that Brooklyn was once envisioned to have a green network of park and pedestrian spaces criscrossing it's neighborhoods. This plan at Wakeman and Second Avenue is directly adjacent to one of those linear parks, which now only serves as a vehicular connector from the Belt Parkway to Second Avenue and Fourth Avenue. <a href="http://www.heyridge.com/2015/06/the-forgotten-history-of-the-bay-ridge-parkway/">This article posted at Hey Ridge documents some of that vision</a>. The <a href="http://www.brooklyngreenway.org/">Brooklyn Greenway</a> is an opportunity to gain back some of those ideas lost decades ago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XVXHjedO51s/Vj53zmzBmnI/AAAAAAAAAhE/Pt8Ui3qHTWc/s1600/GoogleScreenshot2015-11-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XVXHjedO51s/Vj53zmzBmnI/AAAAAAAAAhE/Pt8Ui3qHTWc/s400/GoogleScreenshot2015-11-07.jpg" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Brooklyn Bicycle Network, November 2015, Google Maps</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-9203697811771507372015-09-02T21:00:00.001-04:002015-09-02T21:00:32.018-04:00Cross the Verrazano with a Bicycle!It's finally here - Bicycle racks on MTA buses crossing the Verrazano bridge. The <a href="http://www.heyridge.com/2015/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-those-new-bus-bike-racks/">press release</a> states service will not begin until Sunday, September 6. We've seen many of the <a href="http://bustime.mta.info/m/index;jsessionid=569988A69A4B02C00816437F78F1B0EB?q=S53">S53</a> and <a href="http://bustime.mta.info/m/index;jsessionid=70A0636AF7757D10BF01F5AE6AF6E66A?q=S93">S93</a> buses in Bay Ridge already setup with racks on their front bumpers, though yet to see a bike taking a ride. We're definitely going to put the racks to good use. NYC has finally begum to catch up with most every other city in North America. This is a game changer for cycling in South Brooklyn and Staten Island.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJIG1fvdbDc/VeeZalZCz2I/AAAAAAAAAgc/kq_IoJg6RWQ/s1600/bike_racks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJIG1fvdbDc/VeeZalZCz2I/AAAAAAAAAgc/kq_IoJg6RWQ/s320/bike_racks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mta.info/news-bikes-buses-new-york-city-transit/2015/08/31/racks-available-s53-s93-routes-1-year-pilot">MTA Press Release</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mta-buses-bicycle-racks-1-year-pilot-program-article-1.2343650">Daily New Article</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.heyridge.com/2015/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-those-new-bus-bike-racks/">Hey Ridge Article and how-to-use video</a>BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-59314559578919258152015-06-08T21:48:00.000-04:002015-06-08T21:48:21.760-04:00Bicycle Rider Icons on Marine AvenuePainting the bicycle rider icons on a rainy Saturday morning, marking the <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2015/05/bicycle-sharrows-on-marine-avenue.html">new shared bicycle route</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fs2L1FakZso/VXZFbMOESxI/AAAAAAAAAgI/av86uZubiIA/s1600/IMG_4024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fs2L1FakZso/VXZFbMOESxI/AAAAAAAAAgI/av86uZubiIA/s640/IMG_4024.JPG" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing touches on the bicycle route along Marine Avenue, Brooklyn.</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-90219617040938791792015-05-31T16:34:00.003-04:002015-05-31T16:36:26.781-04:00Bicycle Sharrows on Marine AvenueThis week, Sharrows began to appear along Marine Avenue between Ft Hamilton Parkway and Oliver Street. The markers run both northbound and southbound providing connection between the long-existing on street bicycle lane from Oliver + Colonial Road and the well used basketball courts and playground at Ft Hamilton Avenue.<br />
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These sharrows might be the first new bicycle pathway markings of any kind to be introduced to the neighborhood since <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/11/more-bicycle-lanes-history-of-new-lanes.html">2009 when a dedicated lane was introduced on 7th Avenue</a>. <br />
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Perhaps this is the first installation of a series of upgrades decided upon in 2012? <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2012/11/bicycle-lane-update.html">See our prior post here</a>.<br />
