Op-Ed: PPW Bike Lane is Dangerous

This past week, the 200-plus members of Seniors for Safety and Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes were forced to demand what the Department of Transportation promised but never delivered: an objective study of the experimental bike lane on Prospect Park West. 

Before filing a lawsuit, we reached out to DOT and Commissioner Sadik-Khan repeatedly to express our concerns about the lane. We proposed different alternatives to DOT's two-way, parking-separated lane — a configuration never before seen in New York City until 2009, and one that poses particular dangers to senior citizens and people with disabilities. Our repeated overtures were met with silence and, we now know, a secret campaign of personal attacks.

Our concern has always been a simple one: that DOT would conduct a sham study to justify its favored result.  That is exactly what happened.  DOT's collection and public presentation of data in support of the bike lane was a fraud.  

•  DOT's own data show that crashes increased from 2009, before the lane was installed, to 2010, after its installation, according to its own methodology.  But DOT told the community that "crashes are down 16%" since the lane was installed.
• DOT's own data show that injuries increased from 2009 to 2010.  But DOT told the community that "injuries … are down 21%" since the lane was installed. 
• DOT implemented a dangerous new configuration that is inconsistent with federal guidelines and poses serious safety risks, especially to the elderly and disabled.
• DOT completely failed to perform legally required environmental studies. 

The list goes on and on.

We now know that DOT never intended to conduct an objective study of the Prospect Park West bike lane: it was too busy cooking up "counterattacks" to "neutralize" (their own words) anyone who dared question the lane.

The members of our organizations have been called affluent and politically well connected. A small number of our members are. Many of the pro-lane activists are as well.  The difference is that we tried to engage DOT in constructive conversation; when we could not find anyone who would meet with us, we turned to the Freedom of Information Law.  The pro-lane activists, on the other hand, were sitting in secret barroom meetings to coordinate DOT strategy and a campaign of intimidation. Unfortunately, they succeeded: some of our members are now afraid to speak publicly for fear of retribution.

We ask everyone — bike lane supporters and opponents alike — to ignore the name-calling and to look at DOT's data with clear eyes.  Ask questions.  Why did DOT measure “before” bike volume on a single day with bad weather?  Why did DOT present point-to-point comparisons for bike volume and traffic speed, but an averaged comparison for crash and injury data?  Why did that average include side street accidents that had nothing to do with Prospect Park West?  All New Yorkers deserve answers to these questions.

Since we support the installation of smart, safe, bike lanes, we want to find alternative designs that work for everyone: pedestrians — including seniors and the disabled — as well as drivers and cyclists.  The preexisting bike lane in Prospect Park, just a few hundred feet from DOT's experimental on-street lane, provides just one opportunity for compromise.  A one-way lane, as originally proposed in the City's own Master Bicycle Plan, offers another, paired with a one-way lane on Eighth Avenue.  We want to discuss every reasonable alternative and find compromise if possible. 

The one thing we cannot accept is a radical two-way bike lane with an inherent design defect that endangers senior citizens, people with disabilities, and families with children.  Unfortunately, that appears to be the only "solution" DOT is willing to consider.

Louise Hainline is the President of Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes. Lois Carswell is the President of Seniors for Safety. Both groups are currently engaged in a lawsuit with the city of New York for the removal of the Prospect Park West bike lanes.