Search Results for “Williamsburg bike lane kent”

Williamsburg Bike Lane To Be Removed; Kent Ave Parking Spaces To Return

April 24, 2009 3:37 pm 10 Comments

Assemblyman Vito Lopez met today with Williamsburg community leaders and Department of Transportation officials in order to arrange for the removal of the Bedford Avenue bike lane in South Williamsburg and the restoration of parking on Kent Avenue. The heavy congestion along that stretch of Bedford Avenue, including pedestrians, school buses, public buses, private, commercial and City vehicles led many local residents to object to the addition of a bike lane. Due to the large number of schools, stores and religious institutions, the community decided to seek the lane’s removal. Discussions have been ongoing to try to divert bike traffic to less populated areas of Williamsburg. The restoration of the parking on Kent Avenue has also been an important issue in the community because residents and businesses were not allowed to park, or even to stop to let their children out in front of schools or deliver packages to a business on the street. The agreement with the Department of Transportation ensures these community needs on Kent Avenue are met and our parking spaces will now be restored. The installation of the bike lane on Bedford Avenue and the removal of the parking spaces on Kent Avenue have been major issues for the community which are now satisfactorily resolved. (In photo: Assemblyman Vito Lopez, Rabbi David Niederman (United Jewish Organizations), Brooklyn Borough Commissioner for the Department of Transportation Joseph Palmieri, Rabbi Joseph Menczer, Ian Christner (UJO), David Wallach (DOT), and Rabbi Joseph Goldberger) (YWN Desk – NYC)

ALERT: Five Boro Bike Tour In NYC – See Full Route And List of Closures

May 6, 2023 9:35 pm 1 Comment

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour hosted by Bike NY is making a return this Sunday, May 7, where cyclists will take over 40-miles of commonly-used roadways for motor vehicles. The city’s DOT warns that places such as the FDR Drive, BQE/Gowanus, the Ed Koch-Queensboro Bridge, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge will be shut down for the event. They say that either mass transit or routes avoiding the Bike Tour will be your best bet to navigate the city. Motorists are strongly advised to take mass transit or to seek alternative routes farther from the tour route. The cycling route goes from Lower to Upper Manhattan before heading into the Bronx. It returns to Manhattan along the East Side before heading into Queens and Brooklyn. The tour finishes in Staten Island. Here’s what we know about road closures: Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge There will be no lower level access into Staten Island from 12:01 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. No access from the Brooklyn Queens Expressway to the Verrazzano from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., either. The Bay Street and Lily Pond Avenue exits will be closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The entrance ramp on 92nd Street heading into Staten Island will be closed from 12:01 a.m. to 7 p.m., as will the Belt Parkway entrance ramp. A lower level lane of the Verrazzano into Brooklyn will be closed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The upper level of the bridge will remain open in both directions throughout the entirety of the event, though it will only be accessible in the Staten Island-bound direction from the Belt Parkway and 92 St entrance ramps. Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (a.k.a. Triborough Bridge) The exit ramp headed for FDR Drive to the south will be closed from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Drivers headed south must exit RFK/Triborough at 2 Avenue-East 125 Street. Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (a.k.a. Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel) Drivers cannot access the westbound BQE from the tunnel between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All traffic seeking to exit the tunnel in Brooklyn must exit at Hamilton Avenue. The exit at Trinity Place will also be closed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Manhattan Greenwich Street between Battery Place and Morris Street Trinity Place between Morris Street and Liberty Street Church Street between Liberty Street and Canal Street Chambers Street between Broadway and West Broadway Worth Street between Broadway and West Broadway Canal Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue between Franklin Street and West 59th Street West 59th Street between Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue Grand Army Plaza (Manhattan) between West 59th Street and East Drive East Drive between Grand Army Plaza (Manhattan) and Center Drive Center Drive between Fifth Avenue and East Drive East Drive between Center Drive and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between West 110th Street and West 135th Street East/West 135th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Madison Avenue Madison Avenue between East 135th Street and East 138th Street Madison Avenue Bridge (Bronx-bound) Harlem River Drive/FDR Drive (southbound) between Third Avenue Bridge and East 116th Street East 116th Street between FDR Drive and Pleasant Avenue Pleasant Avenue between East 116th Street and East 114th Street Harlem River Drive /FDR Drive (southbound) between 116th Street and 63rd Street exit East 63rd

TRAFFIC ALERT: NYC Five Boro Bike Tour Begins At 8:00AM Sunday; All You Need To Know

