I'm with Harry on this one. Even though I'm experienced at commuting into the city and could live fine without bicycle lanes, I find that it's better they exist. This city won't create a road where bicycles have more priority than cars. We aren't going to be down the center of an avenue. I agree the lanes do have a lot of potholes and crud, but I commute on a bicycle that is appropriate to the conditions. The roads suck for the cars, too. I do find it frustrating that there are many who abuse bike lanes: cyclists going the wrong way, deliverymen on scooters or motorized bikes, skateboards, runners, jaywalkers, cars turning without yielding, etc. Everyone in NYC are always getting in each others way. That's just the way it is. To fix that we'd have to change the culture of this town.

That said, since they've built the lanes and I've been using them, my commute time has not changed. I do feel marginally safer. With commuting one needs to adjust the speed to the situation. I never blaze through 2nd Ave below 14th st. That would be reckless. But for some of 1st Ave in the mornings, or through Prospect or over the Manhattan bridge, I can. And I'd like to think the lanes create an environment where people who aren't as experienced as we are can feel more comfortable riding into the city. And I'm all for seeing more bicycles in this city.

I'm with you Wojciech: I hate the bike lanes.

Having commuted since before they existed, I find the hostility and danger to only have increased from pedestrians and motorists (I include myself in all categories). They are generally poorly engineered and unregulated. I felt much safer just riding in traffic where people *usually* felt that you were a part of the system. It's not about being a Maverick, it's about the massive backlash and anger. If you want to get to where you are going, and go over 5 mph, the bike lanes are not for you. No one respects them (cyclists included, who are constantly going the wrong way). Now, if you are not in a bike lane, people think it's okay to run you over. This is the worst aspect. I like the *idea* of a bike lane, but in reality, they have not been backed up with any sort of public education or legitimate instruction. The public just resents them. And stupid campaigns like "don't be a jerk" only deny the fact that cyclists aren't the only "jerks", they exist in pedestrian, automotive, skateboard, rollerblade, etc form.

Just last night, a dummy going down 2nd on a skateboard was swerving around in the entire lane on the right hand side. As I attempt to go around him, he bitches about how I didn't tell him I was there. Really? I rung my bell and was going in a STRAIGHT LINE. He had on earphones and thought he was on the boardwalk in California. Go in f'n straight line, douche.

Again, I'm not a super-fast-racing-commuter-dork. I have the proper lights. I go the right direction. I defer to those who have the right-of-way. But the issue is marginalization. There is no longer any "exit strategy" as cyclists have been relegated to a small space between parked/turning cars and the side walk.

What I'm saying is: They suck. Maybe Harry is right, that there's a learning curve we all need to be a part of. But until jackasses stop almost killing me on my commute, I'm having a hard time getting down with the badly regulated green stripes and lights. The problem is, you have so many new inductees into the city in any given season, it's hard to imagine idealistic engineering overcoming clueless nature.

Philosophically, I think we should use bike lanes. So for a week or so last March, I dutifully rode up 1st Ave in the bike lane. I felt uncomfortable for the reason Jeff mentions - no exit strategy. Then the inevitable happens (after only a week). I'm surfing around a car turning left in front of me and as I return to the lane a woman steps out into it. No where to go. We both go down hard. She goes to hospital. I carry my bike home with a pretzeled wheel. Ambulances came. Fire truck came. Did any cops stop to see what happened? No.

Next week I get the red light ticket. Following week I get a 'not riding in the bike lane' ticket about two blocks from where I had the accident.

Philosophically, I am for bike lanes. But I will personally avoid them.

And the bike share program is saying that you have to have a $100/year membership? What a disappointment.

So much potential, so little common sense.

