New Amsterdam Bike Slam Success

In 2009 Velo Mondial organized the New Amsterdam Bike Slam in New York in cooperation with Transportation Alternatives and the Dutch Embassy in the USA; The Brooklyn Bridge was the main focus of attention in this Slam. Three New York City Council members are now trying to sell a plan for part of the Brooklyn Bridge. Citing the tight quarters of the pedestrian and bicycle paths on the bridge, the Council members proposed on Tuesday to widen the upper-level platform, a popular artery for tourists and commuters. A detailed plan has not been drafted, nor have engineers been consulted on a possible proposal. Councilman Stephen Levin, whose district includes the Brooklyn side of the bridge, suggested that “the engineering and ideas community” would be enlisted to fill the gap, perhaps through a competition organized by local design groups. “None of us are engineers,” Mr. Levin said. Still, proponents estimated that the amount of pedestrian space could be tripled, noting the areas of the existing pathway that widen. “Just looking at how the path goes around the buttresses gives you a sense that a wider path is feasible,” Councilman Brad Lander of Brooklyn said. “If it can widen out there, surely we can find a way to widen it out elsewhere.” Velo Mondial is happy to see that the New Amsterdam Bike Slam now renders success to this Velo Mondial Bike Slam. Read on in NYT.