May 3, 2019 2:30 pm No Comments

On Sunday morning, around 32,000 cyclists from around the country and the world will ride together for 40 miles through all of New York City’s five boroughs this Sunday. Now in its 42nd year, the Five Boro Bike Tour is a 40-mile bike ride which will maneuver its way through all five boroughs causing many street closures throughout New York City. The 40-mile tour spans the city’s five boroughs, beginning in Lower Manhattan, traveling north into the Bronx, before heading to Queens, Brooklyn and, ultimately, crossing the iconic Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge before concluding at Fort Wadsworth. Here’s everything you need to know about the TD Five Boro Bike Tour including start time, the route and street closures in New York City that could affect your Sunday commute. VERRAZANO BRIDGE There will be a partial closure of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Sunday to accommodate the event. Motorists are advised by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to expect delays. The Staten Island-bound lower level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge will be closed from 12:01 a.m. until 6 p.m. Sunday. The bridge’s upper level will remain open in both directions throughout the day. The following Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closures will also be in place Sunday: One Brooklyn-bound lane on the lower level from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Bay Street exit from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.BQE approach (I-278 West) to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The 92nd Street entrance ramp to the Staten Island-bound lower level from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Belt Parkway entrance ramp to the Staten Island-bound lower level from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 6 p.m. Manhattan Portion: Greenwich Street between Battery Place and Morris Street Trinity Place between Morris Street and Liberty Street Church Street between Liberty Street and Canal Street Chambers Street between Broadway and West Broadway Worth Street between Broadway and West Broadway Canal Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue 6th Avenue between Franklin Street and 59th Street 59th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue Grand Army Plaza between 59th Street and East Drive East Drive between Grand Army Plaza and Center Drive Center Drive between 5th Avenue and East Drive East Drive between Center Drive and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between 110th Street and 135th Street 135th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Madison Avenue Madison Avenue between 135th Street and 138th Street Madison Avenue Bridge (Bronx-bound) Harlem River Drive / FDR Drive (Southbound) between 3rd Avenue Bridge and 116th Street 116th Street between FDR Drive and Pleasant Avenue Pleasant Avenue between 116th Street and 114th Street Harlem River Drive / FDR Drive (Southbound) between 116th Street and 63rd Street Exit 63rd Street between FDR Drive (Southbound) and Queensboro Bridge Exit Queensboro Bridge Exit between 63rd Street and 60th Street Queensboro Bridge Upper Level (Manhattan-bound) Peter Minuit Plaza between State Street and South Street Whitehall Street between South Street and Water Street State Street between Whitehall Street and Battery Place Battery Place between State Street and West Street Morris Street between Broadway and Greenwich Street Albany Street between West Street and Greenwich Street Greenwich Street between Rector Street and Cedar Street West Broadway between Vesey Street and Barclay Street West Broadway between Murray Street and Warren Street Rector Street between Broadway and Greenwich Street

ALERT – List Of NYC Streets, Highways, Bridges Closed For ‘The Five Boro Bike Tour’

May 6, 2018 10:25 am No Comments

A commuter alert: Drivers should expect street closures Sunday due to the Five Boro Bike Tour. Over 30,000 riders will bike 40 miles around New York City. The tour starts in Lower Manhattan and takes riders across five major bridges and across the New York Harbor on the Staten Island Ferry. Thanks to proceeds from the event, Bike New York offers free bike skills to thousands of kids and adults every year with a focus on underserved communities, making it the largest free bike education program in the country. Here is the list of closures that will be in effect until 6 p.m. VERRAZANO BRIDGE There will be a partial closure of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Sunday to accommodate the event. Motorists are advised by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to expect delays. The Staten Island-bound lower level will be closed from 12:01 a.m. until 6 p.m. Sunday. Additionally, one Brooklyn-bound lane on the lower level will be closed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The tour heads north through the heart of Central Park and continues on to Harlem and the Bronx before returning south along the East River on the FDR Drive. From there, cyclists cross into Queens and then into Brooklyn, where riders take over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, before a heart-pumping climb up, and a thrilling ride down the breathtaking Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and into the Finish Festival in Fort Wadsworth. Manhattan Portion: –Peter Minuit Plaza between State Street and South Street –Whitehall Street between South Street and Water Street –State Street between Whitehall Street and Battery Place –Greenwich Street between Battery Place and Morris Street –Trinity Place between Morris Street and Liberty Street –Church Street between Liberty Street and Canal Street –Chambers Street between Broadway and West Broadway –Worth Street between Broadway and West Broadway –Canal Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue –6th Avenue between Franklin Street and West 59th Street –West 59th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue –Grand Army Plaza between West 59th Street and East Drive –East Drive between Grand Army Plaza and Center Drive –Center Drive between 5th Avenue and East Drive –East Drive between Center Drive and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard –Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between West 110th Street and West 135th Street –East /West 135th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Madison Avenue –Madison Avenue between East 135th Street and East 138th Street –Madison Avenue Bridge (Bronx – Bound) –Harlem River Drive/FDR Drive (Southbound lanes only) between 3rd Avenue Bridge and East 116th Street –East 116th Street between FDR Drive and Pleasant Avenue –Pleasant Avenue between East 116th Street and East 114th Street –Harlem River Drive /FDR Drive (southbound lanes only) between 116th Street and 63rd Street exit –East 63rd Street between FDR Drive (Southbound lanes only) and Queens Borough Bridge Exit –QueensBoro Bridge Exit between East 63rd Street and East 60th Street –QueensBoro Bridge Upper Level (Manhattan – bound) –Battery Place between State Street and West Street –Washington Street between Battery Place and Morris Street –Morris Street between Broadway and Greenwich Street –Rector Street between Broadway and Greenwich Street –Cedar Street between Broadway and Greenwich Street –Liberty Street between Broadway and Greenwich Street –Dey Street between Broadway and Church Street –Vesey Street between Broadway and West Broadway –Barclay Street between Broadway and West Broadway –Warren Street between Broadway and

