Harlem Intersection 1 Of City's Most Dangerous For Bikers: Study

HARLEM, NY — The number of New Yorkers riding bicycles continues to grow, but many city streets aren't designed to safely accommodate an increase in bike traffic. One Harlem intersection has proved especially dangerous in recent years, coming in toward the top of a study of the city's most dangerous streets for biking.

Seventeen cyclists were injured in crashes at the intersection of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 141st Street in Harlem between 2014 and 2018, according to a new analysis by Localize.city. The intersection is one of a few four-way intersections on St. Nicholas Avenue, which means cars and trucks are more likely to use the intersection to turn on or off the avenue.

Localize.city Urban Planner Dan Levine said that the intersection can be made safer by installing safety bollards and by better marking the crossing so drivers can have increased visibility of bike riders.

The Harlem intersection was tied as the fifth most dangerous in New York City between 2014 and 2018. Other crossings in the top five for injuries and fatalities include: Sixth Avenue and West 23rd Street (21), Jay Street and Tillary Street, Brooklyn (20), Atlantic Avenue and Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn (20), Third Avenue and East 14th Street (18) and Chrystie Street and Delancey Street (17).

"Experts and the city already know where the dangerous intersections are and what makes them so unsafe. Our job at Localize.city is to ensure all New Yorkers are informed," Localize.city urban planner Sam Sklar said. "If you’re thinking about taking up cycling you should know if the intersections and streets near your home are dangerous. If you’re moving and cycling is important to you, we want you to find a home that will be safe to cycle to and from."

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the city will invest $58 million to create 30 miles of protected bike lanes a year, up from the current average pace of 20 miles each year, with the goal of installing more than 80 miles of them by the end of 2021. The "Green Wave" plan — named after the color that the city uses to paint bike lanes — was unveiled in response to the growing number of cyclist deaths this year. An 18th cyclist died in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Monday compared to just 10 cyclist deaths in the city in all of 2018.

Read more about the mayor's plan here.