New Bicycle Infrastructure

Read the latest news about this issue.

At the April Bicycle Network meeting, the Departments of City Planning, Parks and Transportation reported to the cycling community about their current efforts to develop facilities for cyclists.

The Department of City Planning unveiled "Manhattan Tip-to-Tip" as a goal for the next round of Bike Network implementation. The ambitious project would map a bike route from the northern to southern tip of Manhattan; key elements include lanes on Broadway from 14th St. to Battery Park and on 8th Ave. from 14th St. to Columbus Circle.

DCP's resourceful bicycle planning team also announced encouraging plans to assess indoor bike parking facilities available to city cyclists and a study of innovative on-street lane designs. The city of Montreal, for example, uses plastic delineators or bollards spaced periodically on the outside of the bike lane to prevent motor vehicles from driving and double parking in the lane-ideal for Manhattan's Lafayette St.
News from the DOT is that several projects are in the works:

Second Avenue, Manhattan

This important on-street lane would stretch southbound 3/4 mile from East 14th St. to Houston St. Local community boards may be considering this soon, so keep your ears open.

Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan

This two-mile on-street lane will loop through the peaceful Fort Tryon Park, around the Cloisters Museum. It is scheduled for completion this summer.
Richmond Terrace, Staten Island

A combination of striped lanes and bicycle route signs will lead cyclists 1.8 miles in each direction between Wall St. and Snug Harbor Rd. This route is still in design.

Shore Parkway Connector, Brooklyn

Signs will mark the 8.6 mile east and westbound route following the Shore Parkway between Bensonhurst Park and Plumb Beach. Some cyclists feel signed routes are of little value. However, if streets are well chosen, signs can spare cyclists from highly trafficked streets and direct them to a safer, more pleasant ride.

Meanwhile, progress on the Sunset Park Connector lane has stalled after heavy criticism from the Orthodox Jewish Community in Borough Park. The agency has been looking for an alternative route, but none has been formally proposed. The project, funded by $300,000 in ISTEA Enhancements, is now seven months delayed.
A lackluster presentation by DOT's Bureau of Bridges suggested that the City's bicycle planners have little design say-so on the various bikeway reconstruction projects on the four East River Bridges. Billed as an update, the presentation yielded little news and even less encouragement that the City has prioritized bicycle access to and use of the E. River Bridges.

The Dept. of Parks is nearing the construction phase on numerous greenway projects throughout the city. Look for highlights in the next issue of T.A. Magazine.