City Wants Bike Lanes At Columbus Circle

COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NY — The city's Department of Transportation unveiled a plan this week designed to turn Columbus Circle into a safe space for bicyclists.

The Department of Transportation presented a plan which would create a buffered bike lane around the inner part of Columbus Circle in order to provide dedicate space for cyclists at the busy traffic circle. The bike lanes would provide cyclists a safe way to use the circle — which connects Eighth Avenue, Broadway, Central Park West and Central Park South — without taking away traffic lanes from cars, according to a DOT presentation.

Should the new street design be implemented, cyclists would use the same signals as pedestrians to cross into the center of Columbus Circle. The intersection at Central Park South would provide cyclists passage to Broadway, Central Park West and Central Park South.

The plan would also extend the Eighth Avenue protected bike lane from West 56th Street to the entrance of Columbus Circle, according to a DOT presentation. Pedestrian islands would also be installed on Eighth Avenue at West 57th and 58th streets to reduced crossing distances at the intersections.

The city predicts the plan will calm vehicle traffic in the circle, provide pedestrians shorter crossings and create a dedicated space for bicyclists. Between 2012 and 2016 there have been 145 total traffic-related injuries, 17 severed, within Columbus Circle and Eighth Avenue between West 56th and 58th streets, according to the DOT.

Community Board 4's transportation committee unanimously approved the DOT's plan during a meeting this week, Streetsblog first reported. Community Board 7, which represents the Upper West Side, is expected to review the plan in July.

Check out the DOT's full presentation here.

Photo by Felix Lipov/Shutterstock.com