ALERT – NYC Lists Closed Streets for 5 Boro Bike Tour Taking Place On Sunday Morning

April 30, 2016 10:20 pm No Comments

Multiple streets will be closed across the city from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday for the annual Five Boro Tour, organizers said. The event attracts thousands of cyclists from around the globe. It’s billed as the world’s larges charitable bike ride. Proceeds finance free bicycle education programs in the city. The following streets will be closed during the tour: Manhattan Portion Whitehall Street between South Street and Water Street State Street between Whitehall Street and Battery Place Battery Place between State Street and West Street Washington Street between Battery Place and Morris Street Greenwich Street between Battery Park and Trinity Place Trinity Place between Greenwich Street and Cedar Street Church Street between Cedar Street and Canal Street Church Street between Thomas Street and Canal Street White Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway Walker Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway Lispenard Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway Worth Street between Broadway and West Broadway Leonard Street between West Broadway and Broadway Franklin Street between Broadway and Church Street 6th Avenue between Franklin Street and West 59th Street West 59th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue/Alternate Route Grand Army Plaza between West 59th Street and East Drive (Inside Central Park Alternate Route: East Drive between Grand Army Plaza and Center Drive (Inside Central Park) Alternate Route: Center Drive between 5th Avenue and East Drive East Drive between Center Drive and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between West 110th Street and West 135th Street East /West 135th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Madison Avenue Madison Avenue between East 135th Street and East 138th Street Madison Avenue Bridge (Manhattan to Bronx) HRD/FDR Drive (South bound) between 3rd Avenue Bridge and East 116th Street East 116th Street between FDR Drive and Pleasant Avenue Pleasant Avenue between East 116th Street and East 114th Street Harlem River Drive/FDR Drive (Southbound) between 116th Street and 63rd Street Exit East 63rd Street between FDR Drive (Southbound) and Queensboro Bridge Exit QueensBoro Bridge Exit between East 63rd Street and East 60th Street QueensBoro Bridge (West bound lanes from Manhattan to Queens) Bronx Portion 138th Street between Madison Avenue Bridge and 3rd Avenue 3rd Avenue between 138th Street and 3rd Avenue Bridge Rider Avenue between 138th Street and 137th Street 137th Street between Rider Avenue and 3rd Avenue 3rd Avenue Bridge (Bronx to Manhattan) Queens Portion 21st Street between Queens Plaza South and Hoyt Avenue North Queens Plaza South between 21st Street and Vernon Boulevard /Alternate Route Hoyt Avenue North between 21st Street and 19th Street 19th Street between Hoyt Avenue North and Ditmars Boulevard Ditmars Boulevard between 19th Street and Shore Boulevard Shore Boulevard between Ditmars Boulevard and Astoria Park South Astoria Park South between Shore Boulevard and 14th Street 14th Street between Astoria Park South and 31st Avenue 31st Avenue between 14th Street and Vernon Boulevard Vernon Boulevard between 31st Avenue and 44th Drive 44th Drive between Vernon Boulevard and 11th Street 11th Street between 44th Drive and Pulaski Bridge Pulaski Bridge (Southbound from Queens to Brooklyn) Brooklyn Portion McGuiness Boulevard between Pulaski Bridge and Greenpoint Avenue Java Street between McGuiness Boulevard and Franklin Street /Alternate Route Greenpoint Avenue between McGuiness Boulevard and Franklin Street Franklin Street between Java Street and Kent Avenue Kent Avenue between Java Street and

