Upper East Siders Sharply Divided Over Temporary Bike Lane

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A presentation by the city about temporary bike lanes on East 61st and 62nd Streets was met with strong feelings from both supporters and opponents during a Wednesday night community board meeting.

The lanes were installed in September, between Fifth and York avenues along the two streets. The Department of Transportation said the new lanes would help accommodate an increase in bike use during the coronavirus pandemic.

But detractors who joined the Community Board 8 transportation committee meeting on Wednesday said the 62nd Street lane had worsened already-severe traffic congestion on the street, which leads to the FDR Drive and runs toward the Queensboro Bridge.

"People who live in this community overwhelmingly are opposed to this," asserted neighbor Todd Soloway.

But a number of neighbors spoke out in support of the lanes, which they said had improved bike access to Central Park, the Queensboro Bridge, and medical centers like Memorial Sloan-Kettering.

Joan Dineen, who lives on 62nd Street, said that her family "rejoiced" when the lanes were installed last summer.

In late summer, DOT will implement temporary #BikeNYC lanes on 61st and 62nd Sts between 5th Ave and York Ave, which will include delineators, marking adjustments and signs. The temporary bike lanes will also adjust design at existing Open Restaurant setups. pic.twitter.com/Dnv0C2S4qO
— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) August 31, 2020

Others, including two volunteers from the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, said the lanes would help make streets safer for residents and those just passing through, like bicycle delivery workers.

The temporary lanes will likely remain in place through the summer, as DOT waits a full year to study their impact on crashes and traffic congestion, according to DOT representative Colleen Chattergoon, who joined Wednesday's meeting. After that, DOT will return to CB8 to discuss whether to make them permanent.

Another source of concern was the lane's impact on Avantus Upper East Side Dialysis Center on 62nd Street. An employee said that navigating the lane has been "horrendous" for the center's patients, many of whom are elderly or weakened by dialysis.

Chattergoon said DOT would work with the dialysis center to resolve their complaints.

The committee ultimately voted down a resolution introduced by one member that would have called on DOT not to make the lanes permanent.

Related coverage: 2 New Bike Lanes Coming To Upper East Side, City Says