AMID YEAR OF UNPRECEDENTED STREETSCAPE CHANGES, MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES LARGEST ONE-YEAR PROTECTED BIKE LANE EXPANSION IN NEW YORK CITY HISTORY

 

Over 28 miles of protected bike lanes installed this year; 16.3 miles of new bus lanes; Open Streets, Open Restaurants gave New York City’s streetscape the most dramatic transformation in modern history

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) has constructed a record 28.6 lane miles of new protected bike lanes across all five boroughs in 2020. Combined with another 35.2 miles of conventional bike lanes, 83 miles of car-free Open Streets, more than 10,800 Open Restaurants on city streets and sidewalk, and 16.3 miles of new bus lanes – another one-year record – New York City’s streetscape was transformed more dramatically during 2020 than in any year in modern history.

 

“Our city has reimagined our streets as we’ve fought back the COVID-19 crisis. That means more space for restaurants and businesses, faster options for bus riders, and more ways than ever to accommodate the cycling boom with new protected bike lanes,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Record numbers of bike lanes and bus lanes will change our urban landscape forever – and, as we continue our fight to build a fairer and better city, we won’t stop here.”

 

"In a year where we have seen cycling boom throughout this city, DOT has done a remarkable job in building the critical infrastructure to keep New Yorkers safe and moving throughout this city," said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. "Amidst all of the challenges COVID-19 has thrown our way, this Administration has remained dedicated to building upon Vision Zero and making our streets safer for all New Yorkers."

 

“As unprecedented as this year has been, I sincerely applaud everyone at DOT for being able to implement a record number of protected bike lanes this year,” said Acting DOT Commissioner Margaret Forgione. “We have seen a tremendous shift towards cycling during the COVID-19 pandemic and predict the trend will continue even after the city recovers, so it is imperative we continue growing our bike network and keep cyclists safe.”

 

Today’s announcement brings the city’s total bike lane network to 1,375 lane miles, 545 of which are protected miles, including nearly 170 miles on street. DOT is also on track to meet the Green Wave Plan goal of installing over 80 miles of protected bike lanes by the end of 2021, and adding 75 miles of bicycle infrastructure in Bicycle Priority Districts by 2022.

 

The agency also completed over 70 Street Improvement Projects in all five boroughs, targeting locations with the greatest safety need for pedestrians and cyclists.

 

Protected Bike Lanes

Notable protected bike lane projects completed this year include:

 

Manhattan: (5.0 Protected Lane Miles)

• Broadway from Barclay Street to Morris Street
• Central Park West from 77^th Street to Frederick Douglass Circle
• 5^th Avenue from 110^th Street to 120^th Street
• St. Nicholas Avenue from 165^th to 170^th Street
• 6^th Avenue from 35^th Street to Central Park South
• 2^nd Avenue from 43^rd to 34^th Street

 

Brooklyn: (9.1 Protected Lane Miles)

• Tillary Street Phase II
• Franklin Street, N 14th Street to Quay Street; Quay Street, Franklin Street to West Street
• N. 14^th Street from Franklin Street to Berry Street
• 7^th Avenue Southbound from Bay Ridge Parkway to 79^th Street
• Flatbush Avenue from Grand Army Plaza to Ocean Avenue
• Smith Street from State Street to Fulton Street
• 4^th Avenue from 15^th Street to 60^th Street
• 4^th Avenue from Flatbush Avenue to 1^st Street

 

Queens: (9.5 Protected Lane Miles)

• Cross Bay Boulevard from the Addabbo Bridge to East 6^th Road
• Laurel Hill Boulevard from 51^st Avenue to 55^th Road
• Crescent Street from Queens Plaza North to Hoyt Avenue North
• Cross Bay Boulevard from Van Brunt Road to West 20th Road

 

Bronx: (3.2 Protected Lane Miles)

• Southern Boulevard from E Fordham Road to Mosholu Parkway
• E.L. Grant Highway
• Bronx Park East at White Plains Road

 

Staten Island: (1.8 Protected Lane Miles)

• Western Avenue, Gulf Avenue, Forest Avenue, Goethals Bridge Ped/Bike Connection 

 

Streetscape Changes:

During the pandemic, New York City found creative ways to rethink and reshape how it uses public space. That has included the creation of Open Streets, Open Restaurants, and Better Buses Restart, a record expansion of the bus lane network citywide. This year alone, New Yorkers enjoyed:

• 83 miles of car-free Open Streets and Open Streets: Restaurants, the most in the nation; another 17 miles of streets were given to schools for outdoor learning.
• 10,847 Open Restaurants.
• 16.3 new bus lane miles – a New York City record – including a new busway on Jay Street in Brooklyn and a permanent busway on 14^th Street in Manhattan.
• Speed limit reductions to nine major corridors citywide.
• Over 1,200 speed cameras installed across 750 school zones citywide.

 

Green Wave Plan Progress:

Announced last year, the Green Wave Plan aims to combine design, enforcement, legislation, policy and education to make the City’s streets safer for cyclists and all street users. In the coming year, DOT will prioritize providing more protected lanes in the Bronx, including developing a network in Morrisania, Southern Boulevard, and continuing work on University Avenue. Despite the operational and administrative challenges brought on by COVID-19, additional Green Wave progress as of 2020 includes:

 

• Installed Green Wave Signal Timing along 13 corridors.
• Held five monthly community bicycle working groups.
• Launched the Eastern Queens Greenway planning initiative.
• Added 50 Neighborhood Loading Zones, bringing total to 112 zones.
• Launched Commercial Cargo Bicycle Pilot, which has now grown to six companies and over 300 cargo bikes,
•