Northeast - Bill Thompson says he'll rip out Grand Street Bike Lane

While campaigning in Chinatown, mayoral candidate BillThompson questioned whether a bike lane on Grand Street and the other bike lanes across the city have hurt businesses.

Thompson said if elected, he would rip out the Grand Street bike lane and review other ones put in by the Bloomberg Administration.

http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/18/bill-thompson-ill-rip-out-bike-lanes-and-review-safer-streets/#comments

http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/105925/thompson-runs-first-tv-campaign-ads/Default.aspx

I'd like to know how the bike lanes have adversely affected local businesses; if there's parking on the outer perimeter of the bike lane I don't see how it's a problem unless there's an issue with spots for commercial parking. Since moving out to NJ I don't follow NYC politics as closely as I used to, I remember Thompson being a good comptroller which is why I find it a bit odd that this would be an agenda item during a campaign. I can see the logic as far as trying to get small business behind you but this is a bit of a stretch.

He has a snowball's chance in hell of actually winning anyway, not that I'm a Bloomberg fan either.

he has a snowball's chance in hell of actually winning anyway, not that i'm a bloomberg fan either.

+1

it's up to who will convey their message to their voting bloc and which bloc will show up.
He's in Chinatown so he's obviously courting them for their votes.

edit: I'm still voting for him, I despise bloomberg.

I would have given him a chance if he didn't go right out and say he'd fire all the commissioners immediately and rip out a bike lane.

Unless he's got some planning on bringing in someone who has the vision to put in vast improvements in safer streets and cycling infrastructure... perhaps a bike artery system like this one:

http://www.astoriabike.com/2007/10/what-i-want.html

What I'd give for that sort of vision from the DOT...

Bloomberg is a boring technocrat mayor and that's how it should be. We are very lucky here to have his services for free without all that drama of his predecessor. He is running this town just as well as he is running his business (read well) & I'll be voting for him just for the bicycle paths if nothing else.

Bloomberg is a boring technocrat mayor and that's how it should be. We are very lucky here to have his services for free without all that drama of his predecessor. He is running this town just as well as he is running his business (read well) & I'll be voting for him just for the bicycle paths if nothing else.

I agree but think that he focused on Manhattan and really does not care about the other sections of the City.

I'm not in NYC and so won't be voting for either candidate, but I don't like the way Bloomberg changed the term-limits mid-term. If he wanted to change them for the next mayor, that might have been okay, but to just say, "yeah, I'm gonna run for a third term" kinda strikes me the wrong way. If he wins, what's to stop him (or his successor) from doing it again?


Back on topic: Has Thompson proposed any alternatives to the bike lanes? Or is he just looking to remove infrastructure?

Back on topic: Has Thompson proposed any alternatives to the bike lanes? Or is he just looking to remove infrastructure?


To the best of my knowledge Thompson hasn't proposed any alternatives to bike lanes, he simply said he'd rip out the Grand street bike lane and re-examine every bike lane put in during the Bloomberg administration. I emailed his campaign about a month ago after the Villager quoted Thompson as saying bike lanes had been "a nightmare" All I got in response was a request for campaign donations.

He also said he'd get rid of all of Bloomberg's commissioners. He seems be running as the anti-Bloomberg.
I'm no fan of Bloomberg but I do feel he has some good people on his team. DOT commissioner Janet Sadik-Kahn has done a lot to make cycling in this city better.

I'm a big fan of Bloomberg. I mean 311 alone is worth it. There was a huge pothole on a bike lane in my neighborhood. Call 311, put a request in. and within a month it was fixed.

The million trees project, the bike lane infrastructure, his bad spanish, and his beat up saucony's are just a few reasons I like him. Not to mention, no one has him in their wallet. Love that.

Thompson is pandering (a venerable political tradition ;) ) and a few of the locals are exhibiting the usual NIMBYism (another ancient tradition). Not that every cyclist is a well-behaved model citizen, but really, I don't see any valid cause for complaint here.

Per the NY Times, (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/as-bike-lanes-proliferate-so-do-disputes/)The lane is apparently quite well-used (1,000 cyclists per day), and contrary to claims that pedestrians are at more risk, accidents in that area dropped 29%. This at a time when bike ridership is up. And best of all, it was approved prior to construction by the local community board. :twitchy:

And I may be wrong, but Grand Street seems like a logical choice for a bike lane. It's far less congested than nearby thoroughfares, and goes through the park on Forsythe, so it's a good cross-town lane. Where else is a bike lane going to go? Delancey? East Broadway for 5 blocks?