QLI PROJECT

Proposal to Install Bike Lanes

In the Avenue U/S Area
By: Khawaja Farooq

Table of Contents:
I.
II.
III.
IV.

Background Literature. 2-4

Field Research.5
Implementation.7
Financial Implications.8

V.
8
VI.

Conclusions...
References and

Appendix.9-10
VII. Surveys...

Background Literature:
Installing Bike lanes near Avenue U area would cause more benefit then it would,
harm. Installing a bike lane is cheap, the city of New York has money, the intersections
are suitable for a bike lane, so why not just install them? The main problem with bike
lanes is that, its not that theyre too expensive for the city to afford, but theyre not the
number one priority, which, in my opinion, they should be. Per mile the average cost of a
bike lanes are an estimate of $5,600 in New York, according to an article from
Pedbikeinfo, (2014). In a city where 46 percent of people own cars from 2005 to 2009,
the number increasing steadily according to, Kazis (2011), bike lanes arent that
important at the end of the day. Why would someone go through the effort of biking

miles to and from work, when they can just drive there, in a matter of minutes, with little
to no effort. This begs the question, why even bother with bike lanes? Well, the easiest
way is not always the best way. Biking has many benefits not only to a person's health but
to the environment as well. Most people are against bicycle lanes because they take up
too much space and slow down cars. Studies, such as Chen (2012), have shown that this
argument, is not at all true. It has the potential to be safer than driving a car but the issue
of a lack of bike lanes invalidates that belief, there is no study to support this claim, but
maybe an increase in bike lanes would actually help endorse a study to test it.
One study, Chen (2012), assessed the effects of bike lanes after 2007 and crashes
that happened prior, in New York City, near intersections and roadway segments. They
found that the addition of bicycle lanes actually showed a 1.2% decrease of car crashes
and pedestrian crashes, despite there being an increase in the amount of cyclists. Most
likely because the addition of the lanes caused reduced car speeds and thus fewer
conflicts between cyclists and vehicles. Also, they found that crashes that did happen near
bike lanes, were most likely caused by the environment not being suitable enough for
bike lanes and vehicles to work in conjunction. It was recommended to prevent crashes
even further that the city install bike boxes (road markings at signalised road junctions
allowing certain types of vehicles a head start when light changes from red to green),
otherwise known as Advanced Stop Lines, and markings that indicate the path of bicycle
lanes.
According to the article, Peterson (2015), some business owners are against bike
lanes downtown, to an extent that theyre even considering making an organized strike
against them in certain places. The issue being the fact that time was an issue. Former
New York Mayor, Bloomberg, paved over 2 miles of bike lanes in New York, after
receiving many complaints from business owners that they couldnt receive truck
deliveries on time because of the delay created by bike lanes in certain areas. Even New
York police have a somewhat negative attitude towards bike lanes, as they slow down the
police vehicle during emergency situations quite a bit.

Another article, Grynbaum (2012), explains how six years after the Bloomberg
administration began a campaign effectively adding 255 miles of bicycle lanes onto
streets previously made for automobiles, people are feeling a more positive attitude
towards the addition. A recent poll by the NY Times showed the 66% of New Yorkers
said they were a good idea, the majority in all boroughs said they were a good idea,
especially Manhattan. 27% thought it was a bad idea, and 7 % had no opinion on the
matter. Despite the obvious support of the lanes, most NYers dont ride regularly. A third
said they owned bikes and half of those said they rode it once a week or more.
To address the issue of bike lanes not being safe enough, which is only one of the
many huge reasons as to why people dont ride, Sarnoff (2014), talks about protected
bicycle lanes improving roadway safety for all 3 vehicle users, cyclists and pedestrians. A
three year study on NYC lanes found decreases in crashes. Specifics being, with injuries
(-17%), vehicle occupant injuries (-25%), pedestrian injuries (-22%), cyclist injuries (2%) and in total (-20%).
Also the study, Port Huron (2014), Bicycle lanes result in safer roads for all. They
found new evidence that bike lanes in fact might even be saving lives of cyclists and
drivers alike. They found that the more people walking and bike riding, the safer the
streets and roads were for them. The rates of injury and accidents for civilians and
cyclists are the lowest in places that have the most of them. Cities like NY, Washington
and Boston have lots of cars mixed with walkers and riders and theyre in fact the three
safest cities in the country to move by bike or foot.
According to the article, Brotman (2011), the author describes an experience she
had with one of NYs newer protected bike lanes. Bike lanes that offer that extra bump in
protection that cyclists so desire. Not having to worry about car doors or mirrors opening
while parked. She describes the experience as exhilarating and found herself spending
hours upon hours just riding through Central Park, not having to worry about getting run
over, or a cars door opening spontaneously. The positives of having bike lanes just keep
stacking.

