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Back in January, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled his "Bridges for the People" plan, announcing that both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Queensboro Bridge would finally get dedicated bike lanes. It seems like those plans are actually moving forward.
Just yesterday, the Mayor's office sent out an email detailing related changes and providing folks with renderings of what the new paths will look like.
"On the Brooklyn Bridge, we will ban cars from the innermost lane of the Manhattan-bound side to transform it into a two-way protected bike lane and turn the existing shared promenade space into a space just for pedestrians," reads the email. "On the Queensboro Bridge, we will begin construction this year to convert the north outer roadway into a two-way bike-only lane and convert the south outer roadway to a two-way pedestrians-only lane."
Although work on the Brooklyn Bridge is expected to be completed before the end of the year, Queensboro Bridge cyclists might have to wait a little longer to enjoy a safer ride.
Here is a rendering:
Riders obviously rejoiced at the news but plenty of New Yorkers also took to social media to criticize the specifics of a plan that will likely create more car traffic given the repurposing of an entire lane originally meant to ease the drive into Manhattan.
The news comes at the heels of a pretty historic year for cyclists as bike usage has soared during the pandemic, leading many city dwellers to pressure the Mayor into looking into safety measures given the dangers involved in riding throughout the boroughs.
"Converting car lanes into bike lanes on two of our most important bridges is a giant leap forward for New York City," said Danny Harris, the executive director of non-profit organization Transportation Alternatives, in an official statement. "We look forward to working with the de Blasio administration on this vital new project and other efforts to improve infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians on bridges and streets across the five boroughs."
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