In a letter to the editor, Jersey City resident Kevin Davis gives his take on why the Franklin Street bike lane in the Heights is on life support.
Dear Editor,
A protected bike lane (PBL) is exactly what it sounds like, a bike lane with a physical barrier, like flex posts or parked cars, separating cyclists from moving traffic. It makes biking safer.
That’s why I biked to the last Jersey City Council meeting to support the proposed protected bike lane on Franklin Avenue. I want it built.
But if you listened to BikeJC’s Vice President, you would think that I walked in with a “Make the Turnpike Even Bigger” petition.
Why Do Drivers Oppose Bike Lanes?
The last Franklin/Manhattan PBL pilot was opposed by 80% of drivers. Instead of asking why, the bike lobby just dismissed them as selfish. That’s not a strategy; that’s a great way to lose.”
I pointed out at the council meeting that if the bike lobby had its way, they would slap a PBL on the Pulaski Skyway.
I also made a simple point: If we want support for protected bike lanes, we need to “throw drivers a bone” by enforcing traffic laws for cyclists.
Bikers blowing red lights, riding the wrong way, and hopping on sidewalks aren’t just annoying, they make people resent bike lanes.
That’s when the BikeJC vice president dismissed me at the council meeting, saying that drivers don’t need a bone because “all roads are built for them.”
Then, he insinuated that I was just another driver who doesn’t want to be inconvenienced.
Yet I don’t even have a driver’s license.
That’s like yelling at a guy eating tofu and accusing him of killing animals. That’s like calling Sabrina Carpenter a champion for abstinence.
A few days after the meeting, I tested my theory. I went to the PBL outside the Newport Mall on Washington BLVD tracking cyclists on two separate times during 30-minute increments.
33% rode the sidewalk, 24% rode the wrong way, and 22% ran a red light. The Washington BLVD PBL is one of the safest roads for cyclists, and a high number of cyclists didn’t follow the rules of the road.
This is why drivers are mad. Not because they hate bike lanes, but because they see bikers breaking laws with zero consequences.
Bike Lanes Are Failing Across North America
· San Mateo, CA just spent $2 million removing bike lanes after backlash.
· Ontario Premier Doug Ford passed a law requiring provincial approval for PBLs and he is already ripping out existing ones in Toronto.
· A Toronto poll found nearly two-thirds of respondents supported these crackdowns.
· Trump wants to eliminate NYC’s bike lanes, calling them dangerous
If we don’t change course, Franklin Avenue’s bike lane won’t just be delayed, it will be dead.
I bike a lot. I’m in the top 1% of CitiBike users. I want more protected bike lanes.
But if the public doesn’t believe the city is making sure cyclists follow the rules, then non-bikers will grow more opposed to improved bicycle infrastructure.
Kevin Davis
Jersey City resident
Franklin Street doesn’t need a bike lane. The bottleneck on Central Ave was horrible during the trial period. This is also only 1 of 2. two way streets in the heights why can’t Ferry street be used.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…just No. A PBL on Manhattan and Franklin will hardly be used. PBLs are mostly used by food delivery drivers. They will take the most convenient route from our Central Avenue restaurants to the delivery point, PBL or not. I am also a bike/scooter rider, but the amount of traffic and headache created by a PBL on these main arteries is not worth any free grant money you throw at it. Drivers are already aware of bikes, scooters, pedestrians, etc in the Heights, and we give way to them.
You need to remove the poles on Carlton ave and Montrose they’re going to cause a bad accident