This holiday weekend, T.A. Brooklyn Committee distributed a flyer pointing out massive safety gains accomplished by the PPW two-way bike path. Click here to view the flyer (PDF).

First off, we just wanted to add an update and reminder to about the great safety improvements now in place on Prospect Park West with the new bike lane. Even though there is great support out there, there is still vocal opposition to this improvement, and we encourage you all to continue to use the bike lane and express your support!

1. Bike Valet

A number of committee members ran the bike valet at last night's Brooklyn Greenway Initiative Fundraiser. It was a blast! Thanks to all who helped out, and remember, there are many more opportunities to help out with bike valet this summer; check out our Brooklyn Calendar: http://groups.google.com/group/TransAltBrooklyn

2. Project Updates

Police Outreach:
Larry updated us on his presentation at the latest 84th precinct's community council meeting on the issue of the danger presented to cyclists by Livery Cabs parking in the bike lane at Jay/Fulton. Our committee prepared a letter and photos of the situation, which Larry presented at the meeting. The precinct said that they have doubled their citations for parking in a bike lane since this time last year, from 50 to 100. In response to the complaint, they said that they would increase enforcement at this location. So, keep an eye out at this location and keep tabs on if the situation improves! On precincts in general: each police precinct has a city council meeting once a month where residents in the precinct can

Biking Rules
We discussed T.A.'s Biking Rules campaign; a campaign by T.A. to create safer, saner streets by promoting safe cycling practices; see http://bikingrules.org/ for more info on the campaign. Anyways, Kathy described how TA staffer Aja presented biking rules to the Carroll Gardens Transportation Committee and handed out TA Biking Rules pamphlets. If you don't have a biking rules pamphlet, you should get your hands on one. There are a lot of rules that a familiar to most cyclists, but there are many others that most people are unfamiliar with.

Caroline wondered if there was a way for T.A. to get the biking rules campaign into schools / school system. In addition to introducing kids to safe cycling early on, this would be a great way to introduce parents to safe cycling as well. Suggestions for ways to get involved were made; through parent teacher associations (PTAs), school carnivals.

October is walk month; it was suggested that the volunteer committee could do a walk bus for kids.

At the Carroll Gardens meeting, there was a fair amount of animosity towards cyclists, but mostly focused on delivery people. One barrier to communicating safe cycling practices to delivery cyclists is there is sometimes a language barrier. In response to this, T.A. is considering printing Biking Rules in a number of other languages. T.A. is also thinking about giving out delivery seals of approval to managers who agree to and have their delivery people sign agreements that they will follow safe cycling practices.

Enforcement was also discussed briefly, including helmet laws and cycling with traffic (the right way). Additionally, it was noted that education should include everyone, and not just cyclists; motorists and pedestrians as well.

Bike Racks
Dan Latorre couldn't make it tonight, but he has been working with the Open Planning Project to create fixcity.org, a app to help people identify good spots for bike racks around the city. The weekend before the meeting, Dan presented the app to the Columbia Waterfront Alliance, who are now using it to a large scale surveying of potential bike rack locations in their neighborhood, which they will then submit to DOT. Check it out for yourself: http://fixcity.org/. As well as telling you how to request racks, the webpage provides information on what is required of a site for a rack to go there.

Bus Cameras
Legislation has just been passed that cameras will be on new proposed select bus routes (including the Brooklyn route). Cameras will allow the identification of cars illegally traveling in the select bus lanes as these lanes will not be physically separated from traffic.

Bus Route Closures
The closure of various bus routes around the city, including our own B71 was discussed. No one at the meeting was able to attend the rally earlier that week that was held for the B71, but people will feel its removal. It seems that it has been well-used locally for children going to school. The B71 will be canceled as of this Saturday.

5th Avenue Campaign
Members of the Brooklyn Committee have been working to build support creating a continuous livable 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. Meetings thus-far have gone well.

We ended with a letter-writing campaign for one segment of 5th Avenue: at Greenwood cemetery, where construction has been ongoing for quite sometime. We drafted letters to support the extension of the class 2 bike lane that now ends at 24th street to 34th street as part of the final paving and striping in the project.

3. And finally, upcoming events:

July 10th: Chicken Ride hosted by T.A. and Just Food
July 18th: Epic Ride
October 9th: Bike Parade celebrating Prospect Park West


Dates TBD:
Late July / Early August Ride to a Brooklyn Cyclones Game (mark has sent an email out about possible dates, so write back to him with your preferred time!)

August Joint ride with the T.A. Brooklyn and Queens volunteer committees Scavenger Hunt this fall

Check out the calendar for more info on these events: http://groups.google.com/group/TransAltBrooklyn

Next Meeting: July 29th, 7pm at the Cobble Hill Community Room