TRAFFIC ALERT: NYC Five Boro Bike Tour Begins At 8:00AM Sunday

May 2, 2014 12:47 pm 3 Comments

On Sunday morning, more than 30,000 cyclists will experience New York City from a perspective unlike any other: pedaling down 42 miles of car-free streets through all five boroughs, taking in views of iconic landmarks like the Empire State building, Brooklyn Bridge, historic Harlem, and the Statue of Liberty. Taking place the first Sunday in May each year, the adventure starts in Lower Manhattan. The ride heads north through the heart of Manhattan into Central Park and continues on to historic Harlem and the Bronx, returning south along the East River on the FDR Drive. From there it crosses into Queens and then Brooklyn, where cyclists take over the highway before making the thrilling climb up—and down—the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Staten Island. The route is 42 miles, mostly flat except for the bridges. The tour starts and ends at Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. Participants line up behind the start line at Franklin Street and Church Street creating a queue which extends well south beyond the World Trade Center site. The tour runs north up the Avenue of the Americas (6th avenue) past Macy’s and past the lions of the New York City Public Library before entering Central Park. After exiting the park the tour heads north through Harlem on Seventh Avenue and then crosses into the Bronx for a short 2 mile stretch before getting back to Manhattan and onto the FDR Drive. The FDR stretch of the tour runs south through Manhattan under Gracie Mansion before crossing the East River via the Queensboro Bridge into Queens. The first major rest area of the tour is in Astoria Park, Queens. Leaving Astoria Park the tour proceeds south through Queens before crossing the Pulaski Bridge into Brooklyn, where it winds along the waterfront, past the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The route crosses under the Brooklyn Bridge, and then up and onto the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The tour continues on the elevated BQE before dropping down to the Belt Parkway and over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge into Staten Island. Once in Staten Island the tour makes a stop at Fort Wadsworth for a festival, before continuing the last three miles to the Staten Island Ferry where riders can take the ferry back to Battery Park in Manhattan. The below streets will be closed Sunday from 7:45am to 6:30pm on Sunday, May 4th for FIVE BORO BIKE TOUR: Manhattan Portion Whitehall Street between South Street and Water Street State Street between Whitehall Street and Battery Place Battery Place between State Street and Greenwich Street Greenwich Street between Battery Park and Trinity Place Trinity Place between Greenwich Street and Cedar Street Church Street between Cedar Street and Walker Street White Street between 6th Avenue and Franklin Place 6th Avenue between Franklin Street and West 59th Street West 59th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue / Alternate Route Grand Army Plaza between West 59th Street and East Drive / Alternate Route East Drive between Grand Army Plaza and Center Drive (inside Central Park) / Alternate Route Center Drive between 5th Avenue and East Drive East Drive between Center Drive and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, between West 110th Street and West 135th Street East / West 135th Street, between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Madison Avenue Madison Avenue between East 135th Street and East

