As the work progresses , we have already a heard that some adjustments will be necessary: some parking regulations , some turns where pedestrians are not sufficiently protected, pedestrians using the 8th Avenue bike lane as a sidewalk extension amongst others.. Click Here for a picture of pedestrian refuge being built at 35th Street.
I observed a funny scene where a car was parked in the floating parking lane on 9th Avenue at peak hour and every other new Jersey commuter got stuck behind it thinking this was a moving lane… it was hilarious, although you wonder why the DOT painted the lanes so much in advance of the rest of the work..
We also heard that the 8th avenue section between 39th and 42nd in front of the Bus Terminal is Hell and the section above 56th Street to connect to the Park is invisible making it real dangerous to get to the park .
Post your comments here so that we can relay them to the DOT ….
The 8th avenue ‘bike lane’ was always a sidewalk extension. Nothing new here except the BIKE LANES.. Pedestrians walk in the street to get around the tourists; to get to the subways faster. So Bloomberg messes up the avenues and sidewalks for cars and pedestrians. No one can get anywhere faster because of these ‘improvements’ and someone here finds that ‘amusing’ !?
It’s always sad to hear critical comments about bike lanes – and they seem to be from people who don’t ride bikes.
True, the sidewalks of 8th and 9th Avenues are so crowded and narrow that pedestrians are tempted to use the bike lanes, which are not so heavily trafficked. The bike lanes down Broadway and on lower 9th Ave. seem to work well because the plantings separate the cars from the bikers, so we can ride rapidly and safely. 8th Ave. needs some more careful study, as peds, food carts and loading cars are more frequently in the way, and possibly need some policing, better signage and maybe plantings. (I’m thinking of investing in a bell for my bike).
From the way it looks so far on the upper 9th Av. bike lane, there may be similar problems. Hopefully, painting the lane green will help, but it also looks like motor vehicles will be allowed to enter the lanes earlier to make left turns, thus cutting off bikes. Again, maybe traffic lights will cure this, as they do elsewhere.
Its not a bike lane on 9th avenue but parking space for public and for the precinct on 35 street, thats what its being used for, forcing cyclists in traffic. My friend just had an accident thanks to 3 police cars parked there and ended up in the hospital.