NYC building more bike lanes ahead of L train shutdown
NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - New York City added 25 miles of new protected bike lanes in 2017.
Cyclists, pedestrians and drivers can likely debate the need for and benefits of dedicated bike lanes everywhere in this city except maybe in Williamsburg.
Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg — a cyclist herself — anticipates bike traffic on the Williamsburg Bridge to double when the MTA closes the L train tunnel under the East River for Sandy-related repairs.
"This access as we all know is going to be essential in April 2019 when the L train closes," Trottenberg said.
Year-round cyclists and real estate investors may represent the only populations moving to Williamsburg in and for the 2019 closure.
Trottenberg called improving bike access to the bridge one of her proudest accomplishments from the past year. The new lanes bring the city's bike network to nearly 1,200 miles of paths, trails, and bike lanes. More than 400 miles remain protected from other forms of traffic.
"It's now growing faster than any other mode of transit in the city," Trottenberg said.
She also touted the safety improvements to Queens Boulevard.
"We are so proud to say that the Boulevard of Death has now gone three years without a pedestrian or cyclist fatality," she added.