ALL good/neh 'GREAT' testimonials and insights...
it is CLEAR that WE(Kissena &the like) the experienced cycling public could, would and will MAKE A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE if we:

a. openly & publically share our experiences with the NYC DOT, POLICE, & PLANNING COMMISSION. in order to accommodate design adjustments and create a PUBLIC AWARENESS of traffic RULES & RESPONSIBILITIES.

b. PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN to publish and visually illustrate the "RULES&RESPONSIBILITIES OF BIKE LANES".

c. the real estate for these bike lanes is NO SMALL investment by NYC and if we do not adopt them as ours they WILL disappear, faults and all, and we will return to ALL CARS ALL the TIME, everyone for themselves, middleAges...IF we HELP&PARTICIPATE, this can/will be a renaissance for cycling in NYC ) a near perfect american city for commuter cycling.

b. as a designer&planner i know that our(KCC) input WILL affect changes/&adjustment that rectify the copious problems that currently exist with the bicycle lanes.

c. we must try NOT to be short sighted, &NOW IS the time to seize the DAY! as "BIKE SHARE" arrives...we can shape the paradigm ie. i agree the $100/yr membership is ridiculous. they are NOT ZIP CAR s...these bicycles MUST be available for tourists, commuters and, especially, point to point daily business. The Parisian model is excellent and much loved pay w/debit card & off you go similar to ZIP CARs it is a by the hour 1/2hr fee.

d. again, i plea that WE KCC do our best to set the example and maybe even promote &improve the bike lanes, otherwise, others will colonize these dear(valuable) spaces: ie. restauranteurs, businesses, community gardens, etc for their own use and cycling will reseed.

so, even if Woj. etc are dubious about use of these BICYCLE LANES we should comment&criticize constructively towards a better use and understanding of these shared spaces. the less they are used by responsible cyclists the less affective they will be.
-h;>

ps. davidS you R the perfect poster/cyclist for BIKE LANES w/ your experiences i see the (70's)crying native american warrior AD Campaign!

You get what you TAKE in this town, bike lane or no. That will not change in our lifetimes.

I learned soon after moving here that it enhances my safety to be very aggressive when I ride in the city. There is no ambiguity when I am riding 20 mph straight at you and shouting at the top of my lungs, "HEEEEEYYYY!" with a look of pure, animal aggression. It scares the shit out of people, and in so doing, makes us safe. There is no ambiguity when I take an entire lane. There is no "What will he do?". I'm taking the lane, whether you like it or not.

My system is not very gentile or polite, but it eliminates a lot of uncertainty other road users may have about what I'm going to do.

i have mixed feeling about bike lanes. Some of them are great and work really well. Some of them suck. Some of them work well at one time of day, but cars turn them into high speed passing lanes at rush hour. I think what is unfortunate is that very little though is given to keeping the bike lane open for bikes.

There was a well advertised campaign about steep fines for driving in a bus lane, but I bet the NYPD rarely issues tickets let alone creates a public information campaign about why one shouldn't stop, drive, or park in a bike lane. In fact, I often see cop cars and official vehicles parked in the bike lane. The ACS office just north of Atlantic Ave on Bedford uses the lane (next to the gas station) to park their vehicles. What nonsense, especially at the most dangerous portion of the road.

We should just call them "multi-use lanes"

http://www.dnainfo.com/20110614/manhattan/police-among-worst-offenders-blocking-manhattans-bike-lanes

16sept2011
10am

NOTE ALL,
in 5min. NPR Radio WNYC 93.9fm will be discussing new york city 'BIKE SHARE PROGRAM" ... please listen & consider calling or online comment(s).
-harryB;>

ps.
i TOTALLY agree w/ Jeffery White...must be aggressive/CLEAR of INTENTIONS&ACTIONS. it is lack of clarity that causes most accidents.
--h

I third that. I'd use slightly different semantics and say it's being assertive, rather than aggressive. Anticipate, adjust speed to the situation, and give a shout out when the bell doesn't work. But most importantly, enjoy. It really is a pleasure to ride to work. Even if there is some b.s. along the way, it always put me in a better mood and does a better job of getting me to work on time compared to when I take the subway.

@ Nathaniel. Yes, commuting is great when you don't get doored, yelled at, chased, etc. For Christmas, I'm getting an orange and a gyrophare.

What is a gyrophare one might ask ? http://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/gyrophare tells us it is a revolving light. Think cop car, construction truck, etc.

However, first I tried dictionary.com , and it didn't have it but suggested: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gynophore ... not quite the same!

