Dangerous Stretch Of 10th Ave In Midtown Gets Protected Bike Lane

MIDTOWN, NY – A protected bike lane is currently being installed on 10th Avenue between 14th and 52nd Streets.

That means protected lane will soon run the entirety of 10th and Amsterdam Avenues (same uptown-flowing avenue, different names), from 14th Street to 110th Street.

In fact, a scan of the current DOT bike map confirms that cyclists will soon have access to protected lanes on 8th, 9th, and 10th Avenues, all the way from the West Village, through Midtown and the Upper West Side, to the border of Harlem.

Among other things, that means nobody has an excuse to go the wrong way.

‘Big Victory’

District 3 City Council Member Erik Bottcher, who represents the West Village, Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen, has been calling for a redesign of 10th Avenue for years.

“When I got elected I included this in my platform, and when I took office the first rally I organized was on the corner of 44th and 10th,” Bottcher told Patch. “We had community board members, PTA presidents from schools along 10th, block associations, families of victims of traffic violence, and others, talk about how badly this is needed.”

According to data from advocacy group CHEKPEDS, or Clinton Hell’s Kitchen Chelsea Coalition for Pedestrian Safety, District 3 is one of the more dangerous in the city, claiming the dubious distinction of first and second place citywide for pedestrian and cyclist injuries.

“It’s a big victory and a big improvement to safety and quality of life in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen,” Bottcher said. “It’s 100% an example of the city getting something right.”

Coming Soon

While the Department of Transportation didn't share a timeline for the project or an estimated completion date, a spokesperson provided the following statement:

Tenth Avenue’s extra wide parking-protected bicycle lanes will better accommodate micromobility, while painted and concrete pedestrian islands, retimed signals, and redesigned intersections will make the roadway safer for pedestrians. Project implementation is ongoing and we look forward to completing these much-needed safety upgrades for the entire corridor – Chelsea to Hell’s Kitchen, 14th street to 52nd street – while supporting more sustainable and efficient transportation options.

Next up? Council Member Bottcher plans to push for a protected bike lane on 6th Avenue, from 9th Street down to Canal Street, which would connect the existing protected lanes on Church Street downtown and 6th Avenue in Midtown.

Do you have thoughts about bike lanes? Email michael.mcdowell@patch.com.