Time to Repaint Fading Bike Lanes in Brooklyn

Painting the bike lane on Clinton Street. Photo by MK Metz

Workers repainted the faded green bike lane on Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights late last week. Cyclists had complained that this and other painted bike lanes were becoming almost invisible, and cars were "disrespecting" the lane.

Vehicles driving in the bike lanes no doubt hasten the fading, but salt and snow plows also take their toll.

Scott Shaffer of streets.mn has an excellent post about faded bike lanes. It reads in part:

"A bike lane isn’t just a physical thing — it’s a social construct. Like money, it only matters because we all act like it does . . . The fading of the paint, and the cause of the fading, erodes this foundation. It erases confidence in the bike lane, not just the paint." 

_______________________________________

A Few Bicycle Statistics from the Department of Transportation:


Half of all of NYC's bicycle fatalities are in Brooklyn, according to DOT data. In 2013, 12 cyclists died in crashes citywide. Six of these were in Brooklyn.

Thousands of cyclists are injured in crashes -- and this happens more in Brooklyn. In 2013, there were 1,574 bike crashes which resulted in injuries to riders in Brooklyn. (Also, 21 motorists were injured in these crashes.)

     - During that same period in Manhattan, 1,169 crashes resulted in cyclist injuries, and 3 died. (In these crashes, eight mororists were injured.)

     - In Queens, 772 cyclists were injured in crashes in 2013, and 2 died. (Four motorists were injured.)

     - In the Bronx, 316 crashes resulted in injuries to cyclists, and one died. (Five motorists were injured.)

     - In Staten Island, 41 cyclists were injured in 2013. None died.

Pedestrians are getting hurt by bikes as well. In 2013 in Brooklyn, 73 pedestrians were injured by bikes (one died). The most dangerous precincts in Brooklyn for pedestrians getting hit by bikes (in order of injuries) are the 90th, 78th, 84th, 94th, 79th and 72nd.

Pedestrians are even worse offf in Manhattan, with 198 of them injured by bikes. The Bronx had just 15; Queens had 29; S.I. had one.

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.