Dangerous: new bike lane past Library and Public Safety building.

Last night the city painted new lines for turning cars and the new bike lane on Martine Avenue, the vertical street in the photo. The bike lane is to the right of the "brick" divider, which would seem to make it safe, right?

Try to follow the path from top to bottom of the photo starting at one way (What else in much of downtown White Plains?) MLK Blvd., which crosses from right to left. The two left lanes of traffic both turn left with many in the outside lane crossing diagonally through the cross walk trying to quickly get to the entry of the Galleria parking garage. Pedestrians have had to deal with this danger for years while city officials ignore messages about the danger.

Let's say the bike rider gets across that boulevard and is now at the corner of the library. Notice two sets of parking spots near the library entrance. Bike riders will be between them. Cars parked in the spaces closest to the library must cross the bike lane to both get into and out of that parking area. The entry is only a few feet from the dangerous corner.

Cars entering the underground garage between Library and Public Safety building must turn left past the cars parked in the outside area, then cross the bike lane, avoiding both riders and pedestrians coming from both directions.

Then a few feet past that is the exit from the underground garage. Those cars must avoid pedestrians and bikers and NOT turn into the bike lane by mistake but go past it and around the safety "brick" divider. If the car does not intend to turn left at the corner, it must quickly move right at least two more lanes. If the driver misses, then the car must circle the block in a manner ridiculed by Mayor Roach five years ago.

Finally, the bikers then cross four lanes of one way  "Lexington/Grove". Then what? If continuing towards the train station, nothing. The bike lane ends. If turning left, the lane continues on the right side of the street into other dangerous conditions.

What the heck were people thinking when they spent all this money, including repaving Martine Avenue for some reason, for dangerous conditions? It shows no common sense. None.

P.S. There's a similar dangerous area on the block between MLK Blvd. and Court Street, although not as bad, near the County office building. Then the dopey bike lane ends across from the smoke shop. Nice touch.

Plague: bicycle riding on streets? Will the Martine Avenue bicycle lane draw riders when it finally opens? Wednesday, May 20, 2020

What street or intersection has been improved this millenium? Wednesday, September 25, 2019