Tonight, cycling advocates and Hasidic representatives alike will debate the pros and cons of the eradication of a portion of Bedford's bike lane. Held at Pete's Candy Store at 709 Lorimer St. in Williamsburg from 7:30 PM-9:00 PM, it will feature Caroline Samponaro, Director of Bicycle Advocacy at Transportation Alternatives; Heather Loop, a bicycle messenger; City Council Candidate and Satmar representative Isaac Abraham; and local bike shop owner Baruch Herzfeld.

A background to the conflict: Upon the December 8, 2009 removal of the 14-block Brooklyn bike lane along Bedford Avenue between Division and Flushing Avenues by the DOT, a group of cyclists affected decided to take action themselves--by re-painting the lane back in.

The lane provided a convenient and safe route for cyclists of all backgrounds and many different neighborhoods, connecting Williamsburg and its bridge to Prospect Park and stretching all the way to Sheepshead Bay.

Police apprehended two individuals, Quinn Hechtropf and Catherine Piccochi, after being notified by a local neighborhood watch, Williamsburg's Shomrim Patrol. A video recently posted on Youtube documents four individuals (filmed by a fifth) rolling paint and using a stencil to restore the lane.

According to the New York Post, a source close to Mayor Bloomberg claimed the lane's removal was part of a deal made by the administration before the last election in exchange for support from the Hasidic Jewish population in Williamsburg. Reasons why are unclear. Many attribute controversy over "scantily-dressed women" riding through the conservative Hasidic neighborhoods--a subculture where a menstruating woman cannot directly hand a salt shaker to her husband without him being "contaminated," where a man is not permitted to hear a woman sing, and where even the most innocent of female images are blacked out of young boys' books, for fear of fostering licentiousness.

In retaliation to those rumors, local cyclists organized a "naked" bike ride in protest of the lane's removal for December 19, which was later altered to allow for clothing when forecasts called for up to five inches of snow.

However, local resident Leo Moskowitz told Gothamist, "People are trying to say this is about women biking through the neighborhood dressed immodestly, but that is not the issue, the issue is about the safety of our children. There are a lot of insitutions on this stretch of Bedford, and kids being dropped off by school buses. When buses can't pull into the bike lane, it's a safety issue."

A DOT spokesman explained the removal as "part of ongoing bike network adjustments in the area," citing the renovation of nearby Kent Ave as a two-way cycle and pedestrian path. However, that reasoning falls short when observing that the Kent lane ends about two blocks south of Division, well before the Bedford lane picks up again on Flushing, and the lane on Berry stops as well with the street's dead end on Division.

The economics of the issue are also puzzling, as Michael Clancy of MSNBC New York pointed out that the lane cost $11,000 to install and $15,000 to initially remove, costing "$26,000 of taxpayer money that isn't making bicyclists any safer."

The DOT and Hasidic population must remember that the lane is there for a reason: to protect cyclists from Brooklyn's tip to toe. That many of the protesters are referred to as "hipsters" is irrelevant, and using broad-based topical stereotypes does not change the fact that bike lanes are incredibly effective in reducing roadway injury and fatality. According to Transportation Alternatives' Crashstat.org, there have been over 30 cyclist injuries from 1995-2005 on Bedford between Division and Flushing alone. Bike lanes are also a traffic calming measure; with less room to maneuver, cars are more likely to go slower. This benefits not only cyclists but also pedestrians, including the children that the neighborhood seeks to shield.

Cyclists, in turn, ought to also remember to heed the "State Law: Stop While Bus Is Loading and Unloading" signs affixed to school buses and halt their paths briefly while mothers collect their children over the bike lane, if it truly is the issue at hand. Brooklyn cyclists specifically may also want to count their blessings--and bike lanes. They have more than any other borough, and lack thereof in other parts of the city does not stop those residents from getting around by bicycle. They should help throw their support behind other neighborhoods getting lanes, as well as their own.