On Saturday I got a Christmas card from Marty and Jamie Markowitz in the mail and I did a double take when I saw it because the card is a pointed joke about the Prospect Park bike lane.
In other words, that card has sharp elbows.
The picture, an illustration by Denis Adler, shows a crowed street (i.e. Prospect Park West) divided into a bike lane, a sitting lane, a holiday only lane, a car lane and a walking lane.
It’s actually a very “cute” illustration. And I guess it’s not surprise that Marty would politicize his holiday greeting. But IMHO I felt it was in bad taste considering that, according to a recent survey, the public seems to be in favor of the bike lane.
Inside the card were the following words to the tune of “My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music:
Lanes fit for Fido and lanes make for lovers
Hikers and bikers, significant others
A lane just for Santa, but please don’t complain
These are a few of my favorite lanes
Stroller and schleppers and skaters and joggers
Holiday lanes just for al lthe eggnoggers
Let’s not forget cars – it’s getting insane
Welcome to Brooklyn “The Borough of Lanes.”
When the horn hons, when the dog bites, when the bikers stray
I isimply remember my favorite lanes
And then I just say…Oy Vey!
It’s Brooklyn, folks. And even the Beep’s Christmas card is picking a fight…
I don’t know where Marty Markowitz was in early discussions about the bike lane on Prospect Park West, i.e. before its installation, but fortunately good things are coming out of discussing it now. I attended the CB6 meeting on December 17th, and while it focused exclusively on the results of the survey conducted by Council Member Brad Lander’s office, several new and interesting points came up from the audience: (1) that the DOT goal of installing the bike lane for “traffic calming” could be easily met with more traffic lights on Prospect Park West and (2) that to meet the needs of bike commuters in Brooklyn, the bike lane could be moved to Fourth Avenue where it could easily connect with Atlantic Avenue and the Brooklyn Bridge. I support bike lanes in the city, but not on Prospect Park West. The new, two-way bike lane on PPW is like the bridge to nowhere, stressing pedestrians, complicating access to Prospect Park, and uselessly altering one of the city’s oldest, safest, and most beautiful thoroughfares.
Marty should move to Fort Lauderdale already. His supports are all there already.