There’s a turf war brewing all across Kings County, as cyclists warn joggers to stay out of their lanes. According to Brooklyn Paper, runners often swerve into bike lanes on Kent Avenue, Shore Road, Fifth Avenue, and around Prospect Park, obstructing cyclist traffic and endangering everyone involved. “Running in bike lanes just transfers the problem to someone else — cyclists are forced to take a serious risk and make an unexpected swerve into the adjacent traffic,” said longtime bicycle advocate Ian Dutton. Runners who engage in the practice say they’re forced to by pedestrians clogging the walkways and the inferior surfaces of sidewalks, which can put a beating on joggers’ joints.

Lee Silverman, owner of JackRabbit Sports in Park Slope, sympathizes with both sides. “If a runner is dodging pedestrians on the sidewalk and the bike lane is empty, it can be really tempting,” he said. “That said, cyclists are justified in being frustrated.”

 

(Photo: Seth Werkheiser/Flickr)