@ JoshuaC In French, "gyrophare" is the common word used for the lights on the roofs of police cars. As Christian would tell you, those lights turn, like the spit used to cook a gyro (γύρος), hence the name. As for "phare", it means "headlight" but also "lighthouse" and "beacon"...

So I'm at the tail end of my ride this morning in Prospect Park, and as I come over the top of the uphill and pick up speed through the sweeping left by the GAP entrance, some middle aged man in a running get-up is in the road in front of me. I'm on the inside line and he's kind of shutting that down so I start moving to the outside line. But then he goes that way, and I'm like, "Oh crap, I've got one of those morons on my hands here who can't figure out how to cross the street." So as I'm trying to get around this guy, I start having to brake pretty hard on the slick wet pavement. As the distance between us closes, I can't help but notice that he looks kind of angry. He begins to yell at me, which could only support that assessment. At this point, both my wheels are locked up and I'm skidding along the slick road surface.

He CHARGES.

I'm skidding straight at this guy who's yelling at me, and he's FULL ON CHARGING with his shoulders down and his arms outstretched. In my head I was all "omg hfs wtf," in the world I was all "WTTH FUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

He TACKLES ME.

He throws his doughy shoulder into my chest, completely stopping me, and goes for the body slam. Luckily I had clipped out my left foot just before impact and I grab hold of his shirt with one hand, hug him with the other arm, and just kind of foil him. The impact had knocked his prescription glasses off. With my bike between my legs, my right foot still clipped in, and with my left Look road cleat planted precariously on wet pavement, I didn't have any leverage to do anything except hold him close and take away his leverage. So there we are, grappling around in the middle of the road, in a kind of hostile embrace. I began to yell at the top of my lungs in an effort to seem loud and scary, but I don't think it came out very well: "SHICOCKAYASS!!!" After a couple seconds of this ridiculousness, he suddenly detaches leaps back a couple of steps. (Could my poorly thought-out profanity-esque outburst have been effective?)

"Are you the guy who yelled at me back there?! Are you the fuckin' guy who yelled at me to get out of the way?!"

"What?!"

"Are you the fuckin' guy who fuckin' yelled at me to get out of the way back there?!"

"What the FUCK are you talking about?! NO!! Are you SERIOUS?!"

"You GODDAMN CYCLISTS in here think you OWN the park and can just do WHATEVER THE FUCK [blah blah blah blah] ..."

"And THIS is your solution, you fucking TACKLE someone?! You're a grown up!"

[At about this time I surreptitiously begin rolling my front tire back and forth over his rimless prescription glasses. He does not notice.]

"Look, I'm sorry if it wasn't you who yelled at me back there, but ..."

"Ooooohhh! You're sorry? For assaulting me? Well SUUUUPER!"

"Hey, I said I'm sorry ..."

At some point he scoops up what is left of his glasses and runs off. I stand there for a minute and wait for the adrenaline to wear off and begin my cool-down lap. As I pass him (he's jogging as if nothing happened) I take a crappy picture of him with my cell phone.

"Say cheese!"

"Take all the pictures you want, buddy. I said I'm sorry. But you people can't go around yelling at us to get out of your way like you own the place. Just last week I saw a guy walking his dog almost get hit by some asshole on a bike [blah blah blah] ..."

I rode beside him and calmly explained that when there are cars in the park, cyclists can't use the car lanes, so on the other side of the park, he really should keep to the side.

"I was! I was running just like this, and the guy came flying right by me, yelling at me to move over!"

"Well, don't run in the bike lane, then."

christ, what an asshole!

lolz. i know it isn't supposed to be funny but I'm cracking up.

but I mean at least you escaped unhurt. You'd have a nice lawsuit to file if managed to take you down.

Should have take your front wheel off and beaten the cunt with it.

Jesus! That is insane. Did it happen to be the old bearded guy who always wears the maroon jacket? He likes to walk down the center of the road which has always annoyed me to no end. I cannot believe he tried to tackle you though, that's totally nuts. Glad you are ok.

You should have beaten the fucker with your BIKE. Like a cudgel.

Now go file a police report, post the crappy picture to the forum and everyone, from now on - greet Jeff with a "hug"... while he's riding

A couple of people have suggested I file a police report. As a general life policy, I avoid the NYPD like the plague, particularly as a cyclist. Does anyone think it's worth it at this point? The photo I took is very blurry.

