No, no!
A lumber company in Long Island City’s Blissville Industrial District is the latest company to sue the city for proposing a protected bike lane, persuading a judge to grant a moratorium on the project, known as the Blissville Greenway. It is the latest company to do so.
The bike lane in question is planned for Review Avenue between 56th Street and Greenpoint Avenue and would provide safe passage for bicycles between the Kosciuszko Bridge and the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge. LeNoble Lumber, which bills itself as the “FedEx of sawmills,” filed a lawsuit last week alleging the Department of Transportation is “arbitrarily and illegally” implementing the lanes without following environmental review protocols.
The timber company claims the city needs to undertake a “complete environmental impact review,” but this legal strategy has so far prevented the DOT from exercising its legal authority over the road. efforts have proven to be losers. Queens Supreme Court Justice Kevin Kerrigan did not rule on the merits, only setting a hearing date for next month.
The DOT has defended the project in the press, but the agency has not yet filed a motion in opposition.
“This project addresses a critical safety need for everyone by narrowing lanes on a dangerous corridor and protecting bicyclists on a busy route between Brooklyn and Western Queens,” DOT Spokesperson Bin Barone said in a statement. “Our proposal leverages common design elements” discovered on the streets of the city, and we intend to defend our work in court. ”
The idea for the Blissville Greenway was inspired by the opening of the Kosciuszko Bridge pedestrian and bike path in 2019, when teenager Mario Valenzuela and 53-year-old Robert Spencer were killed on Borden Avenue in 2019. After that, it started to gain momentum. DOT first proposed collecting new greenways. In May, the local community committee installed the bike lanes that make up the greenway.
What does Lenoble want?
The bike lane would narrow the wide two-way street for vehicle movement and parking from 52 feet to 37 feet for the same purpose. Although the company wants to maintain the 52-foot width, the lawsuit also emphasizes the “need” for Lenoble to provide vehicle parking for its employees, a private section of public space that the DOT wants to reuse as a bike lane. corresponds to use.
“Businesses on Review Avenue not only need to load and unload materials onto large tractor trucks, but they also need on-street parking for employees of local businesses, including those at Lenoble who drive to work every day. ” read the complaint.
Although the city is not obligated to set aside public space for free private parking, the current plan is keep Allow space to accommodate an entire lane of parked vehicles while keeping the driveway relatively pristine.
Lenoble owner Matthew Dienstag told Street Blog he doesn’t think so.
“There are about 100 companies in this area alone, with thousands of employees. Most of them drive to work, but not all of them live in the area. It’s going to have a big impact on attendance,” Dienstag said.
He added that physical barriers are needed to make bike lanes safe.
“We need some kind of buffer, especially here we have a lot of trucks,” he said, gesturing to a row of employee cars parked half on the sidewalk and half in the driveway. track.
“Can you imagine if there are bike lanes there?” Dienstag asked rhetorically. “Of course, there are many other options. All I’m concerned about is where are my employees going to park? Where are the trucks in this area going to park?”
Tom Mitzas, a lifelong Blissville resident and president of the Blissville Civic Association, who advocated for the greenway, is not happy about it. He often walks down Review Avenue and disputes the lawsuit’s claim that the sidewalks there are “barely used.”
“Here in Blissville, we have been transparent about our need for safer roads for everyone,” Mituzas said. “If you walk down Revue Street, you’ll see that even pedestrians are at risk because drivers ignore the curbs. Cars drive onto the curbs and onto the sidewalks.”
Dienstag proposed two alternatives to DOT’s plan. That very sidewalk will be used as a shared path for bicycles and pedestrians. Another option would be to move the proposed bike lane to the north side of the cemetery on Borden Avenue.
“Not all roads are suitable for bike lanes, but I think it’s great to have them in the right places,” Dienstag told Streetsblog.
The lawsuit could either halt corporate opposition to road diets altogether, as in the case of Ashland Place in downtown Brooklyn, or significantly delay safe streets projects, as in the case of McGuinness Boulevard across the Creek in Greenpoint. It was done at some point. A group of local residents also filed a lawsuit seeking to shut down the 14th Street bus lane and the Central Park West bike lane, but both cases were unsuccessful.
Collision between industry and housing
Mr. Dienstag said that businesses like his in Long Island City are squeezed into one small space, calling the area where Lenoble operates an “industrial ghetto.”
“This is an industrial business district, the last vestige of industry left in Long Island City,” Deinstagg told Streets Blog, adding that he has high praise for Long Island City’s waterfront development, where he occasionally enjoys restaurants. said.
This area is currently an industrial business district, but is home to an ancient community of approximately 500 residents. In 2018, three homeless shelters opened in former hotels, doubling the number of communities. Blissville residents say the focus on business is part of the problem.
“A big part of the problem is businesses that don’t realize that people live here. Yes, this is an ‘industrial business district’ with older housing, but since 2018 our shelters have created 500 We have acquired new residents,” Mituzas said.
Dienstag said he considers residents important stakeholders, but the lawsuit says the number of residents is “minimal or small” and doesn’t take into account cyclists who would ride their bikes. It is said that through area. After all, not everyone who uses a bike lane lives next to it.
big picture
The project, developed by the DOT in May, was to be constructed in three phases. The lawsuit seeks judicial action only on the Review Avenue portion of Phase I. As a result, even the slightest delay will likely push the project into next year, as the DOT can only do such work when the weather is above 40 degrees and the roads are dry.
Phase I (delayed due to litigation):
- There will be a two-way protected bike lane on Review Avenue between Route 56 (near the Kosciuszko Bridge) and Greenpoint Avenue (including the bridge of the same name).
- Standard painted lanes will be installed on southbound Star Avenue and northbound Review Avenue between Greenpoint Avenue and Borden Avenue.
- Three short sections (Van Dam Street and Greenpoint Avenue near the bridge) and Borden Avenue between Starr Avenue and Review Avenue will have protected bike lanes.
Phase II (potentially starting next year):
- Borden Avenue from Center Boulevard to Review Avenue in Long Island City. It connects the Queens waterfront with points to the east.
Phase III (no start date at this time):
- Unspecified improvements will be made to 56th Road and Rust Street.
Mituzas said he hopes the final results will have a positive impact.
“Traffic calming measures are needed and everyone needs safety: truck drivers, forklift drivers, delivery people,” he said. “Since the city built pedestrian and bicycle lanes on the Kosciuszko Bridge, more pedestrians and cyclists have been using Review Avenue. I know what’s going on, I trust the process, and I’m confident the end result will be safe for everyone.”
