Jam packed with bustling shoppers and tourists, Soho is a neighborhood that does not lack traffic. Trucks blocking the streets and honking car horns creating disturbing music are a common occurrence. However, it seems that it is the bikers who are getting a bad rap.
In a city wide attempt to regulate bicycle riders, city officials have developed more bike lanes. Residents and business owners of the area are not too fond of the lanes. As noted in blogs such as Soho Politics,”there are now cars parked in the middle of the street with grid-work lines galore. It looks like a board game.”
The lanes are creating more traffic congestion, it is noisier, and it is quite inconvenient for trucks. A question to be raised is, why are these changes occurring without the approval of those living in the neighborhood?
Not much coverage has been shown about this situation except for brief articles, that are not making an impact. According to a December 2008 New York Post article, “It’s become an unmitigated disaster,” Sean Sweeney, director of the SoHo Alliance, said of the bike lane situation.
Below is a clip provided by Sean Sweeney, on his youtube channel, displaying the inconvenience of the bike lanes.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/FXdnZbtwwUc" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