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BTW, what's a sharrow? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_lane_marking">"A shared-lane marking or sharrow[1] is a street marking installed at locations in Australia, Canada, and the United States. This marking is placed in the center of a travel lane to indicate that a cyclist may use the full lane."</a><br />
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Here they are with some of the northbound sharrows in place and the southbound ones are marked and awaiting final painting:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lLmVgT1tmjo/VWtukONqsbI/AAAAAAAAAfI/fjiezWiSb6c/s1600/IMG_3992marked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lLmVgT1tmjo/VWtukONqsbI/AAAAAAAAAfI/fjiezWiSb6c/s320/IMG_3992marked.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the basketball courts at Ft Hamilton Ave, looking up Marine Ave to 4th Avenue.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rZof91cPP7E/VWtuqRcxXJI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/RiR90muj4nA/s1600/IMG_3996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rZof91cPP7E/VWtuqRcxXJI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/RiR90muj4nA/s320/IMG_3996.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Avenue at 4th Avenue.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YbiX2wm0BWo/VWtuu4RGsSI/AAAAAAAAAfY/2sVkzroReqg/s1600/IMG_3997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YbiX2wm0BWo/VWtuu4RGsSI/AAAAAAAAAfY/2sVkzroReqg/s320/IMG_3997.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Avenue at 3rd Avenue.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjOKrwHksLc/VWtuzsH1dXI/AAAAAAAAAfg/KLYV7tupN-k/s1600/IMG_4001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjOKrwHksLc/VWtuzsH1dXI/AAAAAAAAAfg/KLYV7tupN-k/s320/IMG_4001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Avenue near 98th Street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exl-GFoQeWA/VWtu33GSJjI/AAAAAAAAAfo/ME_zn-b-Kpc/s1600/IMG_4002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exl-GFoQeWA/VWtu33GSJjI/AAAAAAAAAfo/ME_zn-b-Kpc/s320/IMG_4002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Avenue at 95th Street and Ridge Boulevard.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bZYuUE_73xY/VWtu7YTG1eI/AAAAAAAAAfw/n7Sg8zoh4jo/s1600/IMG_4003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bZYuUE_73xY/VWtu7YTG1eI/AAAAAAAAAfw/n7Sg8zoh4jo/s320/IMG_4003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Avenue at 93rd Street and Oliver Street, leading to the Colonial Ave Bicycle Lane.</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-4109084554087215442015-01-04T09:17:00.000-05:002015-01-04T09:17:26.023-05:00Plumb Beach Connector RepavedAfter many years of delays, a short section of the paved bicycle lane at Plumb Beach has finally been repaved.<br />
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It was in poor condition until 2011, then Hurricane Irene partially wiped away large sections of the pavement. In early October 2012, huge mounds of fresh sand were delivered to the area, likely a part of the beach and inlet's stabilization as part of the ongoing Belt Parkway reconstruction work. But on Oct 29+30, 2012, Hurricane Sandy Sandy moved those sand mounds and parts of the beach dunes across the entirety of Plumb Beach and the highway. This segment of the pathway became a 1/4 mile long sand pit.<br />
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It has now been replaced, along with some adjacent dune and beach grass stabilization. Welcome to the new 2015 Plumb Beach!<br />
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BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-59496162264860985952014-11-23T21:09:00.000-05:002014-11-23T21:10:43.045-05:00Verrazano 50thIn case you missed it, the Verrazano Bridge turned 50 years old this week and received a subtle request to provide bicycle and pedestrian access across its span. Brilliant.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gV8htKwTdJM" width="560"></iframe>
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The activists, <a href="http://www.rightofway.org/campaigns/verrazanobikepath">Right of Way</a>. organized the airplane and banner flying across the sky during the formal ceremony.<br />
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More news:<br />
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<a href="http://nypost.com/2014/11/21/verrazano-anniversary-photobombed-with-toll-hike-protest/">New York Post</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bike-lanes-absent-pols-cloud-verrazano-bridge-anniversary-article-1.2019794">Daily News</a><br />
