09/25/2021
WHY IS 39th AVE A MESS? WHY BRUTISH BEHAVIOR BY OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS?
Op Ed
by Patricia Dorfman
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What's next on the NYC administration to-do list here? A ticket blitz to thousands as Mike Novak noted might occur? Or, as in the old adage — "Floggings will continue until morale improves?" Those creating the chaos seem to believe that democracy, leadership and education will not work.
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While called a "Bike Blvd.," on 39th, as though it is a measure mainly generated for cyclists to travel more safely, we now know the actual purpose is to expand the credentials of office holders, and is more of the Vision Zero "road diet," to discourage the use and ownership of private car.
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Who is behind this specific 39th Ave unsafe mess?
• Mayor Bill De Blasio
• Councilperson Jimmy Van Bramer
• some members Community Board 2 installed by the Councilperson after he worked to rid the community body of anyone who wanted a fair hearing for all on all topics
• extremists who have decided that only coercion and behind-the-scenes tactics will save the earth
• those who sincerely think this is about bikes
• those who think anyone who says they need cars is old, clueless or does not care about the earth
• and those who as yet don't know the full story
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NICE-SOUNDING: The travel chaos on 39th Avenue/Middleburg, previously a lovely two-way street with bike lanes, joining Sunnyside and Woodside, is due to a preplanned governmental sequence following Open Streets and sheds. The pandemic was cynically used to declare more people room as sole justification. (For all we know, the Community Board Term Limit “Flip the Ballot” law may have been part of this long-term plan.)
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IN PRACTICE, 39th Ave., with removal of two-way and non-continuous one way, there is more circling and needless carbon emissions than ever.
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WHAT GROUPS ARE FUNDING? With such well organized actions, one assumes bigger fish somewhere. We will use AMNAC for ‘Any Means Necessary Anti Car,’ for brevity.
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IS THIS MAINLY ABOUT BIKES? No. What is going on is not primarily a bike or bike lane issue. We conclude that it is deep state environmental push — AMNAC's who are passionately anti car/combustion engine.
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Tactics are brutish, and include:
• stifling public input in person and in online forums attended by aggressive Transportation Alternatives members. Last time, redesign featured petitions which were worded dishonestly.
• getting elected official AMNAC's to create laws
• creating fellowship for those who actually like bikes, do care about the earth, but not revealing the scope of the agenda and what lengths will be taken, tying it in with a new progressive politics
• ignoring factual problems, such as the cautions of the FDNY, with unsafe situations such as rerouted fire runs on upper Skillman still continuing
• and characterizing those objecting as opposed to a greener future, or violence fomenters, hate mongers and liars. See below.
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ELECTED OFFICIALS: It seems that funding and help getting elected are promised to candidates, as though from the NRA and REBNY playbooks. Do AMNACs think that is the only way to save the earth? If they truly believe that, explain that to us! We live here. We breathe. We care about the earth.
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GOAL: Is the removal of private cars a good idea? It might be. But not feeling the love or education necessary to achieve such a sweeping change.
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METHODS WRONG: How were many similar safety or environmental movements successfully handled? For instance, was recycling a good idea? Yes, and it took 25 years of good will and education and showing by example. Did seat belt advocates wear seat belts? Yes. Did Bloomberg smoke? No. This feels like advocates who would force bariatric surgery on everyone they would consider fat.
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QUEST FOR POWER: Brutish tactics are used by those without sensible arguments who seek to dominate, not show good will towards all or exemplify a love of others as such a vision would imply. Queens Streets for All had nothing to do with tacks in bike lanes nor do I know who might. The number of people here who actually hated bikes was small. Learning to ride a bike is magical. Biking offers autonomy, low cost, and health benefits. Now, the community is polarized, with anyone mentioning a problem, characterized as the sort of maniac planting thumb tacks to stop saviors of the earth.
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INEPT IMPLEMENTATION: Were constructive and fun "Week of bike/shoe/public transit" events held by leaders for all New Yorkers? How wonderful it would have been for people join for week, with contests, prizes, shared challenges. Why all sticks and no carrots? In the small TA rides that did occur, the police were actually called in to accompany to protect cyclists from harassment that never came.
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VISION ZERO has merits in its slowing traffic and diversifying travel choices, from the standpoint of environmental betterment. Most can agree that the air could improve, that NYC development has massively outpaced public transit and other infrastructure, and that a greener future is a must.
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CLIMATE CHANGE, whether manmade or our fault is ongoing. We might even agree that in the not so distant future we will interested in how to go carfree. But brutish laws which are imposed without community education or more buy-in, pit neighbor against neighbor.
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I PERSONALLY LOVE BIKES and I park no cars on public streets. I resent the current unnecessary vitriol, wrapping bike travel in a moral flag, bringing in sobbing bike widows to so-called civic town halls, and casting drivers and public parkers as evil. Ignoring those who have to transform their lives is unfair. Currently, a hypocritical and Orwellian “some pigs are better than others” is in practice.
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HYPOCRISY: Do the most prominent AMNAC's, the elected officials, demonstrate commitment by giving back their private cars? No. They accept and keep car and "park-anywhere" placards free, paid for by the public. They take planes instead of buses or rail. Most local elected officials have staged a photo op with a bike, as did most candidates for mayor. The city has the biggest fleet of motorized vehicles in history. Overnight, the Mayor could cut the problem in half. Where is the sharing of difficulty of change? We published photos of Van Bramer’s free car parked on Queens Blvd, for days, unticketed, unmoved through a street cleaning.
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WHERE IS EDUCATION: Where is leadership and listening to all sides? The DOT did, in the first plan. They reduced parking spot loss to 150 from 200. They removed a slowing strip which was causing bike accidents on 48th. For businesses, month after installation, they extended and moved a delivery bay, and changed signage. They always answer our calls and respond promptly.
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I HAVE BEEN RECENTLY been labeled by name as hateful, lying and fomenting violence, in recent Sunnysidepost Comments section. I have been informed by someone not connected to that new site or the press that those comments were likely posted by the partner of or the elected official, by someone calling himself STOPTHEHATE and 43rd&43rd. Is that you, Dan? Or Jimmy? If not, ask the commenter to reveal name. See those attacks in comments at the end of this news article link here:
https://sunnysidepost.com/dot-to-start-construction-on-bike-boulevard-in-sunnyside-in-september
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The story that is the subject of the anonymous attacks in the Sunnysidepost comments is here. Anonymous, send me list of lies you mention this mini Op Ed.
https://www.facebook.com/QueensStreetsforAll/posts/1496420244070237
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SAFETY: We heard at CB2 and in a meeting with FDNY now Chief Duff with our own ears, as did you, JVB, terming that his concerns that elements of the earlier Skillman and 43rd Avenues redesign plan were a "risk to lives." We heard your words that Duff's remarks were a "game changer." You shook his hand and the hands of many local leaders and left. You then officially opposed. A week later you reversed and approved plan after a documented fundraiser in Astoria. What happened? Where is the Councilperson we elected three times?
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PERSONAL NOTE: Jimmy, I have donated hundreds to you, and helped you in many ways get in office and fulfill your oath of office. I and many others have written and attempted to meet and speak with now for 20 months to no avail. I and others are available 24/7.
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If anyone wants to rewrite, fix typos and most importantly shorten the above, please submit or post below. Opposing views welcomed.
