Bayside Hills Civic Prez Says 'No' To Bike Lanes

BAYSIDE, NY – Bayside Hills is not for bike lanes, according to the leader of the Bayside Hills Civic Association.

President Michael Feiner came out against the Transportation department's revised Bicycle Lane Network Redevelopment Proposal, released in June, and about to go up for debate.

“It’s unsafe and clogs up traffic,” Feiner told Patch about the DOT’s plan for bike lanes. “We want everybody to call the community board and speak in opposition of the bike lanes.”

The Transportation department proposal calls for a bicycle lane network on the following streets, according to a presentation delivered to Community Board 11 on June 15.

• Corporal Kennedy Street
• 26th and 28th avenues
• 46th Avenue
• 53rd and 56th avenues
• Cloverdale Boulevard and 69th
• Utopia Parkway
• Springfield Boulevard

The civic group leader argued new bike lanes will only exacerbate local traffic problems and urged anyone who agrees with him to join a Community Board 11 meeting on Sept. 12.

CB 11 — which covers Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, Auburndale, East Flushing, Oakland Gardens and Hollis Hills — was not available to respond before publication. The board only has an advisory role in dealing with land use and zoning matters.

Feiner pointed to recent car crashes as evidence that Bayside transportation infrastructure won't support the new lanes.

The civic group president also argued 56th Avenue is covered with drain inlets and utility covers, which he fears will send cyclists swerving into traffic.

“The proposal is unsafe and illogical,” said Feiner. “The way the traffic flows, especially along 56th Avenue, is not a safe area even without bike lanes, so bike lanes will just make it worse.”

But Transportation officials argue bike lanes make city streets safer by providing separate spaces for different forms of transit.

They also admitted that travel lanes would have to be reduced, parking would be removed and some roads would have to be one-way streets.

People who are interested in speaking at the CB11 Zoom meeting must call (718) 225-1054 and can visit www.1nyc.gov/site.queens11/index.page to get details about the Zoom meeting.