NYC ALERT – Street, Highway, Bridge Closures During 5 Boro Bike Tour

May 5, 2013 9:17 am 1 Comment

Tens of thousands of bicyclists are off to the races for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour. The race kicked off at 7:45 a.m. at Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, where the race will also end. In all, organizers expect 32,000 riders to take on the course through all five boroughs. It is the biggest bike ride in the U.S. The following is a list of streets, bridges and highways that will be closed at different times from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m during Sunday’s Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City. Bridge and Highway Closures The following bridges and highways will be closed to motorists during the times noted: Manhattan to Bronx • Madison Avenue Bridge (Bronx-bound): 7:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. • 3rd Avenue Bridge (Manhattan-bound): 7:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Manhattan • FDR Drive Southbound (3rd Avenue Bridge to 63rd Street): 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. • Queensboro Bridge (Manhattan-bound – upper-level): 8 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Queens to Brooklyn • Pulaski Bridge (Southbound to Brooklyn): 8:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Brooklyn • BQE Westbound lanes (Furman Street to Gowanus Expressway): 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. • Gowanus Expressway Southbound (BQE to Verrazano Bridge) 9:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Brooklyn to Staten Island • Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Westbound lower level to Staten Island): Midnight to 6:00 p.m. • Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Westbound upper level to Staten Island): Only accessible from street; Access from BQE closes around 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. • Note: the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Eastbound lower and upper levels to Brooklyn) will remain open, there are no changes Street Closures Manhattan Street Closures The following streets in Manhattan will be closed intermittently to motorists from 6:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.: • Greenwich Street from Battery Park to Trinity Place • Trinity Place from Greenwich to Church streets • Church Street from Trinity Place to Franklin Street • 6th Avenue from Franklin to 59th streets • 7th Avenue (Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard) from 110th (Central Park) to 135th streets • 135th Street from 7th Avenue (Adam. Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard) to the Madison Avenue Bridge • 116th Street from FDR Drive (Southbound) to Pleasant Avenue; Pleasant Avenue from 116th to 114th streets • York Avenue at 63rd Street (entrance ramp to the Queensboro Bridge) • 63rd Street from FDR Drive to Second Avenue Bronx Street Closures The following street in the Bronx will be closed to motorists from 7:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: • 138th Street between the Madison Avenue Bridge and the Third Avenue Bridge Queens Street Closures The following streets in Queens will be closed intermittently to motorists from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: • 21st Street from Queens Plaza North to Hoyt Avenue • Hoyt Avenue from 21st to 19th streets (Astoria Park) • Shore Boulevard from Astoria Park South to Ditmars Boulevard • Astoria Park South from Shore Boulevard to 14th Street • 14th Street from Astoria Park South to 31st Avenue • 31st Avenue from 14th Street to Vernon Boulevard • Queens Plaza South from 34th Street to Vernon Boulevard • Vernon Boulevard from 31st Avenue to 44th Drive • 44th Drive from Vernon Boulevard to 11th Street • 11th Street from 44th Drive to the Pulaski Bridge Brooklyn Street Closures The following streets in Brooklyn will be closed intermittently to

TRAFFIC ALERT: NYC Five Boro Bike Tour Begins At 8:00AM Sunday

May 5, 2012 9:55 pm No Comments

On Sunday morning, more than 30,000 cyclists will experience New York City from a perspective unlike any other: pedaling down 42 miles of car-free streets through all five boroughs, taking in views of iconic landmarks like the Empire State building, Brooklyn Bridge, historic Harlem, and the Statue of Liberty. Taking place the first Sunday in May each year, the adventure starts in Lower Manhattan. The ride heads north through the heart of Manhattan into Central Park and continues on to historic Harlem and the Bronx, returning south along the East River on the FDR Drive. From there it crosses into Queens and then Brooklyn, where cyclists take over the highway before making the thrilling climb up—and down—the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Staten Island. The route is 42 miles, mostly flat except for the bridges. Police advised drivers to avoid the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which will be partially closed Sunday until 6 p.m. After that, travel on the bridge will be fully restored. Both the Staten Island-bound and Brooklyn-bound lower levels of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge will close to car traffic at midnight, with two of the Brooklyn-bound lanes opening at 8 a.m. and the Staten Island-bound lanes opening at 6 p.m. Traffic heading towards Brooklyn at the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel will be diverted to Hamilton Avenue from 10 a.m, to 3:30 p.m., and the ramp to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge off the FDR Drive will be closed from 8 a.m. until noon, with all Manhattan-bound traffic directed to exit at 125th Street. The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) today advised that rolling street, bridge and highway closures will occur on Sunday, May 6 throughout the city to facilitate the annual TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour. Rolling street closures will begin at 6:30 a.m. ahead of the event’s 7:45 a.m. start time in Lower Manhattan and continue along the 42-mile route through Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn before concluding in Staten Island at 6 p.m. Closures will affect portions of Church Street, Sixth Avenue, Central Park, Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, the Madison Avenue Bridge, the Third Avenue Bridge, the FDR Drive, the Queensboro Bridge, the Pulaski Bridge, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the Gowanus Expressway, the Belt Parkway, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and Bay Street, and other locations. The Staten Island Ferry will operate with additional boats to accommodate the Tour. Five Boro Bike Tour Bridge/Highway/Street/Park Closures Bridge and Highway Closures On Sunday, May 1, the following bridges and highways will be closed to motorists during the times noted: Manhattan to Bronx Madison Avenue Bridge (Bronx bound): 7:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. 3rd Avenue Bridge (Manhattan bound): 7:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Manhattan FDR Drive Southbound (3rd Avenue Bridge to 63rd Street): 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Queensboro Bridge (Manhattan-bound, upper-level): 8 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Queens to Brooklyn Pulaski Bridge (Southbound to Brooklyn): 8:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Brooklyn BQE Westbound lanes (Furman Street to Gowanus Expressway): 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Gowanus Expressway Southbound (BQE to Verrazano Bridge) 9:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Brooklyn to Staten Island Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Westbound lower level to Staten Island): Midnight to 6:00 p.m. Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Westbound upper level to Staten Island): Only accessible from street; Access from BQE closes around 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Note: the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Eastbound lower and upper levels to

