NYC Approves Protected Bike Lane for Albany and Troy Avenues in Crown Heights
While the battle against the protected bike lane proposal for Kingston and Brooklyn Aves continue, with the community concerns that what has transpired with over a dozen accidents and injuries of young kids disembarking their Yeshiva buses getting struck by cyclists in the Jewish section of Williamsburg, would happen here as well in Crown Heights. Just worse because Brooklyn Ave is emptier and downhill which will result in cyclists, mopeds, e-bikes and scooters speeding even faster.
Brooklyn Community Board 8 (CB8) has recently presented a proposal at their general board meeting, requesting a bike lane starting at Eastern Parkway going north on Albany and Troy Aves, half of the Albany Ave bike lane will be painted, the other half will be ‘protected.’
Unfortunately this proposal has been approved by the New York City Department of Transportation.
In a statement Ahron Gluck who recently announced his candidacy for the New York State Assembly said: “just like the concerns of all Kingston Ave store owners that first the city will install the protected bike lane on the southern portion of Kingston Ave during ‘phase 1,’ but will use that to eventually complete the Kingston/Brooklyn Ave bike lane further north all the way till Eastern Parkway in ‘phase 3’ which that was presented in the initial NYC proposal.”
“Same here residents in Crown Heights are fearful that NYC will first place the bike lane on Albany and Troy Aves north of Eastern Parkway and then slowly force a protected bike lane south of Eastern Parkway into the center and heart of Crown Heights.” Gluck concluded.
What is even more disturbing is that most local elected officials whose district covers the neighborhood, signed a letter with their support for the Kingston and Brooklyn Aves bike lane. In a publicly released document by NYC CB9, Assembly member Brian Cunningham, State Senator Zellnor Myrie and NYC Council member Rita Joseph (who represents South CH) all signed their full support which that letter gave NYC the reassurance that the proposal is in the best interest of the community, which that support letter then paved the way for the complete approval and go-ahead of the Kingston/Brooklyn Aves protected bike lane.
Notably, the district’s Congress member Yvette Clarke NY-09 (who’s currently running and being challenged in a highly contested 4-way Democratic primary) did Not sign her support for the bike lanes. It is rumored that at the last moment a Lubavitcher will be announcing his run for Congress later this week and joining the Democratic primary as a fifth candidate. It is not known if that played any role in Rep. Clarke’s decision.
An important factor to note that on the public document released by NYC CB9 it states that the DOT shared the Kingston and Brooklyn Aves bike design with several Jewish organizations and institutions. All those Jewish organizations have opposed the bike lane.
Many of our friends and neighbors in the African American and hipster community in west Crown Heights have been repeatedly requesting at Brooklyn Community Board 9 (CB9) meetings the installation of a protected bike lane on Franklin, Classon and Washington Aves.
Yet our elected officials including Assemblyman Brian Cunningham have deliberately ignored their pleas. This shows how far-fetched from reality, lack of common sense and disassociated from the district residents our politicians are when they care more about forcing a ‘protected’ bike lane in the Jewish section of their district, against the wishes of the entire community. While refusing to help the black and hipster community that want that exact bike lane instead.
If elected, Assembly candidate Ahron Gluck will represent the wishes of all the district residents and will work with the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) commissioner to properly place the protected bike lanes on Franklin, Washington and Classon Aves, and Bez”hcompletely remove the Kingston, Brooklyn, Albany and Troy Aves bike lanes proposal.
Speaking to a Chabad mother who lives with her large family on Brooklyn Avenue near Maple Street in south Crown Heights and has many children taking the school bus daily to yeshiva: “Friends don’t sign support letters forcing protected bike lanes where they are unwanted” referring to Assemblyman Cunningham’s betrayal to the Kingston and Brooklyn Ave residents.
Another parent that lives nearby on Brooklyn Ave and has a special needs child stated:
“We saw the danger that occurred to the Satmar community in Williamsburg from the protected bike lane. Our precious children are sitting ducks getting on/off their school buses. There are many children with special needs that live on Brooklyn Ave, it takes time and patience for them to get on their school buses. This bike lane proposal isn’t just a tragedy waiting to occur, the question is how many tragedies will it take for Assemblyman Brian A. Cunningham to backtrack his support for the protected bike lane. I for one am not going to wait and will be voting for Mr. Ahron Gluck so at least he can try to undo the damage that our current Assemblyman along with other progressive elected officials have created.”
The Brooklyn Ave families have recently started a Democrat party voter registration drive to help elect a member of anash, since all options trying to reason with the elected officials have failed. They are calling on the entire Crown Heights Lubavitcher community to join them by organizing your own voter registration drive on your block, in your building, for your Shul and with your WhatsApp groups.
For Crown Heights and East Flatbush residents to vote for Ahron Gluck in this years Democratic primary election, you must be registered as a Democrat:
https://e-register.vote.nyc/
NYS Assembly candidate Ahron Gluck welcomes all supporters from all parts of the district that want their voices heard, their concerns taken seriously and properly addressed.
