Columbus Avenue tree lot, by Lynn Austin.
December 11, 2012 Weather: Partly Cloudy, High of 47 Degrees.
Notices:
A Columbus Avenue bike lane meeting and free one-act operas by Juilliard students are on our calendar.
The CCNY photo benefit auction at 25 CPW is also scheduled for tonight starting at 6.
News:
Upper East Siders want Central Park to install bike-specific stop lights to curb speeding. “Rita Popper, CB8 Parks Committee member, came up with the idea of installing traffic signals with bike logos on the lenses — similar to the setup on some downtown cycling paths. Popper said the move would ensure that cyclists undoubtedly knew that the lights applied to them. A DOT spokesman said the department would be willing to consider the idea. (DNAinfo)
Lawyers for Alphonse Fletcher, who sued the Dakota board for discrimination when they wouldn’t let him buy another apartment there, have gotten permission to withdrasw from the case. “One law firm asked to withdraw from the case in October, after it said Mr. Fletcher had stopped paying bills in April. Soon after, the other firm asked to withdraw as well because of “irreconcilable differences” with Mr. Fletcher, it said in court papers. The firm declined to provide details, citing attorney-client privilege.” (Wall Street Journal)
The M66 was given a “pokey” award by the Straphangers Campaign as one of the 2 slowest bus lines in the city. “The transit advocacy group says both lines inch their way across Manhattan at just 3.9 miles per hour at noon on a weekday.” (NY1)
Columbia students rallied in support of workers from the restaurant Indus Valley and the Domino’s Pizza on 108th Street, who claim they have been mistreated. (Columbia Spectator)
Christine Quinn wants to let corporations and unions give unlimited donations, a move that critics say would gut NYC’s campaign finance law. (Daily News)
I’ve watched Christine Quinn give speeches at union protests that were examples of the unions strong-arming local owners who already used workers from a different union (this most recently has been happening at Fairway – that time it was the Amish Market). It was pretty clearly a quid pro quo appearance, since none of the employees supported the protest.
In other words, Christine Quinn wants to operate more like the Republicans. Well, she just lost my vote.
Spend money on more stop lights that will not be enforced by the police. Brilliant idea! It’s like those stupid signs that warn against a $350 fine for honking. Politicians spend money to pretend they are doing something, while the NYPD does nothing to enforce these types of measures.
Rita Popper said the new lights would make sure the cyclists would know for sure they applied to them. LMAO! Yeah, Popper, that’s been the problem all along.
The stoplights are a terrible idea. I’m a cyclist in the park and I’m among the few that stop for pedestrians. (Admittedly, if I slow down and no one is coming, I do go through the lights – but I always slow down first.)
The cyclists that complete ignore the lights won’t change their behavior. They are also the same people that yell at the runners if they even step foot on the line between the joggers and cyclists. They are idiots. Period.
Enforcement is part of the problem. BUT – that means COMPLETE enforcement. Giving tickets to cyclists but letting pedestrians walk into the road when they don’t have the light doesn’t help matters.
Let’s start with the worst offenders:
– Cyclists going the WRONG WAY
– Cars riding IN THE BIKE LANE
– Park vehicles RUNNING RED LIGHTS
– Pedestrians STANDING in the road
– And, of course, cyclists BLASTING through red lights
I rode three laps this morning and experienced each of the above more than once per lap. I’m MUCH more worried about the cars than anything else.
Jared, all good points! Enforcement, complete or otherwise, is not going to work. I am also adamantly against spending money on meaningless projects. (of course I am curious what connection Rita Popper possibly has to the company that would install such additional lights) Worse yet, this project would be increasingly misleading to unknowing tourists who may make the potentially hazardous mistake of relying on those lights. I always feel bad for those poor tourists waiting patiently for their green light in the park. I want to tell them, ‘it means nothing for your protection. Please don’t rely on it. Just wait till you see a big enough gap and run!’
How about just ticketing the cyclists when they run the existing lights – that should remind them that the lights apply to them.
Maybe they could also be ticketed for traveling against traffic….