Rendering of the future protected bike lane on the Brooklyn Bridge, set to begin construction on Monday, June 21st. Image Credit: NYC DOT
The protected bike lane will provide safety from cars for cyclists and provide more room on the promenade for pedestrians. On June 21, 2021, the Department of Transportation will begin constructing protected bicycle lanes on the Brooklyn Bridge. The project will begin with removing the innermost Manhattan-bound vehicular lane and transforming it into a two-way protected bicycle lane. Currently, pedestrians and cyclists share access to the bridge on the bridge’s promenade. The two-lane promenade, only divided by a painted line, is often overcrowded and can be potentially dangerous for both cyclists and pedestrians.
The Department of Transportation advises motorists who use the Brooklyn Bridge to go from Brooklyn to Manhattan to prepare for adjustments to their commutes both during and after construction ends. Starting Monday, right turns from westbound Tillary Street onto the bridge are no longer permitted. During construction, Manhattan-bound vehicles can still access the bridge from Adams Street and Sands Street. Pedestrians and cyclists can still access the promenade. Signage will be posted to reflect changes. The Department of Transportation expects traffic to be moved across both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and along Gold Street, Nassau Street and the Flatbush Avenue Extension. Commuters are advised to consider alternative modes of transportation, including public transportation and cycling, when possible.
The construction of the protected bike lane is part of the City’s ongoing campaign to install 30 miles of protected bike lanes citywide by the end of 2021. Construction on the new protected bike path is expected to finish by the early fall.
Mayor Bill de Blasio stated, “Bridges for the People is a beautiful reimagining of New York City’s most iconic bridge. Before the Brooklyn Bridge was last reconfigured in 1950, it carried 400,000 New Yorkers every day—but completely replacing trolleys with car lanes reduced the number of daily bridge users by more than half. By adding new protected bike lanes on the bridge, we will finally begin to re-balance that equation, supporting more sustainable transportation for decades to come.”
DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman stated, “The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the nation’s most beloved structures, will this year celebrate its 138th birthday. Over that long history, the bridge has changed with the times – as horse-drawn carriages were replaced with trolleys, which were then retired with the advent of car lanes. In the coming months, we are going to transform this bridge we all love once again – this time with new bicycle lanes that invest in the bridge’s more sustainable future. We ask New Yorkers for their patience during construction, and encourage drivers to use other crossings into Manhattan. And of course, we look forward to the first bike ride this fall.”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)
A BIG mistake.
BTW all the mayor’s “permanent enhancements” have an expiration date of 12/31/21.
ONCE AGAIN, THE CITY OF NY IS STRANGLING MOTORISTS. IT STARTED WITH BIKE LANES ON LOCAL STREETS, AND IS NOW ESCALATING ONTO BRIDGES. BEFORE TOO LONG, THE ENTIRE CITY WILL HAVE TO RIDE BIKES TO WORK. CAN HORSE AND BUGGIES BE FAR BEHIND? WE ARE GOING BACKWARD IN TIME!
That’s the point. Cars are polluting the city with toxic fumes and noise. They take up a lot of space and they are not good for anyone’s health.