This year, the Department of Transportation (DOT) released a plan to install a dedicated bicycle lane on DeKalb Avenue, spanning the Clinton Hill, Fort Greene and Bedford-Stuyvesant communities. Currently, the street is a two-lane westbound thoroughfare with a lane on each side designated for parking. DeKalb is home to a thriving marketplace of small businesses that line the street along much of the stretch. DeKalb also serves as the route for one of Brooklyn's most heavily used bus lines, the B38, which transports thousands of neighborhood residents from Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Fort Green, and Clinton Hill to Downtown Brooklyn each morning.

At present, the bike lane eliminates one lane of traffic, converting the street into a single lane. During rush hour, when traffic is especially congested, one parking lane would serve as a second lane of traffic. This part-time driving/part-time parking solution has been implemented with limited success in other neighborhoods in New York City.

As per the DOT's commitment to listen to community concerns and to remain open for change, I wish to express my strong reservations for the construction of the DeKalb Avenue bike lane. This new bike lane, however laudable the motives of its creators may be, presents additional traffic problems for the street and neighborhood than it would solve. 

I am not, by any means, an opponent of bicycle commuting and green transportation in Brooklyn. I, too, enjoy the benefits of bicycling, as I own a bike as well. Furthermore, our community is in desperate need of more bike lanes, and I applaud the leadership of the Bloomberg Administration for spearheading a push for 200 additional miles of bike paths for our neediest neighborhoods. The design of this specific plan, however, is in need of comprehensive reform to assure that we employ the most effective model for bicycle-friendly street designs, which does not impede the flow of traffic. 

Another critical consideration is the impact on bus routes. According to DOT statistics, the B38 bus is already running at or near capacity. That means an exorbitant number of people are boarding the bus at every DeKalb stop, contributing to slower commute times and increased traffic. Therefore, the DeKalb Avenue bike lane is bringing the B38 to a virtual halt, especially since most bus commuters are unlikely to ride a bike instead. DeKalb's neighborhoods are predominantly families and elderly residents, historically two groups not predisposed to bike commuting.

Lastly, bike lanes only work when the laws are enforced. On the City's preexisting bike lanes, cars routinely park directly in the bike lane and even drive through them. This unfortunate circumstance has recently resulted in the death and injury of several bike commuters and is counterproductive if solutions are not devised to avoid dangerous conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists. Before we bring another bike lane into our neighborhood, it is critical that current laws are enforced to protect cyclists and enable them to operate in a safe and law-abiding manner.