Prospect Park Alliance has announced a pilot program for redesigning traffic lanes - we'll soon see an 18-month trial of an additional pedestrian lane on the right.  Further options are being considered.  The Alliance is conducting a survey in which it seems to be presenting a choice between two strategies:  i) a rational, maximal separation between the slowest and fastest users, and ii) a traffic calming attempt to slow down cyclists with measures such as pinch points (eg planters in the fast bike lane!) and slow hours at unspecified times of the day.

I hope they can be persuaded that promoting smooth, predictable, seperate flow for cyclists will be safest for everybody.  So let's chime in to support safe, fun cycling.

.
If you use the LIRR app and already have the train ticket, give yourself 20 minutes the first time going from the street level to your departure track (3 levels).

https://gothamist.com/news/all-aboard-the-secret-elevators-to-grand-cent...

I arrived into Grand Central this past Saturday on a return trip with a bike. It toke me 3 elevator rides (backtrack on 1) and the longest escalator in NYC to exit OUT onto the surface street level. The current signage is minimal for the pristine and clean architectural interior. It took me 10 minutes to pop up to a building on Vanderbilt/43rd.

My guess if/when one learns all the new ins and outs, it would still take >5 mins to go down to the tracks.

Below is a link to a tutorial I've just created on the Explore feature of the RidewithGPS mobile app. If you are unfamiliar with the feature I encourage members to take a peek. Particularly when travelling and you want ideas for routes in that region, it is a great tool. We will have the link added to our NYCC library page which also has a tutorial on voice navigation and a webnar describing the features of our library. 

Your Ride Librarians have revised most of the routes that previously went up Ft. Washington to cross the south path of the bridge over to Ft. Lee. We've kept the Ft. Washington route, now up to 179th St., to get to the North Walk. On the return we've routed onto 180th St. up to Ft. Washington. We know this currenty isn't ideal, though we hope we'll get better cycling infrastructure on this route very soon. Many of you will choose other routes to the North Walk. But we felt it important to incorporate the North Walk into our routes sooner rather than later. (If you do use a different route, just start the RWGPS route at the entrance to the Walk.)

The meeting place for the Sunday 3/5 Henry Hudson Drive ride will be Dinosaur Playground, 97th St & Riverside Dr. From there we will take the greenway to the 181st St ramp and Cabrini to the Northwalk. Reason: Ft. Washington Ave in the 170's will be closed on Sunday due to a running race and our original meeting place at 173rd could be inaccessible.

I might also use this route on future NJ rides as I find the left turn from Ft. Wash onto 179th to be difficult.

The following email was just sent to all BSiggies:

Hi All-
The Weather looks quite iffy for tomorrow, but good for Sunday. Therefore,
the Classification Laps will be Sunday at 10 am, in Prospect Park, Grand Army
Plaza. If that presents a problem for you, please do 6 solo laps in Prospect
Park or 3 solo laps in Central Park and submit your time by 6 pm Sunday.
Thanks.
The Orientation ZOOM call tomorrow, Saturday, remains unchanged at 4 pm.

Ron
----------

Let's make sure the results of this survey are not used to restrict "traditional biking" https://www.centralparknyc.org/drives

The club directory was removed from here, the NYCC website. Why? I get there's an e-mail link to a poster's post under his name but I used it to get e-addresses of members apart from their posts to, of course, write them.

I would like to write a poster on the FB page today to correct his very wrong use of a key word important to his post but don't want to do so publicly. Why embarrass him? Other times I've wanted to and have written members personal notes directly that would have been wrong to have made readable club wide.

So I again ask why was the directory removed?

At the same time, I note a page was created for one of the organizations the club supports but not the others.

NOTE: Since I first posted this I've learned that the DOT already recognizes the seriousness of this issue and is working toward a solution. Therefore, we don't need to flood them with messages. But I thought I'd leave this post up so you can see what a lobbying campaign might look like.

Our best bet with regard to safe access to the North Walk is to get the DOT to install safe cycling infrastructure at the intersection of Ft. Washington & 179th St., including repaving that block from 178th to 179th, painting clear lanes, making a left turn only lane and installing an advance left turn arrow in the traffic light. Improved lighting would be a bonus, but I suspect that would be way beyond the budget.