Seniors Voice Concerns on SBS and Bike Lanes

By [Laura Shin] The implementation of Select Bus Service and new bike lanes along First and Second avenues has caused confusion and concern for some pedestrians. The office of State Senator Thomas K. Duane and the Department of Transportation (DOT) held an information session for senior citizens Dec. 21 on the issue. â??As with all new services, implementation of SBS and the new street configurations have had challenges as bus riders, drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and law enforcement, along with residents and businesses along the routes, adjust to the changes, said Duane in a statement. Duane said his office received a number of questions and complaints from senior citizens regarding the new bus service and bike lanes. One of the key components of the street"s redesign are the bike paths that are separated from traffic lanes by pedestrian islands. Kim Wiley-Schwartz, assistant commissioner of education and outreach for DOT, said these islands shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians and make it safer to cross. Pedestrians can now cross to the refuges and wait for a new crossing signal before making their way across the street, she said. The redesign with the bike paths also forces cars to slow down before turning. â??Dangerous drivers are the main problem, Wiley-Schwartz said. â??We can use engineering and education to make it safer. The DOT launched a traffic safety campaign this year entitled â??That"s Why It"s 30, releasing public service announcements that emphasize the citywide speed limit of 30 miles per hour. Wiley-Schwartz said the DOT is also pushing a â??Don"t Be a Jerk campaign for bicyclists. The aim is to get bicyclists to understand that how they are riding is endangering pedestrians, she said. Through the campaign, DOT hopes to stop bicyclists from riding on sidewalks, riding through red lights and going against traffic. Harold Schaeffer, an East Side resident who attended the forum, said the biggest concern for him is the lack of enforcement of laws for drivers and bicyclists. He said bicyclists are still riding on sidewalks and drivers are not yielding to pedestrians. â??No one"s giving out tickets and the NYPD is too busy to deal with small infractions, Schaeffer said. Colleen Chattergoon, community coordinator for DOT"s Manhattan office, said her office works closely with all local precincts to ensure that summons are being issued to motorists and bicyclists not following the rules. â??The number of summons issued has increased. NYPD is stepping up, Chattergoon said. The number of fatalities has also decreased tremendously in recent years, she added. Some seniors at the forum questioned why bike lanes exist at all. Chattergoon said there has been a large increase in the number of bicyclists in the city in recent years and it is part of the city"s PlaNYC 2030 outlook. â??The bike lanes provide a way to get from point A to point B for those who don"t want to drive. The roadway is to be shared, she said.