Bike Lane Compliance in PLG

Earlier today, Gothamist lauded the residents of Maple Street for their respect for the bike lane during alternate side hours.

It is a great thing to see, and I am glad that Maple Street has learned to coexist with the bike lane in their midst. I'm surprised, however, that nobody has jumped into the Gothamist comment section to remind them that the compliance is likely due in no small part to the 71st Precinct's policy of ticketing cars parked in the bike lane during alternate-side hours, as kicked off by the notorious September 2007 Ticket Blitz.

Image via Sholom Brody

Comments

[Bob Marvin]

IIRC the "ticket blitz" had something to do with miscommunication from the PD over where residents double-parking would be "tolerated" (as is the local tradition) during alternate street cleaning hours.

I don't live on Maple Street (or Lincoln Road, the site of a similar bike lane) and have no ax to grind. These two bike lanes have worked out OK after the confusion was cleared uo. Nevertheless, although I generally support these lanes, I think they're kind of silly (albeit harmless) on lightly traveled, residential Maple Street and Lincoln Road. Do cyclists really need special protection on streets like these where there is relatively little car or bicycle traffic? IMO putting bike lanes on streets like Maple and Lincoln strengthens the dangerous misconception that cyclists aren't entitled to ride on streets without bike lanes.

[Ed]

Double parking around the bike lane is not only absurd, it's dangerous. The double-parked cars stick out too far out into the road. If a car, for whatever reason, hasn't yet moved from the side being cleaned, the other cars need to proceed like a giant slalom. I've seen larger vehicles unable to get through. Frankly, the "avoiding the bike lane" for double parking ranks with the some of the other great empty-headed things that seem so common in this neck of the woods.