Kent Avenue Will No Longer Be 2-Way Street By End Of Week

August 17, 2009 1:35 pm 3 Comments

Williamsburg – Kent Avenue will become a one-way street with a protected two-way bike lane at the end of this week, marking the official end of a botched roadway redesign that pitted cyclists against motorists in a fight for hegemony over the key link between Greenpoint and Downtown. Workers will begin milling and resurfacing Kent Avenue between Clymer Street and Broadway today, eliminating a controversial layout installed last fall that replaced hundreds of parking spaces with bike lanes on both sides of the north-south byway. By the end of the week, the two-way street will be transformed into a northbound-only road. New markings and signage will then turn hotly contested no-parking and no-standing zones into legal parking lanes – one of which will serve as a buffer for a protected, two-directional bike lane on the waterfront side of the roadway. The section of Kent Avenue between Broadway and N. 14th Street will undergo similar changes in September, a Department of Transportation spokesman said. The agency, cycling advocacy groups, and some neighborhood residents and merchants have argued that the new design will improve Kent Avenue for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians by recovering lost parking spaces, offering cyclists a protected space, and lowering the speed of car traffic. Placing the two-directional bike lane on the waterfront side of the street also lays the framework for the planned Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, a two-way, landscaped cycling and walking path that will stretch from Greenpoint to Sunset Park. But some North Brooklynites oppose the plan to turn Kent Avenue into a one-way street out of concerns that truck traffic from the throughway will be routed onto inland residential blocks like Wythe Avenue, and across commercial corridors like Bedford Avenue. Foes of the city’s plan have launched an online petition drive, currently boasting 166 signatures, in an attempt to thwart the one-way plan. (Source: The Brooklyn Paper)

Purim In Kislev? Williamsburg Bicycle Clowns Defend Kent Street Lane

December 17, 2008 1:25 pm 7 Comments

A group of cycling clowns rode along Kent Street in Williamsburg today to protest what they call a growing “anti-bike sentiment in Brooklyn.” Organized by “Times Up”, the ride was a response of sorts to vocal community opposition to the bike lane, which some residents and business owners blame for a sudden dearth of parking. Last month Chasidic Jews in the largely Satmar section of South Williamsburg vowed to protest the bike lane by blocking traffic on Kent. So today the clowns came out “to comically draw attention to the serious danger faced by cyclists without safe, protected bike lanes.” Blasting music from a boom box, they distributed information in English and Yiddish to educate bike lane opponents about the importance of the new lane, which will eventually become part of a separate bike path connecting North and South Brooklyn. In a press release, bike lane clown Benjamin Shepard declared, “An injury to one bike lane, is an injury to all bike lanes. Enforced, protected bike lanes save cyclists lives, improve the landscape and make better use of public space for most of the community.” The following is a press release from “Times Up”: On Wednesday, December 17th, the Time’s Up! Bicycle Clowns will ride to defend the new bike lane and future greenway connector in Williamsburg. The Bicycle Clowns will also be kicking off their year-long “Love Your Lanes” campaign to keep the focus on protecting and celebrating bike lanes. A small but vocal group is spreading anti-bike sentiment in Brooklyn at a time when non-polluting transportation is on the rise in NYC and is recognized as essential to a sustainable future. Bike lane opponents, including some members of the Hasidic community who protest cyclists’ “immodesty,” along with Council Members Diana Reyna and David Yassky and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, are trying to remove the newly installed Kent Street bike lane. Some opponents have even publicly threatened to illegally block the bike lanes with their private-school buses, which will force cyclists into traffic to avoid crashing into the obstructing vehicle and risk being struck and even killed. “An injury to one bike lane, is an injury to all bike lanes,” declares bike lane clown Benjamin Shepard. “Enforced, protected bike lanes save cyclists lives, improve the landscape and make better use of public space for most of the community.” The Bike Clowns will ride on Kent Street and clear the bike lane of motor vehicles so that the bike lane is safe for cyclists commuting to work. The Bicycle Clowns will use theater to comically draw attention to the serious danger faced by cyclists without safe, protected bike lanes. They will educate bike lane opponents that removing bike lanes only encourages more people to drive, which further clogs our city’s streets and taxes our country’s oil resources. “Safe, accessible bike lanes help us re-imagine our city’s future with far less dependence on motorized travel,” bike lane clown Madeline Nelson said. (Gothamist / YWN Desk – NYC)

