Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro recently commented, "We have more bike lanes than we have traffic lanes. Do we really need them?" He was referring to the on-street bike lane on Father Capodanno Blvd running parallel to the bike-friendly pedestrian boardwalk that runs along the beach, one street over.
When applied to the whole of Staten Island, however, his statement is grossly erroneous. That alone is grounds to answer his question with a hearty affirmative, as current SI bike lanes are sparse and disconnected at best while motorists are commonly regarded as the bottom rung in a city of "worst drivers."
The boardwalk along South Beach is a Class I bike lane, also sometimes referred to as a "greenway," meaning it is physically separated from traffic. Class I lanes are found within parks, the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, Ninth Ave in Manhattan between 23rd and 16th Streets, and the soon-to-be Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. These bike lanes are tranquil, ideal for sightseeing, family rides, and recreational riding. Children and inexperienced cyclists are sheltered from errant vehicles, and dedicated athletes have smooth, predictable terrain to practice breathing, cadence, and timing.
However, Staten Island politicians fail to take into account cyclists who ride for more than just recreation--they ride as a means of practical, everyday transportation. Their numbers may be few, but their right to safety is not to be ignored or disregarded any more than that of a single mom driving a Tracer or a family boarding a bus. More recreational paths through parks will do nothing for bicycle commuters.
Cycle commuting rose 75% in NYC over the past eight years as more and more cycling infrastructure was added, as well as 35% in Queens and Brooklyn just from 2007 to 2008--at a time when their bike lane networks were only beginning. These riders need a safe route to the store. They need a safe route to school, work, the ferry, the train, the post office, or a friend's house. They deserve, as all citizens deserve, a connected system to get from point A to point B, even if A is in Annadale and B is in New Brighton. The Class II bike lane (characterized by a painted stripe separating it from traffic) on Father Capodanno ought to remain. It is a keystone in the foundation of a network.
The SI Advance editorials contribute to the misinformation by claiming the on-street lanes "serve no real purpose" because, as opposed to citing statistics or observing several hours from a set point, the editors "drive this route daily and rarely see bikers." The same Advance recently published an article denouncing the rude driving habits of its residents, and readers were quick to agree. Again the problem appears to lie more with irresponsible motorists than bike routes.
Whether there are five or five hundred who bike along Staten's roads and bike paths, denying the right of safety to Staten Island's cycling commuters so the driving population can get to their destinations a fraction of a second quicker is a startling display of callousness by officials elected under the guise of serving the public. Atop every bicycle rides a man or woman with ideas, emotions, a family, and a story. Their motivations are as diverse as their backgrounds. While it is easy to lump them into a single category and make assumptions based upon stereotypes or anecdotes, it is no reason to deprive them of something they are, as a whole, entitled: peace of mind for a safe ride.
Life or Death?: Save Staten Island's Bike Lanes
Comments
The bike path along the beaches on Staten Island is ideal for my ten year old grandchildren but totally inadequate for me or any other recreational cyclist. A child with training wheels riding the same path with a recreational cyclist who can ride at a speed of 20 mph is dangerous. Multi-use bike paths are not only useless to commuters but they are also useless to recreational cyclist. Not only are on street bike lanes important to recreational riders and commuters, they are essential to kids who want to safely ride their bikes to school or to a nearby playground.
Thank you for this excellent article, Ms. Sladek. In many countries around the world this is taken for granted, while here in NY it is still something we struggle for. I am one of the transportation bicyclists you speak of, and your recognition of the importance of safety for all citizens regardless of their chosen method of transportation is timely and much appreciated.
Thanks for the article and thanks for the link, Meredith.
Mr. Molinaro and his anti cyclist buddies James Oddo and Vincent Ignizio are up for reelection this November. This likely accounts for their recent noise about bike lanes. (Although Mr Ignizio's beef goes back to December 2007). On car happy Staten Island, complaining about a bike lane that takes a few feet off the edge of Capodanno Blvd's four traffic lanes makes drivers think something huge is being done for them.
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