So our city had a major proposal a few months ago to take the two left lanes closest to the medium(one on each side of traffic) and convert it to a protected on street bike lane. With more seating in the centre medium....well council voted on it and it was defeated by 1 vote....


So out of curiosity I wanted to know why my local ward councilor voted against it. Today I got the answer. "It would Hinder ambulance services. Out of all the lamest excuses in the world he could have come up with....that has to top it. You can see from the pic...drivers and emergency vehicles would have had another 3 lanes to choose from. Anyhow....I just wanted to vent

Good; get rid of the ambulances and people will be more careful to avoid having medical emergencies. (Well, people use that excuse for not wanting helmets...)

I have mixed feelings about bike lanes. I generally like them and rejoice when they put them in(new ones going up on 1st ave and extending the one on 2nd ave right by my apt), but it's just frustrating because now some ******bags will park in it and unlike the unprotected lanes I have nowhere to go to get around them. I've found roads with the "bike lane" painted on the road on the left side but not separated from traffic to be the best. It reminds me that I am a vehicle and to behave as such and I find cars take notice of me more and that's always a good thing.

On the flip side, I can see how protected bike lanes encourage new people to start riding in the city, and more riders is always a good thing.

Parking in a bike lane will get you a ticket here...or possibly eggs on your car.

Looks like you should just turn the right lane into a bike lane. Take it and use it- the cars have three other lanes to use. The cyclists in the second pic have the right idea.

Can't you just leave the bike lane and go around?

Those lanes are plenty wide enough for bikes and cars to share, also pavement looks suitable for 23 mm tires.

sure, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of a dedicated and separated bike lane in the first place? Also, since there are parked cars alongside it, I'd lose out on the lane for a whole block which compounds the issue.

Also, sometimes you have real jerks like this morning when the guy pulled right into the lane in front of me because the parking was full so he drove a bit in and put his blinkers on, giving me nowhere to go at all.

tickets don't bug anybody, companies figure it into the cost of making deliveries in NYC. the cops need to just tow them out of there for the first violation.

Why don't you call him on his answer and ask for some numbers regarding predicted ambulance delays.

Mine biggest problem with those buffered bike lanes in NYC is that pedestrians use them, plus the idiotic habit people have to wait off the curb for the light! There were already crashes on that 2nd ave bike lane, including one guy from work: a pedestrian just stepped in in front of him in the middle of the block. I don't know the details, I only briefly spoke to him when passing by, but it wasn't bad, no one got hurt, just scared.

It happened to me many times: they'd look at me approaching and still step in front of me as if I wasn't there. I try not to slow down, I get close and blow my AirZound, I know it's mean and dangerous but I'm really irked by the stupidity of those people. And it's not just bikes, they'd step in front of trucks and buses and would act surprised when they hear a horn few feet away. I think I get more acknowledgment from drivers than pedestrians. The culture of jaywalking and the lack of pedestrian enforcement is really annoying in NYC. I bet in many other places too.

I've seen cars ticketed but pedestrian enforcement isn't going to happen. Also, the bike lanes end where there is a left turn and that part of the lane that is supposed to be used for turning invites drivers to stop, even double park. I also find it hard to go around those parked cars. Add a large population of salmons to the mix and I'm starting to have really mixed feelings about those lanes, I don't feel safe there.

Agree 1000%. Some streets, like Prince Street, were far safer BEFORE the bike lane.

Actually, I think a full lane dedicated to bike traffic would make a far BETTER ambulance route.

Have you ever seen an ambulance or cop car try to get through rush hour traffic? Problem is, everyone is already jammed onto the highway. The emergency vehicle comes up with it's sirens going and lights flashing, but no matter how much they want to get out of the way, the cars on the road have nowhere to go if there's no shoulder.

Imagine the lane is filled with bikers. Bikers could actually stop, get off their bike and set it on the sidewalk letting the ambulance through.

You make way too much sense, you'll never be a successful politician

I agree 1000% as well, but this is less to quote!