Le-Nope!
A lumber firm in Lengthy Island Metropolis’s industrial Blissville neighborhood is the newest enterprise to sue town for proposing a protected bike lane — and the newest to persuade a decide to grant a brief pause within the challenge, generally known as the Blissville Greenway.
The bike lane in query was deliberate for Evaluation Avenue between 56th Highway and Greenpoint Avenue, taking cyclists safely between the Kosciuszko and Greenpoint Avenue bridges. LeNoble Lumber, the self proclaimed “Fedex of lumber yards,” filed its lawsuit final week, alleging that the Division of Transportation didn’t adjust to environmental evaluate protocol and was implementing the lane “arbitrarily and illegally.”
The lumber firm argues that town should undertake a “full evaluate of environmental impacts,” a authorized technique that has confirmed to be a loser in prior efforts to cease the DOT from exercising its authorized authority over the roads. Queens Supreme Courtroom Justice Kevin Kerrigan didn’t rule on the deserves, however merely set a listening to date for subsequent month.
The DOT defended the challenge within the press, although the company has not filed counter-motions but.
“This challenge addresses vital security wants for everybody by narrowing lanes on an unsafe hall and defending cyclists on a extremely traveled route between Brooklyn and Western Queens,” Vin Barone, DOT press secretary, mentioned in a press release. “Our proposals make the most of widespread design parts discovered on streets throughout town and we are going to defend our work in courtroom.”
The concept for a Blissville Greenway started to achieve momentum after the opening of the Kosciuszko Bridge pedestrian and bike path and the killing of teenager Mario Valenzuela and 53-year-old Robert Spencer on Borden Avenue in 2019. The DOT first proposed the gathering of recent bike lanes that will make up the greenway in Might at the local people board.
What does LeNoble need?
The bike lane would chop the large, two-way street from 52 toes for the motion and parking of autos to 37 toes for a similar objective. The corporate needs to take care of the 52-foot width, however the lawsuit additionally emphasizes LeNoble’s “want” for automobile parking for its workers, which quantities to a non-public use of the general public area that DOT needs to repurpose as a motorcycle lane.
“The companies on Evaluation Avenue not solely require the off- and on-loading of fabric on large-scale tractor vehicles, but additionally require road parking for native enterprise workers, together with LeNoble’s workers who commute by automobile to get to work each day,” reads the lawsuit.
Although town is below no obligation to put aside public area without spending a dime non-public parking, the plan as it’s now retains area for a complete lane of parked automobiles whereas preserving the roadway comparatively untouched.
Matthew Dienstag, the proprietor of LeNoble, advised Streetsblog that he did not see it that means.
“Simply on this stretch there’s like 100 companies, there’s 1000’s of workers. Most of them drive to work, they don’t all dwell on this space. That may have a big effect on the workers attending to work,” Dienstag mentioned.
He added that for a motorcycle lane to be protected, it wants a bodily barrier.
“You want some type of buffer, particularly right here you’ve got all of those vehicles,” he mentioned, then he gestured towards a line of workers automobiles parked half on the sidewalk and half on the street — a transfer they make to keep away from getting clipped by vehicles.
“May you think about if there was a motorcycle lane there?” Dienstag requested rhetorically. “In fact there are many different methods, I’m simply fearful about the place my workers are going to park, the place are the vehicles on this space going to park?”
This frustrates Tom Mituzas, a life-long Blissville resident and president of the Blissville Civic Affiliation, who advocated for this greenway. He usually walks on Evaluation Avenue, countering the lawsuit’s declare that the sidewalk right here is “scantily used.”
“Right here in Blissville, we’ve been clear with our wants: safer streets for everybody,” mentioned Mituzas. “For those who stroll down Evaluation, you’ll see now, even pedestrians are in hurt’s means as a result of drivers ignore the curb. The automobiles go up on the curb and onto the sidewalks.”
Dienstag proposed two options to the DOT’s plan. One would use that very sidewalk as a shared bike/pedestrian path. The opposite would transfer the proposed bike-lane to the north facet of the cemetery on Borden Avenue.
“Not each street is acceptable for a motorcycle lane, however I occur to assume they’re nice within the correct place,” Dienstag advised Streetsblog.
The lawsuit comes at a time when enterprise objection to street diets can outright cease, within the case of Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn, or severely delay, within the case of McGuinness Boulevard throughout the creek in Greenpoint, protected road initiatives. Teams of locals additionally sued to cease the 14th Avenue busway and the Central Park West bike lane, however each failed.
Industrial and residential conflict
Dienstag mentioned companies like his in Lengthy Island Metropolis have been pushed into one small area, calling the realm the place LeNoble operates an “industrial ghetto.”
“That is an Industrial Enterprise Zone, it’s the final remaining vestige of business in Lengthy Island Metropolis,” mentioned Deinstag, after guaranteeing Streetsblog that he appreciates the event close to the water in Lengthy Island Metropolis, the place he often enjoys the eating places.
Though the realm is now an Industrial Enterprise Zone there’s a long-time residential neighborhood of about 500 folks. In 2018, the neighborhood doubled when three homeless shelters opened in former lodges. Blissville residents say that the emphasis on enterprise is part of the issue.
“A giant a part of the difficulty is companies that don’t acknowledge that there are folks dwelling right here. Sure it’s an ‘Industrial Enterprise Zone’ the place the houses are grandfathered in, however we’ve gotten 500 new residents since 2018 with our shelters,” mentioned Mituzas.
Dienstag mentioned he considers the residents as necessary stakeholders, however the lawsuit says there are “minimal to few” residents and doesn’t consider the cyclists who could be driving via the realm. In any case, not everybody who makes use of a motorcycle lane lives subsequent to it.
The entire image
The challenge laid out by the DOT in Might, was set to be in-built three phases. The lawsuit solely seeks judicial motion over the Evaluation Avenue portion of Section I. Because of this, even a brief delay will possible push the challenge into subsequent yr, as DOT can solely carry out such work when the climate is above 40 and roads are dry.
Section I (delayed because of the lawsuit):
- Evaluation Avenue between 56th Highway (close to the Kosciuszko Bridge) and Greenpoint Avenue (which incorporates the eponymous bridge) would get a two-way protected bike lane.
- Southbound Starr Avenue and northbound Evaluation Avenue between Greenpoint and Borden avenues will get a normal painted lane.
- Three quick stretches (Van Dam Avenue and Greenpoint Avenue close to the bridge) and Borden Avenue between Starr and Evaluation avenues will get a protected bike lane.
Section II (may begin subsequent yr):
- Borden Avenue from Heart Boulevard in Lengthy Island Metropolis to Evaluation Avenue, which can join the Queens waterfront to factors east.
Section III (at the moment has no begin date):
- 56th Highway and Rust Avenue will get unspecified enhancements.
Mituzas mentioned he’s hopeful that the ultimate outcome could have a constructive influence.
“Site visitors-calming measures are wanted, everybody wants security. Truck drivers, forklift drivers, our supply staff,” he mentioned. “Ever for the reason that metropolis constructed the pedestrian and bike owner lanes on the Kosciuszko Bridge, extra pedestrians and cyclists are utilizing Evaluation Avenue. The consultants at DOT know what they’re doing, I belief the method and I’m certain the top outcome shall be protected for everybody.”