Boro Park vs. the Bikes

The busiest roads in the area — 13th Avenue in Boro Park and Avenue J in Flatbush — would turn into a lane of horrors, with bikers from around the city pedaling along its two lanes, competing for space with hundreds of school buses, thousands of vehicles, and people running errands in the area’s shopping mecca.

“You’ve gotta be kidding,” Barry Spitzer, the Community Board 12 manager, recalled thinking when the agency presented the map.

On Wednesday, that plan became a reality when the New York City Council voted to create 250 miles of protected bike lanes throughout the city. Spearheaded by Speaker Corey Johnson, the $1.7 billion plan would give priority for city buses at nearly 5,000 intersections and aims to create one million new square feet of pedestrian space. The Department of Transportation (DOT), which has already earned a reputation for acting on its own despite local concerns, was given wide latitude in devising the new bike maps.

The department first reached out to Spitzer several months ago to gauge communal reaction to the new bike lanes in Boro Park. And for good reason — the last time the city tried this, about 30 years ago, the community protested so vociferously that the administration abandoned the idea.