Battery Park Bike Lane Blighted By Parked Cars

BATTERY PARK CITY, NY — The drivers in Battery Park City seem to have trouble telling the difference between a bike lane and a parking lot.

A stretch of lane for two wheelers in Battery Park City is among the top spots in the five boroughs where cyclists gripe that their right of way is blocked by parked cars, according to a new report.

Research carried out by the New York City-based data analysis website Localize.city reviewed the number of 311 complaints involving bike lane parking offenses that were filed between Sept. 4, 2017 and Sept. 4, 2018. The site's analysts found that the one-block span of West Street between Chambers and Harrison streets has racked up a stunning 30 311 complaints in that time.

Of the 4,230 complaints, the highest number were made in eight areas of Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn.The Battery Park City lane was the lone spot in Manhattan that was plagued by parked cars, according to the the 311 data.

"When a city prioritizes convenience for motorists above safety for bicyclists, drivers block bike lanes," Paul Steely White, the Executive Director for cycling advocacy group Transportation Alternatives. "That's not just annoying — it can also be deadly, as it forces people on bikes to merge into other lanes with mixed traffic."

These are the city's hot spots identified by Localize:

1. Long Island City: Between Vernon Boulevard and 44th Drive – 72. Between Vernon Boulevard and 45th Road – 40. Total: 112

1. Bay Ridge: Around 220 and 221 72nd Street: 94

1. Downtown Brooklyn: Smith Street and Fulton Street: 38

1. Downtown Brooklyn: Jay Street and Chapel Street: 36

1. Astoria: Vernon Boulevard, between 34th and 35th avenues: 31

1. Battery Park City: Between 65 to 69 West Street: 30

1. Crown Heights: 900 Bergen Street: 30

1. Prospect-Lefferts Gardens: Around 115 and 122 Lincoln Road: 28

Localize.city data scientist Michal Eisenberg noted that the number of violations may be higher than data shows because this 311 category is relatively new.

"Some cyclists may not even be aware that they can file such complaints," said Eisenberg. "But there are still some areas with a critical mass of complaints where cyclists are feeling especially frustrated when drivers block their lanes, potentially causing them to swerve into dangerous traffic."

Photo courtesy of Spencer Platt/Getty