Manhattan, NY – Bicyclists Vent About Williamsburg Bridge Barricade

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    Manhattan, NY – Concrete barriers are being built on the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg Bridge’s bike lane to prevent potential terrorists from driving onto the path – a deadly addition for cyclists, bikers said.

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    The city’s Department of Transportation has started digging holes along the Delancey St. bike lane, getting ready to put in a half dozen blockades so cars can’t go through.

    But Manhattan-bound cyclists said they won’t be able to slow down when zooming down the bridge’s mile-long hill that takes pedestrians and bikers into the lower East Side.

    “If the city is going to put up the barricades, they should be made of softer material. Like plastic. So if someone hits it, they are less likely to be seriously injured,” said Bill DiPaola, director of advocacy group Times Up!

    The bridge is the city’s busiest for bikers, drawing thousands of two-wheelers a day, said Transportation Alternatives, the cyclists’ advocacy group.

    “The fear of terrorism, once again, overrides the needs of New Yorkers’ safety,” said Williamsburg biker advocate Baruch Herzfeld. “You shouldn’t have to be a veteran rider to bike safely in this city.”

    Some cyclists on the Williamsburg Bridge said the barriers are a death wish.

    “When you are coming down that hill you forget how fast you are going. I don’t know if there is time to stop,” said Anthony Herrera, 45, pedaling his mountain bike onto the bridge. “It’s very dangerous.”


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    6 Comments
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    LEEAVE
    LEEAVE
    12 years ago

    Baruch herzfeld?

    Is he a sicko from the norths?
    I would put up barricades 2 block it off completely, u should see how dangerous the bikers zoom out from the bridge, they don’t belong in the city

    12 years ago

    Herzfeld is correct….there are a bunch of anti-semitim who are are constantly making life more difficult for yiddeshe bikers.

    Renegade
    Renegade
    12 years ago

    I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume any cyclist going too fast to avoid these barricades is also going too fast to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk

    mewhoze
    mewhoze
    12 years ago

    softer barricades will not stop a van or car from coming onto the bridge.
    geeez , you would think that this person would figure that out.
    also, as #3 said, the bikers are flying down the hill to get to delancey street. let them slow down for the pedestrians safety as well as their own.
    cyclists follow no rules at all!!

    BigMo
    BigMo
    12 years ago

    What did they think? Bloomberg is gonna stop with bike lanes? The next thing is speeding tickets, etc….
    This meshugener has no limits