Well, this is certainly turning into a mess. As Natalie O’Neill of The Brooklyn Paper reports, a group calling itself “Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes” has said it will file a lawsuit to force the city to alter or remove the bike lane on Prospect Park West. But who are these “neighbors?” They include Iris Weinshall, who is a former Transportation Commissioner and happens to be married to Charles Schumer, the senior United States senator from New York. And it turns out that the group will be represented by attorney Jim Walden, a Schumer’s campaign contributor. New York City bicycling advocates have erupted over this news, urging cycling supporters to contact Schumer and voice their concern.
O’Neill’s article does a great job framing the Prospect Park West bicycle lane debate and exposing the political connections of those against the Prospect Park West bike lane. Highly recommended reading. You can find the whole thing here.
