Usually, Congressman Anthony Weiner seems like a cool guy. He’s a political badass on the house floor. He trolls fox news anchors. He tweets his own hilarious yearbook photo. He also has a good chance of becoming New York’s next mayor, which makes his recent comment about bike lanes not so cool.
According to a Times article about Janette Sadik-Khan, NYC’s controversial Transportation Commissioner, Weiner reportedly told Mayor Bloomberg at a dinner: “When I become mayor, you know what I’m going to spend my first year doing? I’m going to have a bunch of ribbon-cuttings tearing out your [expletive] bike lanes.”
It’s still unclear if Weiner’s comments should be taken seriously or if the Congressman was just making fun of Sadik-Khan, who has become a political target nowadays. Either way, the city’s bike lane lovers aren’t laughing. Cycling advocates have been bombarding Weiner’s office and Twitter account since the article was published last week, demanding an explanation for his quote (he has yet to respond to Gothamist).
Many agree that, while the bike lanes don’t quite work as well as they should – as we learned from the support behind a recent bill requiring bicycling licenses, many cyclists don’t even respect the rules – removing them would be expensive and unnecessary.
Still, City Hall hasn’t been too friendly with cyclists in recent months, and Weiner is already a favorite to succeed Bloomberg as mayor in 2013, a move he seriously considered in 2009 before publicly bowing out of the race. If he indeed does become mayor in 2013, you just might see a lot more ribbon-cuttings and a lot fewer bike lanes.
(Image via)
I agree with Congressman Weiner, the bike lanes are a nuisance. Props to him for agreeing to anything that will thwart the hipster lobby.
Yeah Terry, bike lanes are totally a nuisance… wait, to whom? To the stupidest of pedestrians that can’t look into the road before stepping off the curb? Okay, fine. To anyone else? I’m sorry that I’d rather ride my bike than pay $4.50 to get to and from Coral to 33rd and 8th for work and ride the L train cross town.
I’d seriously like someone to explain to me how bike lanes are a nuisance.
Bike lanes are part of a UN conspiracy to take over the United States!
http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15673894
lol Thanks, Henry.
I’d point out that that Maes is about as vague as Terry in his denouncement of bicycling. I assume that the mythical “hipster lobby” and the UN are in cahoots here?
“I’d seriously like someone to explain to me how bike lanes are a nuisance.”
Well as someone who looks both ways before i cross the street, i love seeing bike riders going 30+mph without stopping at the red light. I guess the rules/law of the road don’t apply to you Doak.
I hope you take care of yourself this summer because as the past year indicated there were quite a few accidents that bike riders caused. We wouldn’t want to see a scratch on you since you’re the center of the universe.
Btw, do you live in Brooklyn?
As someone who has gotten hit by cyclists twice in the last two years, I think we should keep them! With that said, NYPD should give big tickets to people who ride on the sidewalk and who don’t respect traffic lights. I don’t know why some cyclists think they are above the law!! They are incredibly hazardous.
Actually, the bike lanes on the Williamsburg Bridge are great! Now if we could get those damn hipsters to respect them and the law!
Good for you, anto, your parents taught you how to cross the street. No I dont live in bk, as is clearly stated above (coral towers) and I dont see how that matters except to really judgemental people who are informed only by stereotypes.
30+mph, thats some olympic quality bicycling. I’m glad that you can safely and reasonably assume that I also break the law regularly based on two comments. But none of that has abythibg to do with bike LANES, which as bryan pointed out protect pedestrians, drivers, and actually least of all bikers who still have to deal with the other the other two busting in to our lanes. Still looking for an answer, how are they a problem?
One more thing, Anto… if we’re going to crack down on bicycles moving through red lights – something which I will absolutely admit that I do – I want to see police crack down on pedestrians J-walking. Because it’s exactly the same thing. Now go ahead and lie through your teeth and tell me you’ve never j-walked, because anyone who has lived in NYC for more than a week doesn’t watch the pedestrian cross signal, they watch if there are cars (but not bikes, of course) coming.
Doak, while I understand your point, a bike running a red light presents a much more immediate and physical danger to others than a person jaywalking does. I’m not saying jaywalking does not have its consequences if an accident should happen, but a bike rider going at a fast speed running a red light and hitting someone would cause that person a great deal of harm. Accidents involving pedestrians jaywalking typically harm the pedestrian committing the infraction, where bicycle accidents can present a much more serious harm to the people they injure. Beyond that, two wrongs do NOT make a right, and using one example of rule-breaking to justify another is incredibly flawed logic. Having been on both sides of this problem (riding a bike and being a pedestrian) I have to say the way we deal with bike safety has always been a problem as far back as I can remember, and it’s only getting worse. Other commenters are right that the MAJORITY of bike riders DO NOT respect the rules at all, and some of them, like you, seem to feel there is some kind of justification for that and there isn’t. There’s nothing wrong with riding a bike to avoid expensive subway fees and cab fare, but the price you SHOULD be paying for that privilege is treating pedestrians and other vehicles with respect by obeying the rules.
Thats arguably true. A few things though:
Why would I speed throufh a red light if I can see cars and pedestrians in my way, tjats only going to injure/maim/kill me.
Pedestrians jwalking are extremely dangerous to non motorized vehicles.
This still has nothing to do with bike lanes.
Even if bike lanes are sometimes a nuisance, they are a really pragmatic one. More and more people move/commute to this city, subway prices are only going up, parking places are rarer than leprechauns – bikes are a cost efficient, environmentally friendly and healthy way to travel.
Creating lanes encourages more people to cycle because it makes bikes safer, but people would ride bikes through the city regardless. The more bike lanes, the less likely bikers are to break the law/injure people by biking on the pavement or through traffic.
I hope that he is not related to me.
Bicycles are a better alternative at riding 5 miles to work and not paying a dang thing except for the bike and it’s maintenance, than spending 12 dollars a day in gas just to go back and forth to work.
Oh, it is not lovely that if you get on the sidewalk because there is not room on the street, that pedestrians still have the right of way and some just magnetize a back step just as you are trying to pass them. Let alone, that with a bike lane, not only did a rider not get hit, but also, the police have an easier time grabbing a person at bike speed, rather than at automobile speed.
I don’t want to PAY $12.00 a day in gas. $400.00 a year just to be able to be on the road with inspection and registration, let alone insurance costs and MAINTENANCE….. Oops, I did forget one thing. How much is the car, truck, and/or motorcycle purchase price?????
Give me a bike lane and I get to work quicker than taking the bus, and buses.
And for you folks that don’t want to peddle a bike; there are motorized one’s. Chainsaw, weed-whacker… If you run out of gas, you can peddle.
One car while at a stop light next to me for a light change, is more damaging to my health, than me smoking my non filtered cigarettes for a week. And that is an average of about 15 to 20 a day. And Dang Right, I ride bicycles. Yes, I also own a car. The car sits and I have spent less this past year on now having 10 bicycles, than operating my car for a year.
You might want those bike lanes… Or, if not??? Make sure your kids have life insurance. Enough so that when they get run over, you won’t feel so bad about them being dead.
I REALLY AM INSULTED BY HAVING THE SAME LAST NAME AS .. (Schmuck-Schmendrik-etc…) your Mayoral candidate.