The article by, (Grossman, 2011), explains how the city has installed hundreds of
miles of bike lanes trying to encourage cycling, and ultimately succeeding. Statistics
show a huge increase in the number of cyclists. However, there are still many dedicated
bikers among New York that complain the lanes dont always have the intended effect.
Mainly focused on the lanes that require the biggest street interruptions. The ones wedged
between rows of parked cars and the sidewalks. They are meant to protect cyclists from
speeding cars, yet they make some bikers feel trapped and paranoid.
Finally, the article, Stech (2005), talks about a mass of bikers in Oct 13, 2005,
from SU and the state university of New Yorks College of Environmental Science
starting in Hendricks Mile, following a 4 mile route along major roads to show a need for
bike lanes in their area. Its hard to get around campus and bike lanes are a safer and
more eco friendly alternative.

Field Research:
So far, ever since beginning this project, Ive tried my hardest to make bike lanes
in the Avenue U area a possibility. However, it feels like going in a circle and am back to
where I started. Trying to find another way to influence the people at the top to get these
bike lanes up and running. So far, I have emailed the NYC DoT from the websites
contact us page, where I sent them an email asking how I could be able to get the city to
sign off on installing bike lanes near my area. I presented them with the argument that
talked about how Avenue U is one of the main thoroughfares (transportation route
connecting one location to another, used by a variety of traffic) in Brooklyn, according to
Semple (2013) and Cooper (1995), thus making it a perfect place to install bike lanes.
From personal experiences, Ive seen hundreds of people coming and going to work from
or to Avenue U. Hundreds of people hop on and off the Q train in Avenue U, compared to
other places like Sheepshead Bay and Neck Rd. However, even though its extremely

dense and populated, it has little to no bike lanes to support the populus transportation
needs. The amount of free roads in the neighbourhood are countless and the space needed
to build the bike lanes is there, but not acknowledged. Surveying people in my apartment
building, and people I see on a daily basis in my neighbourhood, I was astonished to learn
how many people actually prefer or would love to be able to bike to work. Its extremely
annoying to have to wait for a train or a bus to come and if there were bike lanes that
provided a safer route to get to where they needed, they would most definitely use it. In
fact, some still do, even though its a lot more dangerous.
I was also able to interview some kids, aged 10-14 and they shared the same
beliefs. Most of the kids had bikes and knew how to ride them. They talked about how if
they could, they would ride their bikes to one of the many schools near Avenue U, but
due to safety concerns of parents, theyre unable to. The lack of bike lanes in this area not
only affects adults but children too. It prohibits the ability for someone to develop a more
healthy and clean lifestyle. This is important, especially with a generation where kids are
almost always on phones or their gadgets.
Although it has been most a week, I still havent gotten a response from NYC
DoT, as far as I know. In my opinion, if, and most likely, I receive a response that says
no, I would really like to know why. If cost is the problem, thats understandable, but
other than that it would be really confusing. The only thing that can come out of adding a
bike lane to the area is positives, unless theres something I am missing.

