am New York |
June 30, 2006
By Justin Rocket Silverman

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After the deaths of two Manhattan cyclists in a single week, bicycle advocates rallied Thursday at City Hall to demand implementation of the city's Bicycle Master Plan, which they say has long been gathering dust instead of saving lives."The city has very little or no initiative to get it done," said Noah Budnick of Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group. "There are no timetables or target dates. Look at New York's peers like London and Chicago. Not only do they have ambitious plans, but they are getting them done."The Bike Master Plan, completed in 1997, called New York "in many ways ideal for cycling."The plan suggested a comprehensive series of improvements to bike lanes, parking and overall safety that would integrate bicycles with the city's transportation system.In that time, bicycling has increased by 40 percent in New York.Mayor Michael "Bloomberg has managed to ban cigarette smoking [in restaurants and bars], take over the school district and balance the city's budget," he said. "It's time for him to turn his attention to the Wild West atmosphere of our streets. They are so out of control."A spokeswoman for the city's Department of Transportation said yesterday that New York, in response to the recent deaths, was planning a safety program to teach motorists about sharing the road.She said no final date had been set for implementation of the Bike Master Plan.
Submitted by admin on December 18, 2007 - 16:57.
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