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<a href="http://pix11.com/2014/11/22/some-leaders-skip-50-anniversary-ceremony-for-verrrazano-bridge/">Pix11 video (minute 1:30)</a>BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-90323418671794245202014-11-16T08:37:00.000-05:002014-11-16T08:37:03.960-05:00Beautiful, Glowing Bikes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span itemprop="articleBody"></span><span itemprop="articleBody">DOT, NYPD and <a href="http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/">Mayor Bill de Blasio</a>, how about bringing this material to NYC as a part of <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/visionzero/pages/home/home.shtml">Vision Zero</a>? </span><br />
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<span itemprop="articleBody"> </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcS9UNTI24M/VGimkHv7ikI/AAAAAAAAAd4/X7XZOw1JtUg/s1600/VanGoghRoosegaarde6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcS9UNTI24M/VGimkHv7ikI/AAAAAAAAAd4/X7XZOw1JtUg/s1600/VanGoghRoosegaarde6.jpg" height="296" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span itemprop="articleBody">If you happen to be near Eindhoven in the
Netherlands, you can walk or bike down a glowing path modeled after Van
Gogh’s masterpiece. The one kilometer lane is the work of <a href="https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/projects/#smart-highway" target="_blank">Daan Roosegaarde</a>, the same designer responsible for the glowing stretch of nearby smart highway. <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/11/beautiful-glowing-bike-lane-modeled-van-goghs-starry-night/">Read more at Wired</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CptbXNnLO0c/VGin_T2B5CI/AAAAAAAAAeE/KgsS80PMMuY/s1600/making-van-gogh.001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CptbXNnLO0c/VGin_T2B5CI/AAAAAAAAAeE/KgsS80PMMuY/s1600/making-van-gogh.001.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uf7Zux9UENg/VGin_e6RJMI/AAAAAAAAAeM/cZzFKL3QkDw/s1600/VanGoghRoosegaarde8-Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uf7Zux9UENg/VGin_e6RJMI/AAAAAAAAAeM/cZzFKL3QkDw/s1600/VanGoghRoosegaarde8-Map.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span itemprop="articleBody"><br /></span>BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-66961431098800990302014-10-29T07:01:00.000-04:002014-10-29T07:05:25.131-04:00Bush Terminal Piers Park to Open SoonFor years, BRBR has occasionally bicycled the desolate streets of First Avenue, knowing that a future park was being built along the waterfront but perplexed about how to actually find the place or access it. It looks like there has been some significant progress on the "public" aspect of this park. First, <a href="http://www.nycedc.com/blog-entry/progress-bush-terminal-piers-park">EDC has announced that various permits, the management plan and Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with NYC Parks have been finalized</a>. An opening should be scheduled in November. Second, there is actually a pathway to enter the place! See our pics from a Sunday foray along the water.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qHYaXATvw6g/VFDHUELpgOI/AAAAAAAAAc4/eMmMFmZMbrs/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qHYaXATvw6g/VFDHUELpgOI/AAAAAAAAAc4/eMmMFmZMbrs/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new entrance is at 1st Avenue and 43rd Street</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aOhFmmQgfKY/VFDHXrZv74I/AAAAAAAAAdA/KNUo2PGliGY/s1600/IMG_2748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aOhFmmQgfKY/VFDHXrZv74I/AAAAAAAAAdA/KNUo2PGliGY/s1600/IMG_2748.JPG" height="195" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance is a part of a truck gate into the warehouse area</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_C4cVGUpwOQ/VFDHdLc_ryI/AAAAAAAAAdI/ac1LXkWQXO8/s1600/IMG_2750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_C4cVGUpwOQ/VFDHdLc_ryI/AAAAAAAAAdI/ac1LXkWQXO8/s1600/IMG_2750.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a small pedestrian gate to the side of the truck gate</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8iFtGPfuDw8/VFDHgXjP29I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/52c0mT5Sjfw/s1600/IMG_2752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8iFtGPfuDw8/VFDHgXjP29I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/52c0mT5Sjfw/s1600/IMG_2752.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Follow the path to the building with a statue of Mr Irving Bush and take a left</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bc4L8wDFzzA/VFDHkNIzCtI/AAAAAAAAAdY/TIRqNAWhl4E/s1600/IMG_2744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bc4L8wDFzzA/VFDHkNIzCtI/AAAAAAAAAdY/TIRqNAWhl4E/s1600/IMG_2744.