Community Board Backs Plan To Close Last Gap Of 2nd Ave Bike Lane

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A Manhattan community board's transportation committee is endorsing city plans to fill in the last remaining gap of Second Avenue's bike lane network, according to reports.

The Community Board 6 committee voted unanimously Monday to approve a city Department of Transportation plan to create a new bike lane on Second Avenue that spans East 34th to 43rd streets, a section that includes the entrance to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, Streetsblog New York first reported.

DOT's plan calls for the creation of bike lane that will mirror a lane installed last year that filled a gap of the Second Avenue bike network near the Queensboro Bridge. The "partially-protected" lane will only be parking-protected during off-peak hours, but not during rush hour when vehicles are prohibited from parking on the easternmost lane of Second Avenue. Special signals will be implemented near the entrance of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel to reduce conflict between bikes and cars turning into the tunnel, according to Streetsblog.

DOT presenters told Community Board 6 that the lane will be implemented this year, but could not provide a set timeline due to uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Streetsblog reported.

Community Board 6 also voted in favor of protected crosstown bike lanes on 39th and 38th streets.

Read the full Streetsblog report here.