Dot Offers Alternative, But No Stopping The Protests

Implementing improvements on the much-contested Kent Avenue bike lanes may not be as easy as New York City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) would like to believe.

The bike lanes, which are the initial step in the Kent Avenue Greenway, were painted in along Kent Avenue in October to the kudos of cyclists and dismay of residents who had to sacrifice their parking spaces. In November “No Stopping Anytime” signs were posted along the avenue, inciting a great protest from residents, who could not stop legally to let out passengers, and business owners whose loading zones were taken away.

In response to the problems created by the bike lanes, the DOT came up with the new proposal which was presented at Tuesday’s volatile CB1 meeting. Kent Avenue’s northbound and southbound bike lanes and two-way truck-route with “No Stopping Anytime” signs will be transformed into a northbound bike lane on one side, a floating parking lane in the middle, an 11ft one-way northbound traffic lane and loading zones and parking spaces on the opposite side.

Local residents and community board members, angry about the southbound trucks that would be rerouted through their quiet residential streets, booed and made derisive comments.

“How would you feel about trucks coming through your neighborhood day and night?” asked life-long Williamsburg resident Anthony Giovine.

“This is a bad idea,” someone else yelled out.

“Why are you obsessed with those bike lanes?” asked an anonymous protester. “GM went bankrupt but they’re still making cars,” CB1 board member Israel Framovitz chimed in.

“Nobody asked us on N11th Street,” yelled out a vocal N11 Street resident Maria Levitsky. “Did you ask us?” she reiterated.

DOT continued their presentation as Vincent Abate, who presided as CB1’s Executive Committee Chair for the last time that night, and Ward Dennis, the Chair of the Land Use Committee, yelled at the rowdy audience to “to shut up.”

“There has to be a better solution,” said CB1 member Julie Lawrence after raising her hand. “Please listen to your community, we know what we’re talking about.”

Seth Solomonow, a DOT spokesperson said that DOT explored changing the configuration of Kent Avenue in response to the concerns raised by the community such as parking and delivery access along the corridor after bike lanes were installed there last year. He said that the new proposal was reached through extensive work with the community and could be implemented as early as this summer.
“We worked closely with residents, businesses, elected officials and others in the community to develop an alternative,” said Solomonow. “We believe that the new proposal effectively balances the needs of local residents and businesses while providing a safe, protected bike lane that will become part of the Brooklyn Greenway.”
Kent Avenue resident and employee Eliza Proctor, a proponent of the two-way bike lanes, said she does not support the new plan at all. She also said she does not support the mob-like nature of the protesters which lessens their credibility. The plan is however, a small improvement on the path to the “ultimate plan,” she said.

“I don’t understand why we can’t compromise,” said Proctor. “It’s unfortunate that the city would compromise the well planned quiet residential character of the neighborhood for the Greenway plan.” “I think it’s wrong and that there is a better solution,” she added.

Wiley Norwell, the Communication Director for Transportation Alternatives signed up to speak in favor of the new plan. He emphasized the need for a safety test of the proposal before it is implemented.

“[The plan] will reduce speeding and preserve sight lines for pedestrians,” said Norlan.
“DOT did a fair amount of due diligence and I think it shows they are listening. I think we can eventually get there with the issue of trucks, in the end.”