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park entrance. There is a small parking area to the left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDcgRuH-Y08/VFDHrOLXY2I/AAAAAAAAAdg/03shaMBGsGQ/s1600/IMG_2743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDcgRuH-Y08/VFDHrOLXY2I/AAAAAAAAAdg/03shaMBGsGQ/s1600/IMG_2743.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main park entrance gate</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fAevz0W8TqM/VFDHtuuJDWI/AAAAAAAAAdo/TTFav5mCirs/s1600/IMG_2740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fAevz0W8TqM/VFDHtuuJDWI/AAAAAAAAAdo/TTFav5mCirs/s1600/IMG_2740.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view through the gate to a pathway leading to the park</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-29158665972906882352014-10-17T22:09:00.001-04:002014-10-17T22:09:33.790-04:00Pedestrian Lane Sought for Verrazano-Narrows Bridge - NYTimes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYdB6UesniE/VEHK9ACnmdI/AAAAAAAAAco/H0OxJPbWw6w/s1600/NYTimes_ToddHeisler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYdB6UesniE/VEHK9ACnmdI/AAAAAAAAAco/H0OxJPbWw6w/s1600/NYTimes_ToddHeisler.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, on the occasion of the Verrazano’s semicentennial, a group of
cyclists, transportation advocates and residents on both sides of the
bridge are leading a grass-roots-and-pavement campaign to add a
pedestrian path. Their hope is to reverse a half-century of four-wheeled
favoritism and persuade the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to
include the path among its planned upgrades on the bridge.<br />
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<a href="http://nyti.ms/1qFwBGe">Read the full story at the New York Times.</a><br />
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And don't forget about coming out the rally Saturday, October 17 at 11am at the Alice Austen House on Staten Island.<br />
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<a href="http://harborring.org/">More Info here</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> at the Harbor Ring</a>.BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-38428543252582394852014-09-28T22:45:00.000-04:002014-09-28T22:46:26.776-04:00Bicycle Lane on the Verrazano!October 18, 11am at the Alice Austen House on Staten Island - come out and give some support to provide a bicycle lane over the Verrazano Bridge. Event organized by the Harbor Ring. Visit their <a href="http://harborring.org/">website</a> or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHarborRing">Facebook</a> for more information.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hlR7jXHVFw8/VCjHACGXafI/AAAAAAAAAcY/cbhlmF4-T_A/s1600/harborringrallyVNbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hlR7jXHVFw8/VCjHACGXafI/AAAAAAAAAcY/cbhlmF4-T_A/s1600/harborringrallyVNbridge.jpg" height="640" width="412" /></a></div>
<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-84283746269921291922014-03-02T16:02:00.001-05:002014-03-02T16:02:02.587-05:00Where Cyclists RideHere's an interesting tidbit: GPS heatmaps showing where cyclist ride. Screenshot below is of the NYC area taken today, March 2, 2014 as mapped on the<a href="http://raceshape.com/heatmap/"> Strava Global Heatmap</a>. .<br />
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The most striking element is the concentration of red. Central Park and Prospect Park are burning red, linked by a network of fine red and blue arteries between the two. But take a closer look - the entire south shoreline of Brooklyn is also burning red from Bay Ridge to Coney Island and eastward to the loop around Jamaica Bay. There are some fine blue veins connecting to central and northern Brooklyn.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m0_6BKNL3ts/UxOZbAiBrlI/AAAAAAAAAbc/YzhUPlbyJR0/s1600/RaceShape_2014Mar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m0_6BKNL3ts/UxOZbAiBrlI/AAAAAAAAAbc/YzhUPlbyJR0/s1600/RaceShape_2014Mar.jpg" height="231" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heatmap for Brooklyn and NYC</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-35501258090455666362014-03-02T00:48:00.000-05:002014-03-02T00:50:11.516-05:00Spring is Near (sorta)Last summer, <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2013/07/disappearing-lanes-near-owls-head-park.html">the bicycle lanes around Owl's Head Park were fading into oblivion</a>. In case you missed it under this winter's slushy wrath, those lanes were repainted and refreshed around October 2013. Thanks, DOT!