Two Lower Manhattan Safety Projects Completed

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — New York City Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg today celebrated the new protected two-way bike lane along Chrystie Street as well as pedestrian improvements around the entrance to the Manhattan bridge. To commemorate the occasion, Trottenberg, joined by State Sen. Daniel Squadron and other advocates, rode Citi Bikes along the new bike lane south to the Canal Street bridge entrance.

At 1.1 miles in total, the new bike lane connects the Manhattan Bridge bike lane to protected lanes along Allen Street and First and Second avenues. According to the Department of Transportation, the Chrystie Street bike lane now makes it possible to ride northbound on protected bike lanes for 9 miles, from downtown Brooklyn all the way up to the Bronx, via the Manhattan Bridge and Willis Avenue Bridge.

“At the end of a big year, I want to thank the extraordinary team at DOT – planners, designers and construction crews – who have gone above and beyond to make great bike lanes and safer intersections all across New York City a reality this year,” said Trottenberg.

But the renovations may never have happened without concerned citizens, who were given their due by Squadron, who thanked "the constituents who got this started with a tweet.”

One such tweeter was David “Paco” Abraham, who, along with the group Transportation Alternatives, have pushed for a redesign of Chrystie since 2015.

On June 5, 2015, for example, he tweeted at Squadron and City Council member Margaret Chin:

classic Chrystie St #bikenyc lane. double parked car & double & triple parked buses. @DanielSquadron @CM_MargaretChin pic.twitter.com/5g1j47ihzl — dave 'paco' abraham (@subtle116) June 5, 2015

Abraham and other Transportation Alternatives volunteers actually came up with the design concept for the protected bike lane that ended up winning support among the community board and elected officials.

And the Chrystie Street bike lane was nothing compared to the Canal Street entrance to the Manhattan Bridge, which has been among New York City’s most crash-prone intersections for pedestrians. Between 2010 and 2014, according to the Department of Transportation, more than 147 people were injured there, with five pedestrians seriously injured and one pedestrian killed.

The $1.5 million renovation project included new signals and concrete curb extensions along with extended and widened medians and triangles. The confusing daily reversals on the Lower Roadway of the bridge were ended, allowing for consistent and predictable traffic patterns, improved signage and lane markings. A new signal and crosswalk were installed to accommodate more than 1,500 pedestrians in the peak hour that previously crossed Bowery Street unprotected.

It may have taken years, but these improvements will help New Yorkers reach the goal of "Vision Zero," a plan initiated in 2014 by the DiBlasio administration to confront "the epidemic of traffic fatalities and injuries on our streets."

“Our Vision Zero goals have always been to make sure that motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all remain safe," Trottenberg said today. "This year’s unprecedented progress on street redesign, including record bike lane expansion and safety projects like the Manhattan Bridge entrance, will help keep New Yorkers safe— and get them home to celebrate the holidays and new year with their families."

The city's work is far from over, though. Abraham has moved on to tweeting about other infrastructure issues, like the neglected Union Square Bike Lane, and trying to get NYC to build a "2 way protected bike path on Flatbush Ave (eastern side of Prospect Park)." A petition to get the latter is nearing 1,000 signatures.

"A protected bike lane was already installed on the affluent western side of Prospect Park," the petition reads. "This change yielded reductions in speeding, fewer injuries & crashes, and drastically lowered the number of bikes riding on the sidewalk. The same should now be done for the eastern side of the park."

Image via NYC Department of Transportation