I think you really need to. At a minimum you begin to create a paper trail. Mild mannered people don't jut "snap" and start tackling people in the park, despite what Hollywood would have us think. I'm sure he has a history of violent outbursts at home, work, etc. For all you know you aren't the first cyclist he's tackled.

There have to be consequences to that kind of behavior.

I generally think the police are a bunch of assholes, but my guess is that you could go to the park any day about the same time and pick the guy out from the back seat of a squad car--if they cared. They'll probably give you some "it's your word against his" bullshit. And then even if they do take your report, they'll classify it not as "assault with intent for bodily harm" or some shit like that, but they'll make it "un-asked for hugs" so their precinct's crime statistics don't look bad.

What about contacting NY1 or other local news outlets...that is one crazy story. I can just see some reporter standing at the top of the GAP being all gravitasy, "What happens when one jogger goes mad...next at 11"

Madness. Glad you are OK, and nice job on the moron's spectacles.

Heh, the old "you people". I had to throw on my brakes twice yesterday on the way home down 2nd ave b/c it was raining and......I decided to use the crappy bike lane where people feel free to jump into it. I guess the millions of people walking in the city everyday are all the same and I should attack them randomly.

I would have either punched him in the face or called the cops. Like you said, he assaulted you. No amount of yelling condones that. At least you smashed his glasses. And were unhurt. Didn't you used to play football? You should've tackled HIM.

But seriously, file the report. Chances are he runs in the park frequently so you can identify him. Even though there were no injuries, it will be on file. It shows a pattern of behavior (I think, no lawyering stuff in my head). The cop said it was good I filed a report when I got hit by a car which then sped away. While I didn't have any injuries and nothing would probably come of it, it's on the record that the guy knowingly left the scene of an accident.

Like that White House crashing dinner couple. It's not that what they did that evening could be proven illegal (I think they defended themselves by saying they "thought" they were on the LIST and weren't being deceptive, the bad security let them in), but once the police started looking into their past, lo and behold, they had multiple lawsuits and claims filed against them for all kinds of forgery and scams. Go figger.

Love the story. Good on you for hugging the guy: I probably wouldn't have thought of that.

There are times for the police, like when someone pulls a gun on you. But for this, I think it best to avoid. If you had witnesses or someone shooting video, you might have something, but just a blurry picture isn't much of anything.

My own amusement du jour was I had to ride to midtown to see the "no fault" doctor from when that cab hit me in august. Weaving around the folks walking in the Broadway bike lane was no problem, but when I was a block away I brushed a guy who ran out from in front of a stopped truck and not only was he looking backwards and carrying heavy load,but turned away from the direction of travel. Getting injured on my way to this appointment (which was canceled) would have been a bit much.

For what it's worth, I would not pursue a police report at this point. If it had been possible to arm-bar the dude and hold him until someone could fetch the police --that might have been ideal for justice-wise. But, sounds like the bike entanglement made such tactical wrestling impossible. Also, as you and others point out, the NYPD are not so just, nor wise, and probably don't know the pedestrian/cyclist/driver rules in the park and might even cite you for riding in what they would rule as the wrong lane or for not stopping well in-advance of a pugnacious pedestrian.

Jeff. Glad you're OK. I think I'm going to use my GoPro from now on... I bought it after being run over from behind by a car on Union Turnpike, although in that case I would have needed a camera aiming back... but for the two previous encounters with cars within a year it would have been useful.

Posted By: Jules RoazenI think you really need to. At a minimum you begin to create a paper trail. Mild mannered people don't jut "snap" and start tackling people in the park, despite what Hollywood would have us think. I'm sure he has a history of violent outbursts at home, work, etc. For all you know you aren't the first cyclist he's tackled.

There have to be consequences to that kind of behavior.

jeff - do what Jules is saying

if you don't have a police report, this never happened (either to you or anybody else)

also, post the picture here - i want to know who to avoid

Jeff, its good you two didn't get in a fight. It's looks really really sad when cyclists fight. Like guys with noodles for arms....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRTlStScolw