City Gives Two-Wheelers Slap On Back
In an uncharacteristic move, the city is supporting cyclists over motorists, at least at the Bedford Avenue L train stop. The Department of Transportation recently rid the street of three parking spots in order to install [more bike racks]a first. The new racks fit about 24 bikes, and another 26 can be chained to the old racks around the Bedford stop.
amNY reports that cycling is booming in Williamsburg, so Brooklyn Community Board 1 had asked the city transportation department for better bike parking options six months ago, and Greenpoint is seeing a similar influx of 10-speeds. The DOT has installed 690 racks in Brooklyn since 1996.
But residents of Brooklyn Heights are not so thrilled with the citys new bike-friendly moves. Henry Streets bicycle lane (betw. Amity & Clark Sts.) was recently painted an [unnatural shade of green]the first step in a new city initiative to discourage vehicles from wandering into cyclists lanes.
A white stripe and signs bearing symbols of cyclists mark most of the citys bike lane, but approximately five miles of them will now go green, costing the city about $100,000 a square mile, according to The New York Sun. While bikers couldnt be happier, the rest of the neighborhood says the garish hue detracts from their charming views. Green or no green, motorists can be fined up to $115 for parking or driving in a bicycle lane.
Meanwhile, the citys Vespa riders are sitting happy. Until Sept. 30, [Piaggio Group America], a company that imports the scooters, is paying for 48 parking spaces at garages and lots in the theater district, Midtown, Tribeca and Chinatown, where [Vespa owners can park](http://www.1010wins.com/pages/680113.php?contentType=4&contentId=687882) for several hours for freewhich is a hell of a lot better than [$225,000](http://master.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=89894308) for a vehicle only six times as large.
Photo courtesy of [ten safe frogs on Flickr]