4th Ave Bike Lane Approved By CB 7's Transportation Committee

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Community Board 7's Transportation Committee voted to approve a parking-protected bike lane along Fourth Avenue that drew mixed reactions from some residents earlier this year.

The committee nearly unanimously approved the Department of Transportation's proposal, with one abstention, at their Wednesday meeting, according to the board. The plan would narrow driving and parking lanes along the corridor to add the five-foot lane bike lane from Bay Ridge to the Barclay's Center.

The DOT's proposal also calls to remove about four parking spaces per block along the stretch, nearly 227 in CB7 alone, and turn the parking lane into a driving lane from 38th Street to Prospect Avenue during rush hours, according to the agency.

Click here to see the DOT's full presentation on the lanes given to the board.

Councilman Carlos Menchaca pushed the city to move forward with the protected lane — which would link Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Park Slope and Downtown Brooklyn — and the DOT held several workshops about the proposal earlier this year.

The plans drew mixed reactions from residents in Sunset Park at a May workshop, with some worried it would make it more dangerous for pedestrians by narrowing islands and others glad to have a protected way to bike through the neighborhoods.

After the workshops, the DOT adjusted the plans to include more metered parking spaces in some spots to avoid double parking and create loading zones along the corridor, according to the presentation.

The plans will be voted by the full Community Board at their monthly meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in their office at 4201 Fourth Ave. The city could start construction of sections of the lane in Spring 2018 with the final stretch estimated to start construction by 2021, according to the DOT.

Image credit: New York City Department of Transportation