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dmgdink0QR8/UxLF4OpJztI/AAAAAAAAAbM/o5FC7I49L2M/s1600/lanepaint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dmgdink0QR8/UxLF4OpJztI/AAAAAAAAAbM/o5FC7I49L2M/s1600/lanepaint.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The re-painting of Wakeman Place</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-47727454006244069842013-07-13T08:24:00.000-04:002013-07-13T08:24:47.768-04:00Who is the Bike Candidate?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bkmag.com/BrooklynAbridged/archives/2013/07/11/which-mayoral-candidate-is-the-legit-bike-candidate?showFullText=true" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLr9gz9Rvkw/UeFFnllQt-I/AAAAAAAAAbA/qWt3SiO3ycI/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-07-13+at+8.18.07+AM.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bkmag.com/BrooklynAbridged/archives/2013/07/11/which-mayoral-candidate-is-the-legit-bike-candidate?showFullText=true">This story from Brooklyn Magazine compares the crop of NYC mayoral candidates on their attitudes and stance for bicycling</a> in the city, meaning all of the city, not just Manhattan. Who is their pick? Sal Albanese. </div>
<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-33426199839866357712013-07-13T08:13:00.003-04:002013-07-13T08:13:51.840-04:00Disappearing Lanes near Owls Head ParkIt has been 2 years since any of the bicycle lanes in Bay Ridge were repainted. <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2011/07/stripers-in-bay-ridge.html">Shore Road and Colonial Road were repainted back in the summer of 2011</a>. However, it has been longer since other lanes were restriped in the area.<br />
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These pictures show the current conditions of Wakeman Place and 68th Street. At both, the outer marking of the bicycle lane has been worn away and vanished. Both of these routes provide access to and from <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/12/owls-head-park-greenway-open.html">Owl's Head Park and the greenway surrounding the north side of the park</a>. These roads are also the final connector streets in the neighborhood for traffic entering and exiting the Belt Parkway, meaning vehicles are frequent and fast along these roads.<br />
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These lanes need to be repainted for safety and traffic calming around the Owls Head Park area.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hdFWyBVEv-E/UeFDnT5uhTI/AAAAAAAAAaw/WZByE8WxDRA/s1600/IMG_1478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hdFWyBVEv-E/UeFDnT5uhTI/AAAAAAAAAaw/WZByE8WxDRA/s400/IMG_1478.JPG" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Disappearing Bicycle Lane of Wakeman PLace</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bgKeNt7Q4ds/UeFDa5n5ybI/AAAAAAAAAac/GRKhmbeWaDM/s1600/IMG_1475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bgKeNt7Q4ds/UeFDa5n5ybI/AAAAAAAAAac/GRKhmbeWaDM/s400/IMG_1475.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wakeman Place Bicycle Lane Vanishes</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-caY58dDeJFU/UeFDbD9TrmI/AAAAAAAAAag/rhFGA9_rcDg/s1600/IMG_1480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-caY58dDeJFU/UeFDbD9TrmI/AAAAAAAAAag/rhFGA9_rcDg/s400/IMG_1480.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Disappearing Bicycle Lane of 68th Street</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-29415954952431062322013-07-10T22:51:00.000-04:002013-07-13T07:49:29.770-04:005th Avenue Shared Bicycle LaneHere it is, <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2013/06/call-stephen-hawking-5th-ave-bicycle.html">the unbelievable and amazing appearance of the 5th Avenue bicycle route</a>, extending from 50th Street to 23rd Street. Within a 15 minute time span, we saw at least 20 northbound and southbound commuters riding along this road just before 8am. Men and women, families with children were out on this morning using the freshly painted bicycle route!<br />
