Skillman, 43rd Aves To Get Bike Lanes Despite CB2 Rejection

SUNNYSIDE, QUEENS -- The city will move forward with controversial plans to bring protected bike lanes to Skillman and 43rd Avenues, despite a majority of local community board members' refusal to give the project their blessing, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday.

De Blasio said in a Tweet that he gave the Department of Transportation the green light to begin work on the safety upgrades, the most controversial of which are bike lanes that would wipe out 120 parking spaces on the two Sunnyside avenues between Queens Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue.

"Nearly 300 people have been injured along Skillman and 43rd Avenues in Queens." de Blasio tweeted.

"(Two) lives have been lost. "NYC DOT has listened to the voices across the community. I've instructed them to move forward with pedestrian safety and protected bike lanes that will save lives."

Those voices have been mixed.

Community Board 2 in June voted 27-8 against the safety redesign, which has become a fierce debate among residents since the DOT first posed it in November.

Opponents have largely argued that the bike lanes would wipe out a significant chunk of scarce parking in the neighborhood and, thus, be detrimental to local businesses.

But supporters argue the lost parking spaces is a necessary tradeoff and small price to pay for safety benefits that could save lives.

The plan was inspired by the death of delivery cyclist Gelacio Reyes, who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while biking along 43rd Avenue in April 2017. It was further fueled in May when biker Aaron Padwee was killed by a box truck on 21st Street after he collided with a car door ant went flying into the roadway.

It prompted Transportation Alternatives to organize a "human-protected bike lane" along 43rd Avenue to protest for the bike lanes.

"There are so many instances and so many statistics that have shown protected bike lanes reduce crashes," Juan Restrepo, the group's Queens organizer told Patch.

"Many of the bike lanes in Queens are a result of (pedestrians) dying on these streets."

Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Paul Steely White issued a statement Thursday applauding de Blasio's decision to move forward with the safety redesign.

"The plan for Skillman and 43rd avenues is based on tried and true design standards, and was developed after several rounds of community engagement," White said. "If we're going to eliminate traffic deaths in New York City, we can't allow drivers to dictate the city's transportation policy."

The DOT tweeted after de Blasio's announcement on Thursday that it would begin the safety improvements this summer and would "stay on the ground post-installation to gather feedback and continue to improve the project."

Lead photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images