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Mayoral Hopefuls Weigh In On City Bike Lanes At Transportation Forum

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Some of the Democratic candidates for mayor of New York City took part in a forum on transportation issues at Baruch College on Wednesday.

As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, the forum's only fireworks centered on bike lanes.

Anthony Weiner, a bike rider, criticized the Bloomberg administration's implementation of them.

Mayoral Hopefuls Weigh In On City Bike Lanes At Transportation Forum

"I didn't think it was possible, but with this administration we've actually made bike lanes controversial. We've actually made bike lanes something that people fight over and argue about and come up to me on the train and say, 'boy that bike lane stinks,'" said Weiner.

John Liu said bike lanes are often empty in Brooklyn and Queens.

"And so in those cases, you didn't necessarily have to take away all those parking spaces. You didn't necessarily have to take away those traffic lanes. The bikes would still have been able to - bicycle riders still have a right of way on regular streets,"

Bill Thompson argued communities need to be consulted more about bike lanes, and Sal Albanese said they are great for air quality and keep people in shape.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio were not in attendance at the forum, though they were invited.

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