Margaret Chin Questions Gerson’s Opposition to Bike Lane.

Democrat Margaret Chin, candidate for the New York City Council in the 1^st district, wants to know what Councilman Alan Gerson’s position on the Grand Street bike lane is.

 

When the Grand Street bike lane was installed by the Mayor’s Department of Transportation, Councilmember Gerson did almost nothing to oppose it. There was limited community consultation, with only one major hearing and a vote by the Community Board. The hearing was poorly publicized and attended, and Gerson did little to make the debate over the bike lane public or engaged. The one tepid protest that Gerson managed to organize failed to prevent the construction of the bike lane, the entirety of which falls within Council District 1.

 

Now that his prospects for election to a third term are in serious jeopardy, he has taken a position with the community, and against the bike lane. Combined with his changing stance on congestion pricing (he voted in favor in the Council, but now claims to oppose it) this position raises questions as to whether his positions on the issues are driven by principles or the desire to be returned to office for a third term.

 

“This bike lane has been a major problem for communities across District 1” said Democrat Margaret Chin. “I support bike lanes all over New York, like the one we recently pushed for on Allen Street, which will calm traffic, increase transportation alternatives, and protect cyclists. But when this lane was imposed on our community by the Department of Transportation, all we got from Gerson was rhetoric. And now that he’s facing a tough third term re-election, that’s what we’re hearing again. We need an active City Councilmember who will be out in front of projects coming into our community.”

 

Democrat Margaret Chin also opposes the bike lane; however, she has supported a number of proposed bike paths across New York and district 1. When Houston Street was being renovated, she pushed for a protected bike lane along the median, which our incumbent Council member failed to secure. More recently, she spoke and lobbied in favor of a protected bike lane on Allen Street when it was proposed to the Community Board. This bike lane would have offered a real, protected route for cyclists, while having a calming effect on traffic and adding green space.

 

Grand Street is one of the most congested traffic routes in lower Manhattan; parking is limited and it is a frequently used emergency route. At the same time, the street itself is poorly maintained, especially in Chinatown, and is infrequently cleaned by the City.  When the Grand Street bike lane was installed, it was done by the Mayor and the Department of Transportation without community consultation, and without adequate planning. Moreover, it is not a protected lane, does not provide either adequate safety for cyclists or pedestrians, and inefficiently uses parking space.