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This newly designated route doesn't quite extend all the way south to 65th Street and into Bay Ridge, but it is very close. Perhaps it will be extended when the roadway repairs between 50th and 65th are completed?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F8UUErODJJ0/Ud4aQQJOGqI/AAAAAAAAAZg/VSZ6nFRAKIw/s1600/IMG_1481crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F8UUErODJJ0/Ud4aQQJOGqI/AAAAAAAAAZg/VSZ6nFRAKIw/s400/IMG_1481crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The southern-most section of the route between 49th and 50th Street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zppncwk3o30/Ud4aUO5CgXI/AAAAAAAAAZw/Nh_bfMUAqns/s1600/IMG_1485crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zppncwk3o30/Ud4aUO5CgXI/AAAAAAAAAZw/Nh_bfMUAqns/s400/IMG_1485crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along Greenwood Cemetery, a woman passes a man pulling a child-carrier</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Continuing northbound near 27th Street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dmom4iJR5iI/Ud4bWUu2oJI/AAAAAAAAAaM/trex_Dp-COo/s1600/IMG_1491crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dmom4iJR5iI/Ud4bWUu2oJI/AAAAAAAAAaM/trex_Dp-COo/s400/IMG_1491crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At 23rd Street, the new lane connects with the existing 5th Ave route.</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-2266517233523163392013-06-18T07:38:00.000-04:002013-07-10T22:23:14.819-04:00Call Stephen Hawking! 5th Ave Bicycle Route Emerges from the Ether!There is a new connection developing across the space-time continuum <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2012/06/out-of-darkness.html">where none existed before</a> - a marked bicycle route along 5th Avenue in Sunset Park. BRBR saw it this morning, extending from 36th Street to 50th Street as a freshly painted line of sharrows along this commercial corridor in Sunset Park. It looks like it will extend farther north, along the edge of Greenwood Cemetery. Maybe it will extend all the way to 23rd St, <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/07/5th-avenue-reopens-in-sunset-park.html">where the 5th Avenue Bicycle lane currently ends</a>?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SftGDjdDx-c/UcBFo_zgGOI/AAAAAAAAAZM/om9sKVNibmg/s1600/physicist_stephen_hawking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SftGDjdDx-c/UcBFo_zgGOI/AAAAAAAAAZM/om9sKVNibmg/s400/physicist_stephen_hawking.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Physicist Stephen Hawking in 2007 inside of a zero-gravity jet airplane.</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-1461588861254630212013-05-27T20:32:00.000-04:002013-05-27T20:32:17.878-04:00Citi Bike LaunchToday was the day - bike share officially launched in NYC. If you are reading this post, you certainly know something about bike share in NYC and the apparent threat of cataclysmic apocalypse that the bike share program will bring to the city... or not (let's be real, here!). They are just blue bicycles!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6z0NU1LYFng/UaP5ALViW1I/AAAAAAAAAY8/6q-lN22SfCI/s1600/screamholder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6z0NU1LYFng/UaP5ALViW1I/AAAAAAAAAY8/6q-lN22SfCI/s400/screamholder.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scream, in blue: "Bikeshare is here!" Get a grip.</td></tr>
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If you are looking for a story, just <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=citibike+launch&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=citibike+launch&client=firefox-a&hs=bu8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=XPWjUc-JOuG_0AH4hIBY&ved=0CDEQqAI&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47008514,d.dmQ&fp=189d013f44fbb9c&biw=1346&bih=860">google bike share</a> and you can see plenty of news headlines.<br />
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Admittedly, no member of the expansive staff at BRBR actually rode a CitiBike today. Instead, we were all at the <a href="http://www.brooklynmemorialdayparade.com/">146th Kings County Memorial Day Parade in Bay Ridge</a>, with not a CitiBike in sight.<br />
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And although no bike share stations are in Bay Ridge (the closest stations are about 4 miles away, near Atlantic Ave), the actual bicycles are closer than you may think - they are being stored in Sunset Park, not too far from the Brooklyn Army Terminal. We saw them on the warehouse floor and stacked in storage crates on Sunday afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vKy83lijG4M/UaP4B_TocsI/AAAAAAAAAYs/QgaoDAn7FTw/s1600/CitiBikeSunsetPark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vKy83lijG4M/UaP4B_TocsI/AAAAAAAAAYs/QgaoDAn7FTw/s400/CitiBikeSunsetPark.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CitiBike storage in Sunset Park</td></tr>