Williamsburg: Elected Officials Back Community in Bike-Lane Fight

December 11, 2008 6:19 am 6 Comments

(Brooklyn Paper) Some officials who fancy themselves champions of Kent Avenue’s two bike lanes — have joined a coalition of Hasidic residents and local businessowners in now demanding that one of the lanes be removed to restore parking on the east side of the busy avenue. A who’s who of electeds and neighborhood leaders — including Borough President Markowitz, Councilmembers David Yassky (D–Williamsburg) and Diana Reyna (D–Williamsburg) — made their demand known in a letter to the Department of Transportation. Yassky — a backer of bike-friendly initiatives including a long-planned Greenway that will eventually create two bike lanes on Kent Avenue that are buffered from car traffic by a line of trees — signed on after taking heat from the Williamsburg’s Satmar community at a neighborhood forum. At that meeting, one of the community’s main spokesmen, Isaac Abraham, threatened that Hasidic Jews would block traffic to protest the bike lane. But Yassky’s spokesman said his boss hasn’t changed gears when it comes to cycling. “[Sending such a letter] seems like an anti-bike thing, but that’s not where we’re coming from at all,” said Yassky’s spokesman Jake Maguire. “We want to see a bike lane there and we expect to see a bike lane there, but we want a bike lane that the community supports and one that is implemented in a way that is collaborative,” he added. Community Board 1 member Evan Thies said he signed the letter to encourage the city to get started on the long-promised Greenway — a pair of walking and biking paths stretching from Greenpoint to Sunset Park, said the best way to get the Greenway done is to put “both [existing] bike lanes on the west side of the street now.” “That way we can plant our flag there and build out [the Greenway] accordingly in the next few years,” said Thies. But cycling advocates fear that removing even a single lane could put bicyclists in grave danger. “If you take away bike lanes, you are feeding into that driver’s sense of entitlement to the entire street,” said Teresa Toro, chair of Community Board 1’s Transportation Committee. “It could be open season for bicyclists.” That opinion has some support at the Department of Transportation, whose bike program coordinator Josh Benson said that the agency had no plan to remove the bike lane on the west side of the street. But the pols’ letter may be changing things. This week, the agency’s spokesman Seth Solomonow said DOT was now looking into the matter. (Source: Brooklyn Paper)

VIDEO: Williamsburg Jews Threaten to Bring NYC Traffic to a Halt

November 26, 2008 8:30 am 20 Comments

Opposition to newly painted bike lanes on Kent Avenue is so strong in Williamsburg’s Hasidic community that one Orthodox leader vows that the faithful will block traffic if the city does not remove the cycling routes. In South Williamsburg’s Satmar section, the wheels were already spinning against the bike lanes – which eliminated curbside parking and standing when they were painted last month (see story HERE on YWN) – and now de facto Satmar spokesman Isaac Abraham kicked the conflict into a higher gear when he said this week that private buses would obstruct Kent Avenue to pressure the city to remove the lanes and reinstate alternate-side parking. “We will ask all the drivers: ‘When you pick-up or drop-off our children, put your bus in an angle, block the entire street, wait ’til the parent gets to the door of the bus, [and] slowly — very slowly — take your child off or put it on the bus, [and] don’t rush to get back on the sidewalk,’” said Abraham, who added that the protests would occur every morning from 8–10 am and 4–7 pm and would be accompanied by rallies. “One day the traffic will be backed up all the way to Long Island City to [the] Department of Transportation Headquarters, traffic will come to a halt,” he said. Abraham revealed to The Brooklyn Paper his calls for a traffic slowdown just before a contentious Nov. 24 neighborhood meeting about transportation hosted by Councilmembers David Yassky (D–Williamsburg) and Diana Reyna (D–Williamsburg) that addressed the controversial Kent Avenue bike lanes, which are placeholders for the proposed Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway — a divided cycling and walking path planned to stretch from Greenpoint to Sunset Park. Once and future City Council candidate Isaac Abraham demanded that the city remove the “No Stopping Any Time” signs that were installed on Kent Avenue. Behind him, Councilman David Yassky and state Sen.-elect Dan Squadron (far left) listen. Members of the Hasidic community said that blocking traffic is their only way to voice their grievances about the no-stopping, no-standing signage that they have protested since the city installed the signs on a Saturday morning last month and immediately issued tickets, even though observant Jews aren’t allowed to drive on the Sabbath. “I don’t like it, but if that is what needs to be done to get their attention, people are going to do it,” said Williamsburg resident Leo Moskowitz. “We don’t want to do it, but if we have to, we will.” Department of Transportation Bicycle Program Coordinator Joshua Benson — who fielded questions and insults at the transportation meeting — wasn’t surprised by the negative response from some members of the community, which included complaints from business owners about declines in sales and difficulties with deliveries. Benson said that the lane was necessary to create a “network” of bicycle paths around the borough, and suggested that in time, Williamsburg residents might come to embrace the cycling lanes. “Change is hard, and when we change the way the streets work, there is always an adjustment period,” he said. VIDEO LINK: Click HERE for video. (Source: Brooklyn Paper)

