Ditmas Park Cyclists Advocate for More Bike Routes

Residents are reaching out to Ditmas Park businesses to help them increase the neighborhood's bike lane presence, the Brooklyn Paper reports.

"The city should be putting in a bike grid to connect this area to Prospect Park and the ocean," said Rene Netter, founder of , a weekly bike ride around the neighborhood that begins in front of the Cortelyou Library.

Netter and fellow cyclist Julie May have recruited more than fifteen local businesses to join the Biking Rules Campaign, a program sponsored by Transportation Alternatives.

Businesses agree to educate their delivery men on the city's bicycling rules in exchange for a spot on the list of bicycle-friend stores here.

“Businesses really makes things move,” May told the Brooklyn Paper. “They can start petitioning the city for bike racks and eventually get something to the community board.”

Cortelyou Hardware Manager Sam Levin told the Paper that anything that encourages people to come to Ditmas Park will be helpful, noting that bike lanes will also make the streets safer for bikers.

The Paper added the Department of Transportation identified Dorchester, Westminster and Stratford roads as potential additions to the city's bicycle route plan, but there no current plans in motion.

So do you think Ditmas Park would benefit from additional bike routes and lanes? Is this something that would help the community? Vote in the poll below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.