Hello this is Brandon Dimcheff from West Larrytown in Ward 4. I'd like to thank councilmembers Akmon, Cornell, and Briggs for bringing DC-3 forward, and would like to request that you all vote in favor of it tonight. As some of you probably know, I ride my bike around town a lot, for commuting, errands, and recreationally. I frequently encounter obstructed bike lanes, particularly on Packard, and have had a couple close calls over the years with drivers passing dangerously close to me while I'm trying to avoid a trash can or illegally parked vehicle.
Better roadway design can help reduce obstacles substantially, as the protected lanes are blocked way less frequently than the paint-and-pay lanes. Studies also consistently show that protected and delineated bicycle infrastructure makes the roads safer for all users, including drivers. We should accelerate quick-builds and other projects that get physical barriers between cars and vulnerable road users. We are being outdone by other peer cities, and we need to pick up the pace at fulfilling our commitment to build fully connected all ages and abilities bicycle infrastructure throughout the city.
But design can only get us so far. Despite an enormous percentage of public space in our city being dedicated to cars, drivers manage to force their way into the leftover spaces that are supposed to be reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. We all know that the people who park in the Division cycletrack know that what they're doing is wrong and choose to do it anyways, endangering me and my friends in the process. The current system of reporting violations is simply not working. It's rare that community standards responds quickly enough to ticket a vehicle. I doubt frequent offenders like Amazon delivery trucks, which I frequently dodge on Packard, have ever gotten ticketed, as they're only there long enough to block a couple bikes before moving along to block some bikes up the road a little. And the bike lane on Main between Packard and Madison might as well be 15 minute parking. Every time that happens, there is an increased risk of conflict between a driver and a cyclist that could end up with someone injured or dead. Some sort of proactive enforcement is necessary.
I certainly don't know all the answers, but we absolutely have a safety problem here. I hope this resolution will get us a step closer to solving that problem. Please support it tonight.