Implementation:
As of now, since I have not yet received an email from the DoT pertaining to my
request, I will try to send another one out in case it was not received. However, I will try
to also present some more accurate numbers into the email. Also, I plan on surveying
students at my high school to see if they would agree in the addition of a few miles of
bike lanes in my area, if they live in the area that is. Id also like to try and contact
someone else, if for some reason the NYC DoT takes too long to reply to my email.
There isnt much else I can do except talk to the people up top and see what they have to
say about it.
Once I do get an email back, Ill hand out a survey to kids in Midwood High
School that live near Avenue U on whether or not they want bicycle lanes to be applied
there and other relevant things. Ill also try and ask around my neighbourhood a little bit
more to see if I could get some sort of petition sparked up to help out with the bike lanes.
So far, from what I can tell, 75% of my community wouldnt mind bicycle lanes at all.
The only problem I could see is buses getting in the way and there not being enough
room for the bike lanes, but that could be circumvented. If, however, getting miles of bike
lanes installed is an unrealistic expectation, Ill have to look towards something like bike
racks in schools, or on busses. Once again, the positives of installing bike lanes in the
Avenue U area just keep on stacking. Its a more healthy alternative to driving a car, helps
the environment more than you think, and in most cases, where the proper bike lanes are

installed, its a lot safer. Negatives being the fact that it takes more time, and I can say
without a doubt, the pros far outweigh the cons.

Financial Implications:
The financial implications of installing bike lands in the New York varies greatly.
The cost of a five-foot bicycle lane in New York can range from approximately $5,000 to
$535,000 per mile, with an average cost around $130,000, according to Pedbike (2012).
The cost of installation of these lanes are extremely interchangeable because other factors
contribute such as the area where the lane is supposed to be installed and the conditions
of the road the lane is being installed on. In my opinion, the roads around Ave U/S are
built perfect for installation of bike lanes. Besides for a few bus stops and train stops, it
fits the description.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, installing bicycle lanes starting from the Avenue U area to the
Avenue S/T will cost the city some money, however it will also be benefiting a very
populated very active community. After handing out several surveys to people around the
Avenue U area, according to those surveys 77% of those people agreed that having bike
lanes installed would greatly benefit the community. Avenue U in and of itself is one of
the most populated areas in the Brooklyn area. Trains going to and from Manhattan
empty out mostly on Avenue U. Installing bike lanes gives people an option to help their
environment, get a workout and most importantly stay healthy. It gives people a choice
whether or not they should drive a car to work/school which has mostly negative effects,
or ride a bike to work/school. Which brings me to the other reason bike lanes would be
extremely helpful in this area, as there are 3 schools near here. Kids being able to ride
7

their bike to school is extremely helpful not only to busy parents but to the kids
themselves.

References and Appendix

I.

Chen, L., Chen, C., Srinivasan, R., Mcknight, C., Ewing, R., & Roe, M.

(2012). Evaluating the Safety Effects of Bicycle Lanes in New York City.
<i>American Journal of Public Health,</i> 1120-1127. Retrieved April 2, 2015,
from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1015208193/fulltextPDF/E80CFA7627F946B
2PQ/1?accountid=35155
II. Conelly, M. (2012, August 21). Bicycle Lanes Draw Wide Support Among
New Yorkers, Survey Finds. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/nyregion/most-new-yorkers-say-bike-lanesare-a-good-idea.html
III. Michael, G. (2012, August 21). Bicycle Lanes Draw Wide Support Among
New Yorkers, Survey Finds. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/nyregion/most-new-yorkers-say-bike-lanesare-a-good-idea.html
IV. Sarnoff, P. (2014, September 12). Op-ed: Protected bike lanes draw more
people into cycling. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/58403640-82/percent-bicycle-lanesprotected.html.csp
V. Port, M. (2014, April 15). Bicycle lanes result in safer roads for all.
Retrieved March 29, 2015, from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1517605025/D16B2B695CE541C9PQ/11?
accountid=35155

VI.

Brotman, B. (2011, June 13). Brotman: Protected bike lanes like New

York's offer glimpse of Chicago's future. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-06-13/features/ct-talk-brotman-bikelane0613-20110613_1_bike-lanes-bike-path-parking-lane
VII. Gossman, A. (2011, April 23). Bike Lanes Hit New Traffic. Retrieved April
2, 2015, from
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1000142405274870338790457627891380938127
4
VIII.

Kazis, N. (2011, April 6). Streetsblog New York City. Retrieved April 2,

2015, from http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/04/06/new-yorks-car-ownership-rateis-on-the-rise/