The Magic 8 Ball Sounds Off on The PPW Bike Lane Controversy

Oh look! People are still bitching about the *new* bike lane on Prospect Park West! I can’t imagine why...Park Slopers are normally so good at letting things slide (I really wish there was a font for sarcasm).

Ok so I’ll make this quick: Apparently a group has formed called “Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes” and they claim that after months of harassing the DOT for statistics about how this bike lane was worth every last drop of blood spilled from all the first born sons of PPW residents that they were fed a pack of lies. When the DOT finally provided speeding statistics like “one in five cars now speeds compared to the three out of four
who used to.” The NBBL cried “BULLSHIT!” They wanted to see real stats not silly ones. Who cares if out of a survey of 3000 Brooklynites, ¾ supported the bike lane? That can’t be real.

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Who Gives A Shit: Bike Shop Love/Hate

image: Wallyg via FlickrOk, so I don't ride a bike...and I don't wanna ride a bike. I've got my hands full trying to keep myself from not getting killed on foot. HOWEVER, I've noticed this thing amongst people who do ride bikes that's kind of entertaining: there is some pretty extreme love/hate for the various bike shops around the nabe. Like ppl feel VERY strongly about their faves/least faves.

Dixon's for instance. Everyone HATES THE SHIT out of this bike shop. It's amazing...mention Dixon's to any Park Slope bike rider and you are likely to see any one of the following reactions:

• spitting
• eye rolling
• expletive screaming ("DOUCHEBAGS!" "ASSHOLES!" "MOTHERFUCKERS!")
• simulated air punching
• simulated suicide attempts

I've honestly never seen anything like it. It almost makes me want to go to Dixon's just to hang out and see wtf is going on down there.

On the love side, I keep hearing about that bike shop on 9th, 9th Street Cycles (and I know Meredith is a fan). And @dkcholo loves Ride Brooklyn on Bergen.

So, wtf is up with the Dixon's hate? And which bike shop do you love? Can someone, once and for all, pls explain to me which bike shops suck and which rule (and why??).

Kthxbai.

PPW Bike Lane: The Public Has Spoken, and THEY LIKE IT JUST FINE

Photo by Phil Catelinet

The depths have been plumbed, grievances investigated, driving speeds radar-detected, people polled and the results are in... The finding of a new community survey is that all of you anti-bike lane bloviators can STFU, already! Officially.

Council Members Brad Lander and Steven Levin along with CB6 wanted to bring peace to our tiny kingdom. They wanted to "get beyond the (old farts) shouting" and waving signs that said stuff like "when it snows where will it go?" (yeah, where will it go?).

And so in their infinite wisdom, the Lander/Levin/Crate and Barrel (oops community board) trifecta conducted a community survey of 3000+ Brooklynites.

Now, an argument can and has been made that this is a dumb-ass bike lane, not the best layout, redundant, a whip-lash hazard for pedestrians trying to get across in one piece, etc.

However, according to the survey results (here in handy dandy powerpoint), the bike path has broad public support overall, with PPW residents less enthusiastic and splitting down the middle: half in favor, half opposed. Less than 30% of Park Slopers want to remove the bike path.

Specifically, those polled reported slower car traffic and overall improved safety for bikers and walkers alike. There could def be improvements for "pedestrian-bike interface" at crossings and making sure nobody gets clocked when car doors get opened, but survey findings indicate that overall, people feel safer.

The DOT has already announced its own finding that the bike lane and reconfiguration of Prospect Park West has significantly slowed down car traffic. 

The Weekend That Was: Retrocyclers

Obviously, I don't have my finger on the pulse of Park Slope life as much as I like to think I do 'cause I missed this tweedy cyclist tour. Here are some highlights courtesy of Ennuipoet's (name!) flickr page via our friends at Gothamist.

Speaking of ennui, you people like to make fun of BREEDERS but none of us have time or energy to make asses of ourselves in such vintage style! 

What other get-togethers are going on around here that I wasn't invited to (and am not sure I want to join!)?

O Bi Boing!, Hello 718 Cyclery

New Biz Alert: The former spot of Boing Boing's South location (or "o hi, boing!" as you may have come to know and...love?) on Seventh at 15th is no more.  The creepy plastic doll in a bunting in the window has been replaced by signs for a new retail front for 718 Cyclery, apparently "Park Slope's highest rated bike shop."

By appointment only.  Are these guys gonna give my boys at 9th Street a run for their money? Discuss.

Also, bikes are obviously still socialism. (Why the hell do any of you take anything I say seriously?)