By Erin Durkin, New York Daily News
‘Tis the season for Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to take a light-hearted swipe at the city’s bike lane craze.
Markowitz, a fierce opponent of the new two-way bike lane on Prospect Park West, sent out thousands of cards depicting the thoroughfare carved up into a packed car lane, bike lane, walking lane, sitting lane, lovers lane and even a “holiday only lane.”
Inside were lyrics to his own version of “My Favorite Things,” which he also sang at a City Council hearing on bike lanes: “Let’s not forget cars, it’s getting insane/Welcome to Brooklyn ‘The Borough of Lanes.'”
“It’s showing the extreme of what could be if we continue to reengineer our city streets,” Markowitz said. “You’ll notice that of all the lanes, the car lane is the narrowest.”
The song earned Markowitz a Borough Hall visit Thursday from Time’s Up pro-bike carolers who put their own spin on holiday classics. “Bikes to the World, from Brooklyn to Queens! The lanes are here to stay!” they sang.
City Transportation Commissioner – and bike supporter – Janette Sadik-Khan took a different message from the chaotic scene pictured on the card.
“The borough president’s holiday card clearly shows significant improvements in reindeer traffic compared to last year’s card,” she said.
“The card’s accommodation of all modes of holiday travel points to an even happier holiday for Brooklyn residents.”
that’s very cute…
Anyone who has met or spoke to this guy will know that he is the nicest genuine guy out there. Not your typical politician. He has my vote!
I feel the same. The bike gemach and the new bike shop in Crown Heights is really phenomenal. Its done so much in terms of accessibility and promoting health.
I’ve always wanted to bike more, but was hesitant, since it isn’t done so much in crown heights, and was scared to bike on the streets, but now, it’s becoming so much more common and safe with the bike lanes. It’s also more common and accessible thanks to the bike gemach!
The biking lanes on Empire really helped the traffic flow! Now I don’t have to swerve around double-parked cars any more or wait so long for turning cars at every other light…
Maybe no one uses the lane now, but having it around is the only way to encourage people to use it.
finaly he doing some thing with his life, maybe we should speak up against the crazy bike lanes on empire and the proposal on on kingston, its nuts and no one even uses it!