Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson is doing damage control after getting busted blocking a bike lane outside her district office in the Bronx on Monday. Of course, by "busted" we don't mean "ticketed by the NYPD"; as usual it was an outraged cyclist who caught the violation, photographing her car in the bike lane and sending it to BoogieDowner. The cyclist also got a shot of Gibson's parking placard on the dashboard, which declared that she was on "Official Police Business." What kind of police business, you ask?
"My car was left in the bike lane for a few moments while I was unloading supplies for my district office," Gibson said in a statement. Wiley Norvell at Transportation Alternatives tells Bronx News Network that Gibson's placard was misused. Police permits aren't intended for elected officials, according to Norell, "and even it they were, "there's no permit in the world that lets you park in a bike lane." But who needs permits when the NYPD simply permits this bike lane abuse?
In her apology, Gibson said, "The bike lane on the Grand Concourse has been a positive addition for a lot of Bronx residents. As you know, there is a serious lack of parking on the Grand Concourse, but I have always respected the bike lane and apologize for blocking it... I realize that caused some inconvenience and will make every effort to avoid blocking the bike land in the future." The bike lane brouhaha comes less than a month after 57-year-old cyclist Megan Charlop was killed after swerving to avoid a car door and falling under a bus.
