Work began this week on a protected bike lane on First Avenue from 34th to 49th streets, an extension of the lane that opened last year starting at First Street, according to an article in today's edition of The New York Post by Hannah Rappleye and Bill Sanderson.
The article said that "bikes and cars will share a new northbound lane on First Avenue from 49th to 59th streets," adding that "they'll also share a southbound lane on Second Avenue from 59th to 34th streets, which will join with an existing lane that runs to East First Street. The shared lanes will be painted to show they are for bicycles and vehicles."
The new bike lanes will remove 71 parking spots from the avenues, said Marc Thompson, chairman of Community Board 6, which backed the lanes last month by a 34-5 vote, the article said.
Traffic is already choked in the area by a lane dedicated to the MTA's Select Bus Service, Ted Ofri, manager of a locksmith business on First Avenue at 49th Street, told The Post, adding that "it's enough they closed one lane for the bus - now this?...Traffic will be a nightmare."
"On this avenue, its dangerous," said Omar Sarr, 37, a United Nations employee who says motorists and cyclists will face conflicts near the Queens-Midtown Tunnel entrance, adding that "during rush hour, the traffic is hectic, and that's when the bikers come out. Some bikers are crazy," the article said.
City statistics show that the lanes in place since last year south of 34th Street have dramatically curbed traffic injuries, said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, the article said.
The article said that "bikes and cars will share a new northbound lane on First Avenue from 49th to 59th streets," adding that "they'll also share a southbound lane on Second Avenue from 59th to 34th streets, which will join with an existing lane that runs to East First Street. The shared lanes will be painted to show they are for bicycles and vehicles."
The new bike lanes will remove 71 parking spots from the avenues, said Marc Thompson, chairman of Community Board 6, which backed the lanes last month by a 34-5 vote, the article said.
Traffic is already choked in the area by a lane dedicated to the MTA's Select Bus Service, Ted Ofri, manager of a locksmith business on First Avenue at 49th Street, told The Post, adding that "it's enough they closed one lane for the bus - now this?...Traffic will be a nightmare."
"On this avenue, its dangerous," said Omar Sarr, 37, a United Nations employee who says motorists and cyclists will face conflicts near the Queens-Midtown Tunnel entrance, adding that "during rush hour, the traffic is hectic, and that's when the bikers come out. Some bikers are crazy," the article said.
City statistics show that the lanes in place since last year south of 34th Street have dramatically curbed traffic injuries, said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, the article said.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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