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<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-53508882605206553982013-04-27T11:33:00.001-04:002013-04-27T11:34:42.046-04:00The Harbor Ring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4gmuXwOL8pA/UXvt05GJrAI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/7gj6asz4JR8/s1600/harbor_ring_01-550x340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4gmuXwOL8pA/UXvt05GJrAI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/7gj6asz4JR8/s400/harbor_ring_01-550x340.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Check out the Harbor Ring at <a href="http://harborring.org/">harborring.org</a> or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHarborRing">facebook</a> and be sure to <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/support-bicycle-and-pedestrian-pathways-on-the-verrazano-narrows-bridge">sign the petition for bicycle access across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge</a>.BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-28700661166331594472013-02-17T10:02:00.001-05:002013-02-17T10:02:43.453-05:00The Crowe EffectAn article from this past week in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/nyregion/new-york-bike-lane-advocates-fear-new-mayor-will-roll-back-gains.html?_r=0">New York Times, "Anxiety Over the Future of Bike Lanes,"</a> raises questions about the long-term lifespan of bicycle lanes in NYC - will they survive past the Bloomberg administration?<br />
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At BRBR, we believe bicycle lanes will remain. They have become a core definition of experience and opportunity, providing a new means for people to move through, use and access all of NYC. Bicycle lanes have embedded themselves into the culture of this town. The date they fully took hold can be pinpointed: October 23, 2012. On that morning, paparazzi photographer J.B. Nichols chased actor Russell Crowe through the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn, on bicycles.<br />
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When has an A-list, Oscar-wining actor and personality ever before considered a bicycle as primary transit through the streets NYC? Crowe's bodyguard was also on a bicycle and they both were followed by a total of 6 bicycle riding photographers. Imagine how this scene would have appeared! Instead of photographers climbing over each other along the edge red carpet, they were maintaining pedaling cadence and scrambling past Crowe and his bodyguard along green-painted and bicycle-icon marked lanes of the street.<br />
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It has required many years of effort to develop the current on and off street bicycle network in NYC and the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bikestats.shtml">number of bicycle riders has steadily increased every year over the past 10+ years</a>. Motorists have also slowly grown accustomed to sharing the streets, whether or not a bicycle lane is in place. Potential riders see other bicyclists and marked designation for places to ride. The lanes create the possibility for people attempting their first rides throughout NYC. The first trip is probably local in the neighborhood. With some confidence and experience, another bicycle journey is to work or school. The extent of the bicycle network allows a sense of empowerment to take hold, an a person can ride even farther or more regularly, making the bike a part of their personal transit system. Soon, anything is possible... even actors on bicycles being chased by paparazzi on bicycles!<br />
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October 23, 2012 should be remembered as an important day in NYC bicycling! Read the full account of this milestone in the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/photographer-chase-crowe-flies-article-1.1190738">Daily News</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/photographer-chase-crowe-flies-article-1.1190738"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y5xHs1g9iDo/USDkljsPX2I/AAAAAAAAAYA/wis1OEm3er0/s640/crowechase.jpg" width="271" /> </a></div>
<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-51079623034762803082012-11-15T20:18:00.003-05:002012-11-15T20:18:39.440-05:00Bicycle Lane UpdateGood news for bicycle lanes lanes in Bay Ridge. On September 24th, the full board of Community Board 10 voted to send a list of recommended streets to DOT for bicycle lanes. The streets include:<br />
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Sixth Avenue<br />
68th Street from Sixth Avenue to Shore
Road<br />
72nd Street from Shore Road to Sixth Avenue<br />
Marine Avenue<br />
11th Avenue<br />
