City Fills Bike Lane Gap Near Port Authority Bus Terminal

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A missing piece of the protected bike lane on Manhattan's Eighth Avenue was filled in an attempt to improve safety near the Port Authority Bus Terminal, city officials announced this week.

A Department of Transportation project to extend the Eighth Avenue protected bike lane from West 39th to 42nd streets was finished this fall, city officials said. City transportation planners also moved a taxi boarding station near the bus terminal to reduce conflict between cyclists and taxis.

Filling in the bike lane gap was one part of a plan to improve overall safety near the bus terminal on Eighth Avenue from West 38th to 45th streets. City planners eliminated a left turn on Eighth Avenue and 42Street, installed painted curb extensions at a number of intersections and increased the size of sidewalks along the avenue. With hundreds of thousands of commuters coming in and out of the bus terminal, pedestrians account for 85 percent of the roadway's users.

"New York City’s sidewalk and road space are precious, and DOT is constantly finding ways to make our public spaces work more harmoniously for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles," DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner Ed Pincar said in a statement. "By giving pedestrians a full half of the space along 8th Avenue, this project is a prime example of how we can rebalance our streets and efficiently allocate space for those who need it and use it the most."

The project was planned by the city Department of Transportation and completed in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Community Board 4, which represents west side neighborhoods such as Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen, supported the plan. Council Speaker Corey Johnson also endorsed the safety fixes.

Before the project was implemented, pedestrians had access to just 30 percent of road space along the Port Authority Bus Terminal, city officials said. Eighth Avenue is considered a priority corridor for the city's Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities.

"The design doubles the sidewalk width, fully protects intersections, and makes the bike lanes safer. NYC DOT’S Pedestrian Unit delivered an outstanding solution to a very complex problem. We look forward to many more such projects in the CB4 area," Community Board 4 Transportation Committee Co-Chair Christine Berthet said in a statement.