On Sunday, an estimated 750 cyclists rode the Prospect Park West bike lane in Park Slope as part of a rally in support of the lane that has prompted a lawsuit against the DOT. (The unabashedly anti-cyclist NY Post craftily reports that "more than 200 cyclists" took part, but organizers say they handed out all 400 "We Ride the Lanes" t-shirts at least 20 minutes before the ride was even scheduled to begin.) Here's an ultra feel-good video from the ride, courtesy Streetfilms; you may recognize the stock music from every instructional video you've been forced to watch in your life.
Prospect Park West Family Bike Ride/We Ride the Lanes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.
"The bike path is fantastic, but it's only one facet of the redesign of PPW," Joanna Oltman Smith, a Park Slope mom who helped plan the festivities, said in a statement. "I think that's why we had walkers, roller-bladers, folks on scooters, and people with dogs accompanying all the bike-riders today. With traffic calmed and the crossings shortened, Prospect Park West is safer for everyone." Another participant, Mitch Sonies, said, "This was a terrific day. But honestly, I expect the Prospect Park West bike path will be this busy on every nice day between now and the next snowstorm."
Sponsors included Blue Sky Bakery, which provided 500 free cupcakes, with donations from Ride Brooklyn, Bicycle Habitat, Brooklyn Brewery, and Park Slope Day Camp covering the cost of all those t-shirts. Of course, all those cute kids on bikes and smiling families don't fool bike lane opponents like former deputy mayor Norman Steisel, or Adolf Hitler:
