Dangerous Roads newsletter: This reporter broke a traffic law on his bike. Was he justified?
The paucity of bicycle lanes on Long Island is sometimes blamed on lack of demand, but it's a chicken-or-the-egg dilemma. Credit: Morgan Campbell
When I decided to get in better shape a few years back, I turned to my 20-year-old Huffy Belfort beach cruiser, attached a Bluetooth speaker playing '80s Casey Kasem countdown shows, and made biking a regular habit.
With some beautiful parks nearby, I had no difficulty finding somewhere to take a leisurely ride. The problem was getting to those destinations. All the main thoroughfares in my Valley Stream neighborhood can be a little scary to drive on, much less navigate on a bicycle. And forget about trying to bike on Sunrise Highway or Merrick Road.
So, yes, I’m sometimes that guy riding my bike on the sidewalk. I apologize to pedestrians startled by the sound of my bell as I come through (at a very slow speed). I can’t promise I won’t do it again, but I can assure you I only do it for my safety.
Knowing the ample infrastructure in place for cyclists in neighboring New York City, I’ve asked transportation experts over the years why you typically won’t find bike lanes on Long Island. The usual answer: There aren’t enough cyclists to make them worthwhile.
It's that obvious chicken-or-egg dilemma that continues to dash hopes of getting some Long Islanders out of their cars and onto bikes — a critical component, some advocates say, of making roads safer for everyone.
Some cyclists believe Long Island’s persistent neglect, if not disdain, for them is at the heart of Nassau County’s recent decision to nix a pedestrian and bicycle path on a stretch of road in East Atlantic Beach where a hit-and-run driver killed a man riding his bicycle last month. A previous county administration had approved a plan to remove a lane from Beech Street to make room for the protected path, which would have been separated from traffic by a grassy strip. But by the time work began last fall, the effort had been reduced to a simple repaving project with no bike and pedestrian path.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman spokesman Chris Boyle did not respond to Newsday’s questions about why the path was eliminated.
Daniel Flanzig, a Mineola attorney and cycling advocate, said it’s the latest example of the "windshield mentality" that pervades Long Island’s approach to road design.
"Everybody's about driving and parking. And the moment you take away any of that space, people do begin to push back," said Flanzig, who believes much of the hostility toward cyclists is misplaced. "As much as you complain about that person on the bike, that's one less person in a car in front of you."
Building out cycling infrastructure comes with many other benefits, as data shows. New York City reports an 18.1% reduction in traffic deaths and serious injuries where bike lanes have been installed, and a 29.1% reduction in pedestrian deaths and serious injuries. Replacing traffic lanes with bike lanes not only reduces speeding, it also reduces the distance pedestrians have to cross to avoid getting hit by a car.
For all their benefits, bike lanes remain exceedingly elusive on Long Island, and especially Nassau, where they make up just 5.5 of the roughly 4,100 miles of road, according to Newsday's analysis of 2021 data from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council.
Until that changes significantly, sidewalk users in my neighborhood should listen for the approaching sound of a bicycle bell, or a Duran Duran song.
Readers speak up
Amid a particularly severe pothole season, this reader believes public officials should be doing a better job of addressing road craters before cars drive into them.
Roads should be repaired within 24 hours, and the lanes where the potholes are should have cones put over those areas. It will take not more than 2 hours to cover the whole Grand Central Parkway and Long Island Expressway.
Umer Shah, Kew Gardens, Queens
Has the pothole situation near you gotten any better as of late? Let us know at roads@newsday.com.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
Service restarts at noon Tuesday The MTA and the LIRR unions have reached an agreement to end the 3-day transit strike. NewsdayTV's Pat Dolan reports.
Service restarts at noon Tuesday The MTA and the LIRR unions have reached an agreement to end the 3-day transit strike. NewsdayTV's Pat Dolan reports.
