Council Speaker Wants More Protections On 10th Avenue Bike Lane

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — City Council Speaker Corey Johnson — who represents parts of Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea — called on the city Department of Transportation to modify its plan to extend the protected 10th Avenue bike lane to incorporate safer designs.

Johnson called for raised concrete pedestrian islands as opposed to painted islands and for split-phase turn signals at left turn intersections as opposed to "mixing ares," in a letter sent to DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg this week.

The council speaker made sure to preface the suggested changes by voicing support for the extension of the bike lane from West 72nd Street to West West 52nd Street. The bike lane currently runs from West 110th Street to West 72nd Street. The avenue is called Amsterdam Avenue above West 60th Street and 10th Avenue below West 60th Street.

"The proposed bike lane will help protect cyclists, pedestrians and motorists in a heavily congested area in my district," Johnson wrote in the letter.

"That is why I respectfully request that DOT incorporate several crucial elements in the Tenth Avenue parking-protected bicycle lane which have proven successful in ensuring the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike."

The DOT's plan calls for both mixing zones at the majority of the avenue's intersections and split-phase signals at turns with two way traffic and long crossings. At split-phase signals cars must wait in the turn lane for a dedicated signal while pedestrians and bikes use the intersection.

The stretch of 10th avenue between West 52nd and 72nd streets has seen 277 traffic-related injuries, 16 severe, between 2012 and 2016. There have also been two cyclist fatalities, one at West 55th Street and another at West 72nd Street in the past six years. The stretch of road currently has no dedicated space for bicyclists, long pedestrian crossings and is notorious for speeding drivers, according to a DOT presentation.

The plan to extend the bike lanes on 10th Avenue will take one travel lane away from drivers and re-purpose it as a parking lane, which will serve as a physical barrier to separate the bike lane. Street-side parking will remain on the avenue's east curb and the bike lane will be installed on the avenue's west curb.

Check out the full letter below:

Check out the DOT's full presentation here.

Photo courtesy city Department of Transportation