Summer is here and it's time for three of our favorite Brooklyn traditions: Stoop Sales, Block Parties, and Bike Rides.
Here is some great wisdom on all three of those perennial BK topics. Have fun! Sell some stuff! Boogie down your block! Enjoy the breeze on your back as you bike with your BFFs.
STOOP SALE INFO:
Check out these informative guides to making stoop sale exchanges GREAT:
- The PSP Guide to buying great stuff at Stoop Sales.
- The PSP Guide to hosting a Stoop Sale.
Email your Stoop Sale info to the on Thursday and we'll post it, and also pull together a summary to send out to folks - weather willing of course.
BLOCK PARTY INFO:
Check out different ways to make your BLOCK PARTY GREAT! This page also includes fun ideas for kids at block parties. If you give us a heads up, Park Slope Parents will try to stop by with some Giant Bubbles! Email . And check out our DIY Giant Bubbles recipe if you want to whip some up on your own!
BIKING INFO:
Here are the RULES OF THE ROAD for bikers from the DOT.
Here’s a list of BIKE TIPS from the DOT. This page includes:
· Bike Maps
· Bike Map App
· Bike Network & Stats
· Bike Parking
· Bike Safety
· Bikes in Buildings
Have you heard about the Leading Pedestrian and Bicycle Interval Pilot Program - aka "LPI?" Here's the scoop:
NYC DOT is conducting a pilot program to allow cyclists to proceed during a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI). DOT is installing temporary signage at intersections that already have an LPI. With these signals, people on foot are given advanced time of seven to eleven seconds to cross before drivers may proceed through the intersection or make turns through crosswalks. Cyclists will still be legally required to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Pilot locations will include intersections along Atlantic Avenue, 4th Ave, and Smith Street in Brooklyn as well as Roosevelt and 34th Avenues in Queens, and 2nd and 9th Avenues in Manhattan. Here's a full list of Leading Pedestrain Interval locations.
NYC DOT distributes up to 325,000 copies per year of the New York City Bike Map, which contains the most important rules of the road highlighted in the Bike Smart Guide. Bike Smart: The Official Guide to Cycling in New York City is a helpful handbook with information on making your cycling safer and easier, including tips on using newer bike facilities such as protected lanes and bike boxes.
Helmets
Everyone should wear a helmet while riding. DOT fits and gives away the official New York City bicycle helmet at events throughout the city. Call 311 to schedule a fitting. In order to receive a helmet you must: be present, learn how to properly fit and wear a helmet, and sign a waiver (a parent or legal guardian must sign for children under 18). Find the next helmet fitting on the Events Calendar
DOT's 'Don't Be A Jerk' bike safety campaign humorously highlights the essential dos and don’ts of safe, responsible biking. According to DOT's 2010 Sustainable Streets Index, commuter cycling increased 262% in New York City from 2000 to 2010. With more bikes on the road, smart cycling is even more crucial to making New York City's streets safer for everyone using them.
Learn more about DOT's bike Safety Campaign: Don't Be a Jerk!
NYC Biking Laws:
Cyclists have all the rights and are subject to all of the duties and regulations applicable to drivers of motor vehicles. Here's a complete list of New York City bicycle rules.
Here are the basics:
Ride in the street, not on the sidewalks (unless rider is age 12 or younger and the bicycle's wheels are less than 26 inches in diameter).
Now go forth and sell on your stoop, party on your block, and bike the neighborhood!