MyBikeLane

Doesn't deliver for me

The middle-aged female biker, shown here forced into traffic by the postal truck, had a look of nervousness on her face before she approached the truck blocking the bike lane. It was the look of, "It's rush hour, this bastard is blocking the bike lane, and am I gonna get killed?" Note the huge open space at curb.

Everyday there's a USPS truck parked right in the middle of the bike lane on 9th Avenue and 15th Street in Manhattan. I stopped once before Christmas and asked him not to block the lane. The driver gave me a story about how he can't park at the curb because there are always cars parked illegally there.

Doesn't seem to be the case today. Unfortunately there was no one around to complain to this time.

I should have also photographed the postal truck I saw in the bike lane on Eighth Avenue outside McDonald's this morning, but I didn't have time.

Now even the US mail is parking in the bike lane outside Gristede's.

I'd like to ask why so many postal trucks are parking in our bike lanes, especially when they could park in No Standing zones, bus stops or at fire hydrants without endangering the lives of others.

Speaking of post office, Borough President Scott Stringer has a great new bike lane plan for West 33rd Street around the future Moynihan Station / former Main Post Office: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/am-bike1206,0,6147704.story

You can leave your "lights on for safety" but you're still parked. You can leave your motor on and waste gallons of taxpayer-paid fuel, but you're still parked. Face it, you are lazy. Here comes a biker up Lafayette Street, and he will have to swerve into traffic to get around you and the UPS truck.

Last time you peeps were parked in the bike lane it was 1/2 block to the south and a different truck. But the elephant did not forget: http://nyc.mybikelane.com/post/index/2832

Despite a space at the curb and a postal truck on the fringes of the bike lane, this fellow chose to park smack in the bike lane. Maybe he needed to urgently buy stamps? I didn't hang around to take a pic of the NYPD Federal Law Enforcement permit. But if you've got the permit, then just park at the damn hydrant (pictured).

Since this is the fifth time I've observed letter carriers on their routes rolling down the bike lane, it's time to make note of it. Someone is going to get hurt, and it's probably a biker. The sidewalk here is perfectly accessible, and since the corner cuts are good enough for a wheelchair, they are good enough for a mail trolley. How about we start a letter-writing campaign to the postmaster of ZIP 10014 at 527 Hudson Street and ask for safety reasons to issue a memo to letter carriers not to use the bike lane. DHL delivery guys might never change their behavior, but federal employees shouldn't be engaging in such conduct.

Half this block had available curb space for the postal truck, but he consciously chose to block the bike lane. I watched him talking to a letter carrier on Prince Street, and then snapped a photo of him returning to the truck. He had a bluetooth device in his right ear (not shown in photo); it's against postal regulations for these guys to talk on the phone while driving. Perhaps one violation leads to another?

I spoke politely to this driver a few weeks ago when he was parked in the bike lane reading the New York Post. Again I pointed out today that he can easily park at the curb (open space). Conversation:
Me: Excuse me, but there is a space open at the curb right there (pointing).
He: Wha?
Me: Could you please park at the curb, just there (pointing).
He: (pretends he can't understand English and replies in Spanish)
Me: This time I am gonna take your picture.
There's simply no reason he can't unload fifteen feet further ahead. He could still get in the door of this post office problem-free. In fact, parking at the curb would be easier since he wouldn't have to dodge parked cars. See also: http://nyc.mybikelane.com/post/index/2726
If the manager of this station received a few complaint cards with a printout of this posting, perhaps something might be done.

That looks like the Rite Aid flyer on the dashboard (see pic #2). Rite Aid is across the street. USPS truck is parked in the bike lane, although there was enough room for two USPS trucks at the curb, which you can plainly see in my photo. Although the driver probably wasn't at Rite Aid, this was a lousy and thoughtless parking job. On the other hand, maybe the driver was buying last-minute Halloween candy at Rite Aid?

But you already knew that. Also note that nice Bike Lane sign adjacent to truck.

OK we all know that lower Second Avenue was repaved and awaits fresh bike lane stripes. So seemingly everyone was parked in the bike lane today. I only took pictures where the bike lane signs were clear and where it was obvious the usual suspects were lurking. USPS was so thrilled watching me take his picture from behind and up front that he then moved from his space, drove around me, then parked 1/2 block up so he could be even closer to the Verizon building (at rear in pic). What did he have to deliver? One thin #10 envelope. (Click through for second pic, where you can see he could have easily parked at the curb.) Fill out a comment card at your local post office and mention the URL of this post.

As with all the other USPS trucks that park in the bike lanes for just a minute or five or ten to empty the mailboxes or deliver packages, this sets a bad example when making a delivery to a station. I tried to have a polite conversation with one of this station's drivers a few weeks ago who was parked in the bike lane reading the New York Post. He didn't show any interest in talking to me until I mentioned I'd be pleased to drop off a comment card at the G.P.O. about his parking habits. Note the biker forced into rush-hour traffic.

$125 in unpaid tickets.

He made sure to get up on the sidewalk just enough to avoid getting even an inch of his vehicle outside of the bike lane.

And on the sidewalk. But they have the "right" I guess.

Just runnning errands near my house... and as usual, the bike lane is just used as a parking lane. Why not park on the buffer? Fear of a ticket. I don't think I ever see tickets on them.