Council Member Inna Vernikov announced a pause on the implementation of painted bike lanes in Southern Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay, despite a four-year development plan by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to enhance local cycling infrastructure. Vernikov argued she was reflecting her constituents' opposition to the project, which aimed to address safety concerns in a historically underserved area. Community members, however, expressed disappointment, indicating that the neighborhood needs better street design and infrastructure to support cyclist safety and accessibility, revealing a disconnect between Vernikov's stance and community sentiment.
My constituents oppose it, and it is my job to support what my constituents want or don't want in their neighborhoods... The DOT's need to push a woke agenda will not take priority over the needs of my constituents. I say this as a biker!
There's a lot of street design that needs to be updated.
The project would have brought painted bike lanes to a wide swatch of Vernikov's and neighboring council districts that comprise Community Board 14 - all neighborhoods greatly underserved by the city's current bike network.
The DOT had pledged to 'create/enhance 75 lane miles of bicycle facilities in these districts by 2022,' according to a 2021 presentation to the board, which supported the proposal.
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