(DFNYC Member and Transportation Alternatives' Queens Committee Chair Mike Heffron brought this issue up at the July Astoria linkup and we felt it might be worth sharing with other DFNYC folks. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent official positions of or endorsements by Democracy for New York City)

In early 2007, the city Department of Transportation proposed addition of painted bike lanes as part of a package of improvements for Vernon Boulevard, a major street running parallel to the waterfront in western Queens. Although the land use committee voted unanimously in favor of the lanes, Community Board 2 tabled discussion of the project and never took it up in a general meeting. Community Board 1 also never discussed the project but did send a letter to local officials opposing the bike lanes. However, a number of other local groups, under the leadership of Transportation Alternatives, signed on to a letter in support of the bike lanes, and in June 2008, the lanes were created.

While this should be seen as a victory for bicyclists and for "green" transportation in New York City, the future of bike lanes is not entirely clear. The primary point of opposition seems to be the elimination of parking spaces (200 in the case of Vernon Boulevard) on already congested streets while (as in the poorly-conceived "bike lane to nowhere" on 36th Street) creating lanes that seem to provide no benefit to the community in general. But successful bike lanes (as with the Fort Greene bike lanes) can overcome opposition in time and demonstrate their value to the community. The trick is building the community support necessary to get them built in the first place.

Read more about this story and related topics on StreetsBlog.org

CityLimits has done a nice profile on DFNYC-endorsed candidate Kevin Powell entitled, "Upstart Could Bring Hip-Hop to the Hill". DFNYC gets a brief mention:

...As his candidacy receives the support of both the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats – a political club headed by Chris Owens, son of former U.S. Rep. Major Owens of Brooklyn – and the advocacy group Democracy for New York City, Powell is fully aware of the symbolism. If elected, he would become the first and the most identifiable member of the hip-hop generation ever to serve in the U.S. Congress. On national issues, both Powell and Towns oppose the war in Iraq and support a single-payer healthcare system. But while campaigning on Memorial Day, Powell told practically every resident he encountered about the catalyst for his candidacy: The incumbent’s "absent and ineffective advocacy" on a host of local needs. "What we need in Congress from this district, as we enter a new presidential administration and a new decade, is active leadership that deals with the concerns of regular working-class people," he says.

Read more HERE...

Sunday, July 13, 2008
2-5pm onward
In front of Brookstone, 18 Fulton Street

Join DFNYC and Luke Henry's campaign to help Obama win the White House!

New York is not a "swing state," but we can still help Senator Barack Obama win the election from right here in the city.  Tourists visit New York every day, and many of them are swing state voters!  One of the biggest tourist attractions is the South Street Seaport in downtown Manhattan.  So we will spread out to pass out Obama flyers and voter reg info and sign people up to support Obama.  The goal is to persuade the undecided and involve Obama supporters who may not be connected with his campaign.

When:  Sunday, July 13th, 2-5pm

Where:  South Street Seaport, Manhattan. Meet at the benches in front of Brookstone and the Body Shop.  18 Fulton Street.

Subway:  Take the A/C, 2/3, J/M/Z, or 4/5 train to Broadway/Nassau, then walk east on Fulton.

Contact:  RSVP to DFNYCer Merle, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  (replace -at- with @). 

About Luke Henry:

Luke Henry is a progressive grassroots Democrat running for state Assembly against Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the State Assembly.  The election is the Democratic primary on Sept. 9th.  Luke is taking time out from his busy campaign schedule to help Barack Obama because he knows reform is needed at all levels of government, and a Barack Obama victory in November is the best way to repair the damage caused by 8 years of the Bush White House.  So join us on Sunday, July 13, and to learn more about Luke, visit LukeHenry.org.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Staten Island - 7:00pm (NEW LINKUP!), Muddy Cup, 388 Van Duzer Street, Staten Island, with host Al Dykes.

Upper West Side - 7:00pm, Cosi (the back room) - 2186 Broadway (btwn 77 and 78 street), with host Merle Mceldowney.

West Village - 7:00pm, Kettle of Fish, 59 Christopher St. (near 7thAve.) with host Josh Silverstein.

Astoria, Queens - 7:30pm, (NEW VENUE) Omonia Cafe, 3220 Broadway (N train to Broadway, cafe on the corner of 33rd and Broadway), with hosts Costa Constantinides and Jeremiah Frei-Pearson.

Sunnyside, Queens - 8:00pm, The Grind (in the back room), 39-24 Queens Blvd., with host Dan Jacoby.

Bayside, Queens - 7:00pm, The First Edition, 41-08 Bell Blvd, right near the LIRR stop, with host Steve Behar of Democrats for New Politics.

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn - 7:00pm, Wycoff Bennett Homestead, 1669 East 22nd Street, with host Annette Mont.

Send your Linkup feedback and suggestions to linkup (at) dfnyc.org