Williamsburg Chasidic Residents Protest Bike Lanes

September 13, 2008 9:03 pm 11 Comments

Leading activists in Willimasburg’s Chasidic community are calling on NYC officials to eliminate bike lanes on Wythe and Bedford avenues, and to delay construction of a new one planned for Kent Avenue. They point out that dressing immodestly is considered by most residents here to be offensive; the bike lanes tend to direct a certain amount of the unwanted scantily-clad through the streets of the neighborhood. R’ Shimon Weisser, a member of Community Board 1 in Williamsburg-Greenpoint, told The New York Post, “I have to admit, it’s a major issue, women passing through here in that dress code. It bothers me, and it bothers a lot of people.” In what is probably a display of their savvy, members of the community do not mention the modesty issue when engaging in official protest with governmental bodies. At a September 8th community-board meeting, R’ Weisser and others who spoke out brought up such issues as the bike lanes allegedly causing parking problems and traffic congestion. Another reason for opposing the special car-free lanes presented officially by some community activists is that the cyclists allegedly tend to disobey traffic laws which creates a safety hazard. They point out that traffic safety must be considered paramount in this neighborhood that is so full of children. (Dov Gordon – YWN NYC)

NY Post: ‘Hasid Street Fight’

December 28, 2008 11:19 am 11 Comments

The following article appears in Sunday’s NY Post: A group of Brooklyn Hasids, furious that city transportation officials put bike lanes in a school drop-off zone, have defiantly put up their own traffic sign to detour motorists – and have also vowed to block cars with school buses. The 4-by-8-foot sign along Kent Avenue in Williamsburg directs motorists a block east to Wythe Avenue as an alternate six-block route to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The decision to hang the unsanctioned “Detour Route” sign was sparked by the city’s decision in November to eliminate parking along the bustling roadway in favor of new bike lanes heading north and south. Even though the sign was hung on private land near the Broadway intersection, it isn’t kosher with the Department of Transportation. “Only the city can establish detours,” said DOT spokesman Scott Gastel, who would not elaborate on any consequences the culprits could face. Adding to the controversy: The sign notes that buses hired by Hasidic schools will defy traffic rules from 8-10 a.m. and 4-6:30 p.m. weekdays by “angle blocking the road and bike lane for safety” as children leave and enter classes. “Due to the bike lane and parking problem created by NYC Department of Transportation, we urge all drivers to use Wythe Ave. as your alternate route, so you have no delays when the buses are picking up and dropping off kids,” the sign says. Hasids say they will also hand out unofficial advisories to drivers along Kent Avenue every day. The Post reported in September that some South Williamsburg Hasids were trying to block construction of the new lanes because three other neighborhood bike paths were attracting scantily clad female cyclists. The bike lanes are popular with North Williamsburg hipsters – many who ride in shorts or skirts in warm weather. Hasid community activist Isaac Abraham said the decision to hang the sign has nothing to do with the battle between the Hasids and hotties, however. He says it’s about protecting kids from bikers who ignore traffic laws. “They are like birds flying by and dropping manure,” said Abraham, who said his spouse was struck by a cyclist. Residents also say the bike lanes and lack of parking are causing local businesses to suffer because they’re losing deliveries – even from UPS and FedEx. Phil DiPaolo, a local activist, said DOT created the mess by promising to create new parking spaces along side streets to make way for the Kent Avenue bike lane and then reneging on the spaces. However, he believes the Hasids shouldn’t break the law to make a point. “Bicyclists should have a right to safe passage, but businesses should have ample parking,” he said. (NY Post)

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