Thursday, December 10, 2009

After NYC DOT Remove Bike Lane, Activists Re-paint It

Since we're on the subject of NYC, check out this video of NYC bike activists who re-paint a bike lane in Brooklyn after the original 14-block bike lane was removed by NYC DOT.

According to Prolly, 'it all started when this past Summer the Hasidic community voiced their disgust with the scantily-clad woman riding bikes through their neighborhood and it's been a battle ever since.'

The Hasidic community appears to be split on the bike lane. Streetsblog New York reports that some members of the Hasidic community actually helped out w/ the re-painting of the bike lane.

It appears that the ultra-traditionalists of the Hasidic community were allegedly against the bike lane because it supposedly facilitated 'scantily-clad women,' while, what appears to be a more modern group w/in the Hasidic community actually wanted the bike lane to stay in their community, and even allegedly offered to help re-paint it.

So, we have DOT and direct-action bike activists and then we have a community response from ultra-traditionalists and modernists within the Hasidic community who are split on the issue.
Wow, this is quite an interesting sociological situation.

We wonder what prompted the NYC DOT to internally justify the removal of this bike lane. If it really was because traditionalists complained about women riding bikes in shorts and tank tops, then that would be absolutely absurd and completely unacceptable.

Members of the NYC bike community are organizing a "Ride & Vigil for the Bedford Bike Lane" this Sunday, according to The Gothamist.




Meanwhile, the DIY spirit has had a contagious effect on others, as well...

Props to Prolly reader and comment contributor named Radam who posted this image on Prolly's entry. This image had us cracking up. We can all use a little more Seinfeld in our lives...

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