Contested UES Bike Lanes To Be Installed This Summer, City Says

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The new set of crosstown bike lanes that divided an Upper East Side community board for weeks will finally be installed this summer, the Department of Transportation said.

The new protected lanes on East 61st and 62nd streets will be joined by a number of other traffic improvements, including a two-way bike lane on the south side of 60th Street between First and York avenues, giving pedestrians and cyclists access to the Queensboro Bridge; new pedestrian islands and turning areas; and new rush-hour lanes on 61st and 62nd, among other changes.

Beginning this summer, NYC DOT will implement #BikeNYC & pedestrian safety improvements on 61st & 62nd Sts (1st to 5th Aves) & 60th St (1st to York Aves) in #Manhattan:
Organize & calm traffic
Install protected bike lanes
Improve pedestrian safety
Upgrade parking regs pic.twitter.com/ZguucHTHWB
— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) July 2, 2021

At the centerpiece of the project are the two protected lanes, which will make permanent a pair of temporary lanes that were installed on the two streets last summer.

The city has said the work will close missing links in the neighborhood's bike network, connecting to existing protected bike lanes on First and Second avenues, as well as Central Park, the East River Greenway and the Queensboro Bridge — which is itself getting a new bike-only lane.

For weeks this spring, Community Board 8 was unable to reach a consensus about whether to support the new lanes, amid complaints that they would worsen car congestion and endanger pedestrians at a nearby daycare, dialysis center and at outdoor restaurants.

The city, though, presented evidence that the lanes would not affect car traffic and noted that 61st and 62nd streets have ranked among Manhattan's most dangerous streets: three people have been killed and 24 have been seriously injured there since 2014.

The board ultimately voted overwhelmingly in April to support the bike lanes. The city had said that it planned to install them regardless sometime this year.

Previous coverage:

• Queensboro Bike Lane Will Help Form East Side Network, City Says
• Upper East Side Board Finally Backs Crosstown Bike Lanes
  
• Crosstown Upper East Side Bike Lanes Stump Community Board Again
• Plans For UES Crosstown Bike Lanes, Bridge Access Revealed