abe1x

Love it when the city actually does something right for once. My commute takes me down Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, which until last weeks repaving was as bad as it gets. Not only was the road a disaster, but there was actually a point where the bike lane switched from the left side (NY standard to avoid dooring and bus stops) to the right side without warning. For those who obay traffic laws religiously the only possible way to stay in the lane would be to dismount, walk across the street and remount in the new lane. No one did that of course, making for some precarious lane shifting as confused riders tried to figure out where exactly they should be riding.

In any case, they finally got down to replacing the street markings on the beautiful new asphalt, and the bike lane is now fixed, left lane all the way. Not only that but as a rode by, workers where busy taking apart parking meters and putting up shiny new red "no parking anytime" signs. The city actually removed parking spaces in order to make a better bike lane! A first around here perhaps... In a nice "attention to detail" touch, right where Clinton ends at Cadman Plaza, they extended the bike lane through the odd parking triangle I often cut through, very nice.

timmhaan

that's awesome. i don't have a huge need to ride on clinton but i'll go and check it out. i'm just happy they repaved 3rd avenue. brand new pavement is just soooooo nice to ride on, isn't it?

brokenrobot

Nice! I haven't ridden Clinton in a long time - got hit there twice, and decided Jay was safer - but I'll have to check it out!

Timmhaan - wouldn't it be nice if they'd restripe third, not that it's been paved for so long?!

oboeguy

About time! So they fixed that nasty section from Pierpont to Cadman Plaza too? Wo0t!

On the way to the Tour de Bronx a few weeks back we were rudely made aware of the repaving project on Broadway way up north. Rough riding. I hope it gets finished soon with similar improvement to Clinton.

Mr_Super_Socks

cool. that was exactly how I felt when they striped dean st. and bergen st. a couple years ago. it's the opposite of how I felt last weekend when I discovered the prospect park loop road was chewed up for about 300 yards.

it's very nice when a good thing happens for cyclists. congrats on your new lane! (I may be using it soon when I move to Carroll Gardens.)

jyossarian

Cool, that section Oboeguy mentioned was a little rough unless you had a suspension. Now if they'd only put a bike lane on Flatbush. I know, there's other ways to get to Prospect Park from the bridges, but the hills are nastier unless someone can recommend a less nasty hill. Right now, I'd settle for repaving the two right lanes on Lex. between 42nd and 48th. Those look like something big came along and chewed up the road, then spit it back out.

slvoid

BTW, they're re-doing prospect park too.
I went through that yesterday on my way to work and ended up riding through several hundred feet of broken pavement before I turned onto one of the paths and got out.
Hopefully they're redoing those potholes on the hill too.

Mr_Super_Socks

I actually hammered through 8 loops in PP on saturday through that garbage. the first time made me want to scream, but after I decided to keep going, I hooked up with a guy wearing BVF gear and we pushed each other around and around - that section was a challenge, but neither of us let up and it seemed better the faster we went - kinda like cyclocross with the wrong tires. not many other roadies out there last weekend.

Mr_Super_Socks

go Tillary to dean, dean to 5th ave. 5th ave to St. Johns (right after R&A Cycles) and St. Johns takes you to Plaza street which loops right over to the park. this is the least steep of the non-flatbush approaches that I know of. I really hate riding on flatbush, except early weekend morning when you can absolutely FLY to the bridges with little traffic.

timmhaan

where is the road torn up in the park? which section?

Mr_Super_Socks

east side, over by the ice rink. I haven't been over there since saturday.

brokenrobot

I was there yesterday, and they were just starting up the hill with the pavement-eater. The guy said they're doing all the way 'round, except for the part that was done last summer (or the summer before? But I think it was last year).

jyossarian

Thanks for the route Mr. SS. I'll give it a try. I don't actually mind Flatbush cuz I get to stop for beef patties and coco bread and cheesecake.

abe1x

good and bad news update,

bad news first, they didn't actually remove parking spaces (how could I have been so dumb to think they would), just moved them across the street. Yesterday, first day of full switch over this actually made the ride worse, all the trucks where in their standard positions, which is now the middle of the bike lane. Today was smooth sailing though.

good news is that they have extend the lane all the way to the brooklyn bridge entrance. Done right too, a concrete barrier separates a two way bike lane from the Tillary street traffic. I used to ride against traffic here all the time and was hardly alone, this should make the commute significantly safer.

oboeguy

Heh, I was going to post the same as Abe as I happened to ride / drive through there yesterday. I really like the new TWO WAY bike with the barrier. Well done, NYC!