New York City – The city’s decision to strip away 14 blocks of bike lanes in Brooklyn is turning into an international crisis.
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When Mayor Bloomberg arrives at the climate-change meetings in Copenhagen Monday he’ll be confronted by a group of activists from the borough, demanding to know how an environmentalist can take an anti-cycling stance.
“How can he fly all the way there to talk about being a green mayor when at home he is yanking bike lanes off the streets?” said Baruch Herzfeld, an unofficial spokesman for the groups of riders who repainted sections of Bedford Avenue bike lanes in protest at the removal.
“Mayor Bloomberg is a hypocrite, and we will actively try to find and confront him in Copenhagen about this issue,” Herzfeld said.
The Brooklyn contingent was already in the Danish capital for the summit when the bike- lane brouhaha began.
The lanes were removed following outrage from Williamsburg’s Hasidic community, which complained the cyclists were endangering residents’ lives and souls.
The riders were not only reckless, but their various states of undress were an undue hardship on their faith, which dictates they not stare at members of the opposite sex, residents said.
After a group of cyclists repainted several sections of bike lanes early Monday morning, and posted their exploits on YouTube, police arrested two of the alleged perpetrators.
Quinn Hechtropf, 26, and Katherine Piccochi, 24, were issued desk appearance tickets on charges of criminal mischief, but it’s unclear how prosecutors will proceed with the case.
The pair will plead not guilty, lawyer Gideon Oliver said.
Cyclists say they have nothing against the Hasidic community, in fact, Hechtopf recently donated a tandem bicycle to a blind Hasidic man so he could exercise, Herzfeld said.
This Sunday, the bike group Time’s Up plans to stage a “funeral procession,” to perform the last rites for the lanes, which ran from Flushing Avenue and Division Street.
At 2 p.m., cyclists dressed as clowns will lead the “New Orleans-style procession” and will hold a “vigil with a mock ceremony to resurrect a section of the missing bike lane,” spokesman Benjamin Shepard said.
But just because the group is holding a funeral for the lanes does not mean they are resigned to life without them, Shepard said.
“We are still hopeful for a resurrection,” he said.
If that doesn’t work, Herzfeld says, some cyclists have begun “building stockpiles of white paint.”
As for the repainted bike lanes, Department of Transportation officials said crews will remove whatever yesterday’s rain did not.
They don’t have to dress as clowns. They already have proven that they are clowns. The costume is unnecessary and redundant.
Guys.. I am just wondering if its Chanukah or Purim ?
I’m just wondering is it worth it to make a hole issue out of the bike lane? I mean it might not be a first choice thing but I don’t think its something you gonna fight for life on! Its not like gay marriage and other big issues like that so just everyone relax!
the biking morons are at fault
The fact of the matter is. Since the bike lanes where interduced in Williamsburg, there are much more pollution. It takes now much longer to go from one end Williamsburg to the other, Even if you will eliminate some cars, you will allways need trucks and trailors to deliver goods. And those trucks by crawling on Wythe Avenue for 20 minutes, pollute much more than what we had until now.
So to really help the envorinment the first thing to do is to make easier for trucks and trailors to get trough the city.
question,
just wondering did people see an increase in cyclist when the bike lanes where in existence?
I as since as a cyclist it really does not matter to me if there is a bike lane or not I will take the most efficient and least congested route.
baruch herzfeld is my rebbe.
Only those who live or work there can comment intelligently. Not every area can accomodate bike lanes. You must realize that some areas are so heavily populated that it creates a hazardous environment.
I salute the Yiddin in Williamsburg for standing up to the Mongolian horde of yuppies. They try to force the long time residents to adjust to their lives. This is the first step in showing the global warming Nazis that they don’t control us.
can anybody figure out a different route of avenue that cyclist can use to cross Brooklyn to get to the bridge, so everybody can be happy?
the same strict Rabbis who don’t want bicycles going through williamsburg also don’t chasidim to go on the internet.
Tikun olam, my foot.
Baruch. From the bike gemach?
All the posts on this site that are in favor of the looney biking hipsters are from herzfeld. there are no other orthodox jews that care one way or the other about the stupid bike lanes other than him in fact most orthodox jews cant stand them.
I live and work in Williamsburg, so I feel qualified to comment. With all due respect to the environmentalists, the bikers do pose a major hazard to young children, older folks, Moms wheeling carriages or anyone else trying to cross Bedford Ave. Williamsburg is one of the most heavily populated areas in the city with masses of people crossing Bedford Ave at any time of the day and especially at night coming home from Simchas.
Williamsburg is our home for the past 55-60 years; we feel suddenly besieged by these cyclists posing a hazard to so many walkers. There is no need for them to protest; they are only being moved one block away and they can have access to the Williamsburg bridge from there as well.
Guess what–bike lanes or no bike lanes, the cyclists STILL have the right to ride their bikes on Bedford Avenue as well as most other streets in NYC), and even take up the whole lane if necessary. That’s the LAW. The bike lanes are just supposed to make it a little safer and keep the bicyclists and cars more separated–but a lot of selfish drivers won’t accept it. I’m a shomer mitzvos bike commuter AND I work. (I know Herzfeld, but I’m not him.) I live on Staten Island and commute by bike to Brooklyn by ferry and the Manhattan Bridge, but let me tell you, SI is arguably more hostile to bikers than shtetl Villiamzburg. The Satmars and other hasidim in Williamsburg have to know that they have to obey the same law as the rest of the City–but I could also do less with the holier-than-thou in your face attitude of certain segments of the hipster demographic, especially when so many of them are recent transplants who only parachuted into Williamsburg the day before yesterday after graduating from art and design school.
I’m a Chasid living in Williamsburg, and I think it’s unfair to remove the bike lanes.
If you think its fair because it changes the character of the community, then it’s fair for the people in upstate to block our big Shuls and camps.
You can’t have it both ways.
I can’t blame the Hasidim– they’re asking for what they want, just like the bikers. However, I think the city was wrong to side with the Hasidim on this. In the end, the bikers will still go through the place (which, for the record, the Hasidim don’t own), and will have to do so without a bike lane. This is more dangerous for all involved, and it’s regrettable that the Hasidim (and the city officials they lobbied for this) don’t seem to recognize this.
This is a moot point. The chassidim had enough political power to have the bike lanes removed. good for them. That shows that they are a strong enough political group that they can help control elections. this is democracy. if you can get enough people together to vote the way you want them to you will win an election. politicians want the chassidim on their side so they do things for them. nothing illegal about it. this is how america works.
The bikers are a bunch of nuts anyway so i say good for the chassidim. We should all learn to get our communities to stick together as voting blocks.
Bike lanes or no bike lanes, cyclists can still go down streets.