by Gina 
For a while now, we’ve been talking about the danger zone of speeding vehicles that is McGuinness Blvd, where some truly tragic incidents have happened over the last year, most notably the death of 32-year-old Nicole Detweiler, who was crossing the street in December when she was fatally hit by two vehicles.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. In 2010, a 28-year-old was the victim of a hit-and-run and later…
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I have to admit, I guess goose pimples of happiness when saying “Vision Zero.” What a great campaign name and goal! And that it’s being implemented.
Si se puede!
Thankfully some progress with safer streets around here. This proposed bike lane must be something that physically divided from car traffic rather than simply painted on the pavement. Too many drivers simply use it for parking, driving into and contributing to hazardous conditions.
Vision Beardo!
Anyone remember the PSA “Cross on the green, not in between”? Next you people will want stroller and skipping lanes.
While I’m happy McGuinness Boulevard is becoming a “slow zone,” adding a bike lane to the street is a bad idea. Safety is the best policy when biking, and McGuinness will still be too busy. Even though Manhattan Avenue north of Greenpoint has a bike lane, it’s still more calm to travel to via Franklin.
(This is not a mean comment blaming cyclists for anything; it’s my opinion as a cyclist.)
I agree that it’s more prudent for cyclists to travel on other streets, but the addition of bike lanes in this case might serve as a visual reminder to drivers that there are other street users than themselves, and therefore help them remember that they should slow down.
This is great news! I’m a driver, pedestrian and occassional cyclist and I couldn’t see why most of the streets in Greenpoint should have a speed limit of more than 20 mph. 25 for McGuinness should be good if everything hels to enforce it. The cameras can help with other things as well – last year my car was totaled when parked on the street – in the middle of the block, right up against the curb, by a hit & run truck driver. A year before that, it had been hit by a truck on Provost street, as nearly every car that has ever been parked on Provost has been!
…but more so, I’ve seen a couple of those accidents and on McGuinness, it’s WAY more likely to be solely the driver’s fault. I watch people run the red light, (INCLUDING POLICE VEHICLES in non-emergency mode – I was almost hit by TWO of their trucks one evening when I had the walk sign) while waiting to cross my street nearly every single day.
… also, the bike lane serves to narrow the visual width of the roadway, which serves as a traffic calming device. It’s a traffic calming technique used by planners. The environment tells drivers how to behave and an extra wide roadway is a subliminal invitation to speed up.
Sounds good, but how are they going to add a bike lane? By eliminating parking along Mcguinness? I have both a bike and a car and would rather have more parking in the neighborhood than a bike lane down Mcguinness.
Would also like to see a reduction in alternate street parking rules to twice a week, but guess that is another issue.
Does this slow zone & bike lane include the Pulaski bridge? Drivers are really opening it up on that stretch, maybe 50-60mph. Also, the pedestrian and bike traffic is really cramped.
People shouldn’t drive as much as they do in the city. Instead, use public transportation – the truly urban way. Or maybe Brooklyn is just another City suburb?