“The context of our climate crisis is decarbonization, and a bike and pedestrian lane on the Verrazzano is part of the overall greening of NYC. Every chance to get bicycles on the road is a good thing.”
Klaus H. Jacob, geo-physicist, Earth Institute, Columbia/ Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Zoom conversation, March 4, 2021
The work in this exhibition is based on a QR code that links to my petition asking our Governor to actively support a bike/pedestrian lane on the Verrazzano Bridge - as this office comes with the power to make the MTA finally act (an article by Gersh Kuntzman in Streetsblog NYC, Jan. 22, 2021, reveals how the agency is not only passive but actively blocking the realization of a lane: Secret Report Reveals that MTA Has No Interest in Verrazzano Bridge Bike Path).
I created the petition, QRC and flyers in the early summer of 2020 and displayed the flyers around the grounds of the Old Stone House in Park Slope, along with large banners, and did flyering there as well as by the Narrows where I live - in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. There are currently three groups advocating for a bike/pedestrian lane on the VZ: Bike South Brooklyn (I am a co-founder), Harbor Ring and Transportation Alternatives.
For the closing of Tidal Strait, I invited Ai Matsui & Force Majeure to perform and organized brief talks by local environmental/activist groups and individuals (and posted talks on Instagram). Speakers: Jeannine Bardo, artist and gallerist; Klaus H. Jacob, geophysicist/ Earth Institute; Brian Hedden/ Bike South Brooklyn; Richard Hanley/ Brooklyn Waterfront Research Center and Daniel Loud/ Bay Ridge Environmental Group.
As part of showing my QRCs, I organized a collaborative event with Openings Collective NY, Harbor Ring and Stand 4 Gallery - where we all discussed our environmental work and then went for a post Harbor Ring ride celebration-picnic in Central Park.