Surprise Queensboro Bridge Bike Lane Closure Infuriates Lawmakers

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A surprise announcement that the city will temporarily close the Queensboro Bridge to pedestrians and cyclists was met with anger from two local lawmakers, who say the move was made with little notice and risks endangering commuters.

The intermittent 15-minute closures to the bridge's shared bike and pedestrian path will occur on Thursday and Friday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. They were announced by the Department of Transportation on Wednesday, just one day in advance.

The walkway is being closed so that workers can lift steel over it as part of the ongoing repairs to the bridge's upper roadway: a major, two-year project that began in February.

But City Councilmembers Julie Won and Julie Menin, who represent the bridge's Queens and Manhattan sides, said it is "completely unacceptable" to close the heavily-trafficked bridge to "everyone who is not in a car."

"If the possibility of further closures exists, DOT must open the south outer roadway now to ensure free and unobstructed passage for pedestrians and people on bikes at all times," they said in a statement Thursday, referring to the traffic lane on the opposite side of the bridge that will ultimately be converted into a bike lane.

Earlier this year, Won and Menin reacted with dismay when the city revealed that the roadway repairs will last a full year longer than anticipated, further delaying the long-awaited plan to give pedestrians and cyclists their own respective spaces on the cramped bridge.

A DOT spokesperson said Wednesday that the temporary closures were a necessary safety measure.

"We are carefully considering the needs of cyclists and pedestrians during our work and have limited the hours of these closures to ensure the path remains safe and accessible during rush hours," spokesperson Vin Barone said.

Menin and Won also said that Tranportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez has yet to respond to their February letter that called on the city to speed up the bridge's repair work. In response, a DOT spokesperson said the agency has been "actively engaging" both Councilmembers since their letter.

Related coverage:

• Queensboro Bridge's Extended Lane Closure Starting Within Days
• Long-Awaited Queensboro Bridge Repairs Delayed, Angering Pols
• Queensboro Bike Lane Will Help Form East Side Network, City Says
• Part Of Queensboro Bridge Roadway To Be Converted Into Bike Lane