New Protected Bike Lane Rolls Out In Hell's Kitchen

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — Installation of a 10-foot bike lane, improved pedestrian infrastructure and bike parking on Tenth Avenue was slated to start this week, officials announced Wednesday.

The bike lane, separated from traffic by a row of parking and three inch buffer, will run on northbound Tenth Avenue between West 38th and West 52nd streets, officials said.

Infrastructure improvements will also include timed left turn lanes and timed signals for vehicles at West 41st and 42nd streets, intersections with high turn-volumes, officials said.

Eight concrete pedestrian islands will be installed between West 40th and West 51st streets, and painted pedestrian spaces called offset crossings on five streets: West 39th, 43rd, 47th and 49th.

"These wider bike lanes are the future — they will reduce the friction between traditional and electric devices and ensure all road users have the space they need to feel safe and comfortable,” said Jackson Chabot, Director of Advocacy and Organizing at Open Plans.

"As the city changes and grows, our streets should change along with us.”

Plans for the safety improvements, initially released in 2022, met some pushback from locals who said protections fell short, Streetsblog reported.

Transportation department representatives said the final project includes community feedback, particularly adding more concrete pedestrian islands.

"The changes to 10th Avenue will make navigating Manhattan’s West Side much easier and less stressful, and once the second phase of the project is completed next year, 10th Avenue will provide a protected, straight-shot route for biking from the West Village to the Upper West Side," said Eric McClure, Executive Director at StreetsPAC.