Dangerous UES Intersection Needs Safety Fixes, Menin & BP Say

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — An Upper East Side intersection clogged with cars, bikes and pedestrians must be redesigned to avoid any tragedies, according to two local officials and a nearby resident.

The corner of East 62nd Street and Second Avenue, already crammed with drivers heading to the Queensboro Bridge and the FDR Drive, grew even more jumbled in 2021 when the city installed a protected bike lane along the eastbound street — complementing an existing north-south lane on the avenue.

Now, according to Council Member Julie Menin and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, drivers turning left from Second Avenue onto East 62nd Street risk colliding with pedestrians and cyclists, who are allowed to cross at the same time.

Meanwhile, a designated "rush hour lane" for through traffic, supposed to be installed on the south side of East 62nd Street as part of the bike lane project has gone unenforced, leaving it clogged instead with idling vehicles. Finally, cars turning right from 62nd onto the avenue often shun the designated right-turn lane in favor of the regular traffic lane, setting up crosswalk collisions.

Menin and Levine laid out the issues in a letter this week to the Department of Transportation, saying residents of the block have spoken out about the need for "traffic-calming and -controlling measures."

Among them was Josh Rubinger, president of the co-op building at 301 East 62nd St., who told Patch he generally supported the bike lanes — but not their implementation.

"It's almost like DOT and the bike enthusiasts come in, they throw down the bike lanes, and the rest of us mere mortals who live nearby are left to pick up the pieces," he said.

Rubinger focused on the left turn from Second Avenue onto East 62nd Street, where he has witnessed one crash and numerous near-misses caused by cars who barrel down the side street while bikes are still allowed to ride down the avenue.

The solutions, according to Rubinger and the local officials, would be simple.

For one, the city could install a left turn sequence from East 62nd Street onto Second Avenue, giving drivers their own window to turn onto the avenue before cyclists and pedestrians can cross. (Similar protections already exist on other Second Avenue intersections, they noted.)

Across the avenue, a new street-light timing sequence should be installed for drivers turning right onto Second, deterring law-breaking drivers from turning right from a non-turn lane, Menin and Levine said.

Reached for comment, a DOT spokesperson said the agency was committed to pedestrian and cyclist safety.

"We look forward to reviewing the letter and hope to continue working alongside residents and local leaders to improve the safety of all streets," spokesperson Tomas Garita said.

Rubinger, for his part, said he hoped safety fixes could make his block a more harmonious place.

"We want to make peace with the bikes," he said.

Related coverage:

• Upper East Side Board Finally Backs Crosstown Bike Lanes
• Crosstown Upper East Side Bike Lanes Stump Community Board Again
• Plans For UES Crosstown Bike Lanes, Bridge Access Revealed
• Upper East Siders Sharply Divided Over Temporary Bike Lane