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Read more about it on <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/09/28/in-reversal-bay-ridge-community-board-supports-bike-lanes/">StreetsBlog</a>, <a href="http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2012/39/br_bikelanevote_2012_09_28_bk.html">Courier Life's Brooklyn Daily</a> and <a href="http://www.bayridgeodyssey.com/2012/09/cb-10-offers-alternative-to-dot-planned-bike-lanes/"> Bay Ridge Odyssey</a>.BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666326953635916367.post-42749102496772288262012-10-27T13:01:00.000-04:002012-10-27T13:01:00.075-04:00Verrazano Bike & Pedestrian Lane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Kudos to <a href="http://www.bkcb10.org/">Brooklyn Community Board 10</a> member Bob Hudak for recommending that the
DOT consider installing a bicycle and pedestrian path across the
Verrazano Narrows Bridge, in combination with the planned road deck and
approach improvements. Unfortunately, the reply was "no." <a href="http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/bike-lane-verrazano-bridge-mta-says-no">Read the Eagle's article here</a>.<br />
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The bridge is designed to accommodate the pathway but <a href="http://transalt.org/files/resources/bridges/verrazano.html">the installation was nixed by Robert Moses during construction for concerns about budgets and potential suicide jumpers</a>. (Suicide? We suppose that when you are
caught between bell bottoms and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies_and_Gentlemen,_The_Bronx_Is_Burning">the Bronx burning</a> some 35 to 50 years ago,
plus <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/02/nyregion/a-history-of-new-york-in-50-objects.html#/?gridItem=02-fifty-objects-slide-4CK0&smid=pl-share">the President is telling your town to drop dead</a>, ending it all
might have seemed like a viable option.)<br />
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<a href="http://transalt.org/files/resources/bridges/verrazano/dcp_rpt.pdf">A study done in 1997</a> to consider a retrofit to add the path as
intended. It is a through document and was years ahead of its time in
comparison to the current pro-cycling attitudes and initiatives of NYC.
One of the study's deputy directors, Regina Myer, is now director of <a href="http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/">Brooklyn Bridge Park</a>, a place that is becoming a significant connector along
Brooklyn's waterfront. It also has a bike and pedestrian path along its
edge. That park and path also has tremendous community and city
support.<br />
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But in Bay Ridge, it's a different story. <a href="http://brbrbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2011/05/no-bicycle-lane-on-bay-ridge-parkway.html">Our community will not give a 5' wide painted stripe on the road for bicyclists.</a> And in Staten
Island, <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/11/18/cyclists-blindsided-by-citys-erasure-of-father-capodanno-bike-lane/">bicycle lanes have been removed along Father Capodanno Boulevard</a>. Staten Island has also been frequently
noted as the least friendly bicycling borough.<br />
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Mr Hudak also asked if MTA buses could be equipped with bicycle racks to
provide some basic means to cross the Verrazano with a bicycle. If <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/case-for-bike-racks-on-nyc-buses/">other cities can do it, NYC should have the capacity, too, right</a>? <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WRBVYGW">BRBR's online survey</a> indicates that 88% of respondents would want to cross the
bridge on a bicycle path and 53% would load their bicycles on a bus rack.<br />
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<script src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.www.universalsubtitles.org/embed.js" type="text/javascript">
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Currently, there is a total of zero bicycle racks on buses in NYC. Maybe
the S53, S93 and S79 can be the first? BRBR suspects that an initiative for racks on
buses would have to come from a higher city agency or the Mayor's
office, rather than starting solely with the local representatives.
Lack of a bicycle and pedestrian connection across the Verrazano Narrows
is one of the most obvious missing links in the expanding NYC network.<br />
<br />BRBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07269381351435803793noreply@blogger.com0