Bill Aims To Preserve Bike Lanes Near Construction Zones

EAST VILLAGE, NY — A Manhattan councilwoman introduced legislation Wednesday requiring contractors provide bike lane detours around construction sites or be slapped with penalties.

Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, whose district includes the East Village and Kips Bay, seeks to mandate builders with Department of Transportation permits for equipment and construction zones on city streets to ensure cyclists have safe routes around the hazards.

"We want people to know that when you are building in this city, when you're deciding to become part of this infrastructure, you have to respect the street infrastructure that is so important to cyclists and the people who live here," said Rivera at a Wednesday news conference.

The bill would create citywide standards for the detours including solid barriers to protect cyclists and require that paths be three-quarters the size of the original lane, unless that would make a detour less than four feet wide. Detours must also be clearly demarcated and separate from foot traffic.

"There’s a tremendous amount of construction underway citywide, and far too often, accommodations for cyclists are haphazard or non-existent," said Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC. "Requiring uniform standards for temporary protections will go a long way toward keeping people safe."

Rivera drafted the legislation after a First Avenue construction zone between E. Fourth and E. Fifth streets shuttered a stretch of the block's bike lane, forcing cyclists to venture into traffic. Her office worked with the Department of Transportation to provide a safe, alternative route for riders.

"We thought this should be something we should not have to react to every single time," said Rivera. "Cycling is too important as a daily part of transportation and so we want to codify it, we want to legislate this change and make sure we’re protecting New Yorkers."

At the moment, the bill calls for the Department of Transportation to enforce the detours and issue fines.

Specific penalties have yet to be set, but will be "in line with similar violations that exist," according to Rivera — the city fines those stopping, standing or parking within a marked bike lane up to $115.

Photo courtesy of Caroline Spivack/Patch