Two years ago, the new Kosciuszko Bridge opened between Queens and Brooklyn. While I didn't dislike the look of the old span, industrial and utilitarian as it is, I think the new one is much more pleasing to look at, especially at night.
One thing that neither span had, though, is access for cyclists or pedestrians. Even though I subscribe to John Forester's idea of "cycles as vehicles", at least to a point, there was no way I would have ridden across either span, even if it were permitted. There are simply too many vehicles driven by impatient people across a roadway that, in spots, has rather poor sight lines. And while I normally feel confident about truck drivers, too many rigs cross the bridge on any given day, which is to be expected when industrial areas line the shores of Newtown Creek, the body of sludge and slicks spanned by the bridge.
The new span is really one of two that was planned. The other is set to open later this year and include a 20-foot-wide path for cyclists and pedestrians in either direction. That sounds good, right?
Well, it is, except for one thing: How do you get to the bridge? I have ridden the streets that lead to it many times, as they are only about 5 kilometers from my apartment. I actually like some of those streets, as they wind through a patchwork of old industrial sites, graveyards, disused railroad tracks and the turbid creek. But other streets are simply narrow and warren-like conduits for short-tempered drivers.
That is why I have mixed feelings about the New York City Department of Transportation's plans to build a network of bicycle and pedestrian access lanes on the streets that approach the bridge. The DOT's reports say that some of the streets are "overly wide". They are indeed wider than other city streets. But when you consider that much of the traffic consists of trucks, it's actually a tighter squeeze than people realize. And there are places, like this stretch of 43rd Street in Queens, where there is "no way out":
I actually have ridden there, with caution. A "lane" separated from motor traffic by only lines of paint would actually put cyclists in greater danger, as such lanes seem to engender a false sense of safety in cyclists and encourage more aggressive behavior on the part of motorists. And the "sidewalk" on the left side leads from a lane of traffic to an entrance of the Queens-Midtown Expressway. I know: I took it by mistake!
And I am not impressed with the DOT's plans for other streets in the area. Given the agency's track record, I don't expect that the "network" they plan will provide safe, meaningful connections from residential areas, schools and workplaces clustered just below Queens Boulevard. Unless there is a network of paths that is as well-planned as the motor vehicle routes to the bridge, I don't think this new network will encourage anyone to ride for transportation: People who aren't already regular riders simply won't feel safe, with good reason.
One thing that neither span had, though, is access for cyclists or pedestrians. Even though I subscribe to John Forester's idea of "cycles as vehicles", at least to a point, there was no way I would have ridden across either span, even if it were permitted. There are simply too many vehicles driven by impatient people across a roadway that, in spots, has rather poor sight lines. And while I normally feel confident about truck drivers, too many rigs cross the bridge on any given day, which is to be expected when industrial areas line the shores of Newtown Creek, the body of sludge and slicks spanned by the bridge.
The new span is really one of two that was planned. The other is set to open later this year and include a 20-foot-wide path for cyclists and pedestrians in either direction. That sounds good, right?
Well, it is, except for one thing: How do you get to the bridge? I have ridden the streets that lead to it many times, as they are only about 5 kilometers from my apartment. I actually like some of those streets, as they wind through a patchwork of old industrial sites, graveyards, disused railroad tracks and the turbid creek. But other streets are simply narrow and warren-like conduits for short-tempered drivers.
That is why I have mixed feelings about the New York City Department of Transportation's plans to build a network of bicycle and pedestrian access lanes on the streets that approach the bridge. The DOT's reports say that some of the streets are "overly wide". They are indeed wider than other city streets. But when you consider that much of the traffic consists of trucks, it's actually a tighter squeeze than people realize. And there are places, like this stretch of 43rd Street in Queens, where there is "no way out":
I actually have ridden there, with caution. A "lane" separated from motor traffic by only lines of paint would actually put cyclists in greater danger, as such lanes seem to engender a false sense of safety in cyclists and encourage more aggressive behavior on the part of motorists. And the "sidewalk" on the left side leads from a lane of traffic to an entrance of the Queens-Midtown Expressway. I know: I took it by mistake!
And I am not impressed with the DOT's plans for other streets in the area. Given the agency's track record, I don't expect that the "network" they plan will provide safe, meaningful connections from residential areas, schools and workplaces clustered just below Queens Boulevard. Unless there is a network of paths that is as well-planned as the motor vehicle routes to the bridge, I don't think this new network will encourage anyone to ride for transportation: People who aren't already regular riders simply won't feel safe, with good reason.
