Electric Car Race Forces Brooklyn Cyclists Out Of Bike Path

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN — Electric cars are pushing bikes off a Brooklyn cycle path.

The environmentally friendly Formula E, which races battery-powered cars at meets around the world, holds its Brooklyn leg in Red Hook July 15 and 16, speeding around a 1.2 mile course past the Cruise Terminal, east on Conover Street and up Imlay Street.

But to allow crews to set up the race track, the Greenway bike path has been closed until July 21. Parts of the cycleway are currently blocked by concrete slabs and fences. The story was first reported by Brooklyn Paper.

In a tweet, City officials recommended that cyclists use Van Brunt Street instead of the Greenway. However, that road would have to be shared with other cars.

“Event operators failed to offer advance notice to nearby residents and cyclists — including myself — who rely on that section of bike path,” Councilman Carlos Menchaca told Patch.

"At a site visit this week, I called on the Formula E team and the Economic Development Corporation to coordinate more closely with the community to supply safety signage and to restore access to that section of the Greenway at the first opportunity. I have also called on the EDC and Formula E to demonstrate their commitment to community relations by conducting a pair of open information meetings this week to address this and any other local concerns."

Formula E representatives said they regret having to close the bike path.

“I completely understand these comments,” Formula E spokesman Sam Mallinson told Brooklyn Paper. “We want to minimize the disruption in our host cities. The stretch is unfortunate but we feel that having worked closely with local authorities, we’ve limited the impact on the neighborho­od.”

Tickets to the race are on sale here.

Watch the Berlin leg of the Formula E races below.

Image by Avda, Wikimedia, used under Creative Commons