MAYOR DE BLASIO AND COMMISSIONER TROTTENBERG ANNOUNCE THAT 2016 WILL BRING THE GREATEST-EVER EXPANSION TO NEW YORK CITY’S BIKE NETWORK

NYC DOT is on track to add at least 75 lane miles to the citywide network this year, including a record 18 fully protected lane miles, exceeding projections, and 43 miles of exclusive lanes

DOT will commit to a doubled annual target of at least 10 miles of protected lanes

Citi Bike continues to break daily ridership records, as membership grows and network expands to more communities

    Mayor Bill de Blasio and Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg today announced that New York City's bike lane network is undergoing unprecedented enhancement this year, shattering the protected lane record set last year and exceeding earlier projections. By the end of 2016, New York City will have added 18 miles of protected bike lanes and at least 75 bike lane-miles are projected overall.

“Among our Vision Zero plans announced earlier this year was an unprecedented 15-mile expansion of the protected bike network, because we know that protected bike lanes not only get more people cycling, they calm traffic and save lives. Today we are proud to announce that we are poised to exceed this ambitious goal,” said Mayor de Blasio. “No cyclist death is acceptable and that’s why we’ll continue raising the bar to keep riders protected.”

“I want to thank the extraordinary team at DOT – planners, designers, and construction crews – who have gone above and beyond to make greater new bike lanes all across New York City a reality,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Our Vision Zero goal has always been to make sure that with the massive growth in its popularity, cycling remains safe. This year’s progress – with at least 75 new miles of bike lanes and over 18 miles of protected lanes – assures that even more New Yorkers will take to two wheels in the years ahead.”

In 2015, DOT set an annual record for protected bike lanes when it constructed 12.4 lane miles. This year DOT is on track to install 18 miles. By the end of 2016, DOT anticipates it will have expanded and enhanced the bicycle network by at least 75 miles, of which only 19 percent (14 miles) are signed/shared routes. The remaining combined mileage (61 total) of protected and exclusive bike lanes will be among the most the City has ever installed in a year, with the pace of such installations nearly equaling the last three years of the City’s pre-Vision Zero output (2011-2013). By January 1, 2017 there will be nearly 1,100 miles in NYCs bike network, including over 400 protected miles.

Among the many notable protected or exclusive lane projects in 2016: 1) Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx, from Hunts Point Avenue to Longwood Avenue (a Vision Zero priority corridor); 2) Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan from West 72nd Street to West 110th Street; 3) Queens Boulevard between 74th Street and Eliot Avenue (a Vision Zero priority corridor); 4) Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn, between Sands and Fulton Streets (within a Vision Zero priority area) and 5) Rockland/Travis/Nome Avenues (primarily exclusive), connecting the New Springville Greenway and La Tourette Park Greenway in Staten Island (within a Vision Zero priority area). A full and regularly updated list of 2016 protected lane projects can be found here.

DOT’s efforts to add more protected lane miles to the network reflects the increasing citywide interest in cycling – and the demand for more and higher quality infrastructure. DOT’s Cycling in the City report, issued in May, found that on a typical day, over 400,000 bike lane trips are made in New York City, with roughly three-quarters of a million people cycling on a regular basis. Between 2010 and 2014, New York City experienced a 68 percent growth in daily cycling, underscoring the need for continued investment in bike infrastructure across the five boroughs.

“New York City continues to invest in infrastructure to make biking safer and more accessible for New Yorkers,” said Daniel Zarrilli, Chief Resilience Officer and Senior Director of Climate Policy and Programs for the City of New York. “Today’s announcement and DOT's commitment to expanding protected bike lanes as part of their new Strategic Plan supports our OneNYC goals to expand sustainable transportation ‎options and reduce greenhouse gases 80 percent by 2050.”

"The DOT continues to move forward, making cycling a more attractive option for New Yorkers each day," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the Committee on Transportation. "We must do everything we can to better protect these vulnerable commuters and the expansion of fully protected bike lanes is the best way to do it. I'm glad to see this effort moving forward and hope we can be even more ambitious next year!"

"Biking is healthy, it eases traffic, and now it's safer than ever with 75 miles of new bike lanes in New York City. I applaud Mayor de Blasio and the Department of Transportation for exceeding projections this year and continuing to pave the path laid last year towards making biking accessible for all New Yorkers. As a biker who enjoys traveling to and from City Hall along the Hudson River Greenway, I am excited at the thought of new routes to explore and enjoy," said Council Member Andrew Cohen.