Forum Seeks Safety For Bike Riders
By Jason Pafundi
With gas prices increasing by the day and bike use among residents of the City increasing as well, it would seem as though communities would have gotten together with the Dept. of Transportation to talk about bicycling in the City.
On March 3, the DOT met with borough residents at the Sunnyside Community Services center in what was called the first-ever Queens Bike Forum.
Sponsored by Community Board 2 and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), residents listened to a presentation by the DOT’s Bike Program staff before breaking into groups.
According to the presentation by Hayes Lord, a bicycle program director for the DOT, CB2 — which includes Sunnyside, Woodside and the Hunter’s Point area in Long Island City — had 1.45 lane miles in 2007. That number increased to 13 lane miles in 2011 and is expected to increase even more in the coming years.
Included in the increase is bike traffic across the Queensboro Bridge, and residents expressed concern that when they exit the bridge in Manhattan, it is “very scary.”
“With the way gas prices are going, I have been biking more and more, especially into Manhattan,” Sunnyside resident Thomas Walter said. “Going across the bridge is a smooth ride until getting into Manhattan. It’s very nerve-wracking and it’s something the DOT needs to address.”
Lord said Queens has seen a huge increase in cycling over the last few years, and with the increase in riders comes the need to improve bike lanes and bike safety.
Lord said that the DOT will review the concerns raised by those in attendance. The DOT is planning on meeting with other community boards to gather information on biking issues in those areas, as well, before implementing changes and making improvements.
Van Bramer, an avid biker, said that bike safety and bike riding improvements are always important to the community.
“Cycling makes the most sense because it’s healthy, and it is good for the environment,” he said. “And from the pocket book, you are saving money, and as the gas prices go up, why not take the bike if you can?”
Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at [email protected] or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.
