Pressure Mounts For More UES Bike Lanes In Wake Of Cyclist's Death

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Residents and elected officials are amplifying calls to build more protected bike lanes on the Upper East Side, more than a month after the truck crash near Madison Avenue that killed a Yorkville woman riding a Citi Bike.

A Community Board 8 committee advanced a resolution calling for more neighborhood bike lanes Wednesday evening, hours after City Councilmembers Keith Powers Julie Menin sent a letter to the city calling for safety improvements on East 85th Street, where 28-year-old Carling Mott died on July 26.

"I certainly don't want this happening to any other friend or neighbor or daughter," said Anne Jacobs, a Yorkville resident and "dear friend" of Mott's, who joined Wednesday's board meeting.

"A protected lane on 85th is a great start, but it definitely has to expand."

As Patch previously reported, the city had sought in 2016 to include East 85th Street as part of a planned network of non-protected, crosstown bike lanes spanning the Upper East Side. But the city abandoned the lanes on 84th and 85th streets after facing harsh opposition from some board members, schools, elected officials, and residents including Woody Allen.

Now, some are pressing the city to revisit that original plan. Menin, who spoke at Wednesday's meeting, noted that there are still no crosstown bike lanes between East 78th and 90th streets, endangering cyclists who try to traverse the neighborhood.

"It's imperative that we provide a robust protected bike lane infrastructure in our neighborhoods," she said. "That would clearly benefit cyclists, it benefits pedestrians, it benefits cars — it makes sure that we truly have the safest streets possible for all."

"Nothing gets done"

Nearly everyone who spoke during Wednesday's meeting was in favor of more protected bike lanes — plus some bolder proposals. Andrew Fine, vice president of the East 86th Street Association, floated the idea of an elevated bikeway running above the Central Park Transverse, which he noted is already below-grade.

Some speakers urged caution, saying the board should wait to hear from the city before making any recommendations. But committee chair Craig Lader said the Department of Transportation had expressed openness to the board's ideas — and others suggested that the board should not wait until another tragedy strikes.

"I'm honestly kind of sick of having to have these [discussions]," resident Liam Jeffries said. "We say this every time there's a death of a cyclist or death of a pedestrian in this area ... yet nothing gets done."

The committee ultimately voted 12-2, with an abstention, to support a resolution calling on DOT to build fully protected crosstown bike lanes roughly every 10 blocks between 60th and 110th streets — on both sides of Central Park — plus a two-way protected bikeway surrounding Central Park.

A spokesperson for the department told Patch in July that DOT was "reviewing the street design as part of the crash investigation," and said Wednesday that there were no updates about possible changes to the street.

Even if the full board does not take action, the city should act anyway, board member Billy Freeland suggested.

"In my ideal world, our role would be to talk about and debate these projects, and maybe even vote on them, but it shouldn't be that we have this veto over safe streets in our city," Freeland said. "I don't think the DOT should wait for us."

Some took the opportunity Wednesday to focus on the semi-truck driver who fatally struck Mott in July. East 85th Street is not among the official truck routes that commercial vehicles are supposed to use in New York City, and while police have announced no charges against the driver, Councilmember Keith Powers said he believed it was there illegally.

"There is absolutely zero enforcement — cops don't even realize that trucks aren't supposed to be there," board member Alida Camp said.

Among those who have joined the bike lane chorus in the wake of Mott's death include Mott's own parents, who held a news conference near the crash site last month to call for better bike infrastructure.

Mott's parents also backed Suraj Patel, an ultimately unsuccessful candidate in the 12th Congressional District primary race, amid reports that incumbent Carolyn Maloney had personally lobbied against the 85th Street bike lane in 2016.

"Carling had a zest for life and was pure sunshine to everyone she met," Mott's mother, Janice, said on Aug. 8. "It is because of her positive energy and her ability to solve problems that I'm here to give her a voice in this mission to make New York City a safer place to bike and walk."

Related coverage:

• Parents Of Cyclist Killed In UES Crash Endorse Maloney's Challenger
• Woody Allen Helped Defeat UES Bike Lane Where Woman Was Killed
• Woman Killed In UES Truck Crash Identified As Yorkville Local: Police

Have an Upper East Side news tip? Contact reporter Nick Garber at nick.garber@patch.com.