April 25
April 25, 2016 By Christian Murray
The Department of Transportation will finally open a dedicated bike lane spanning the Pulaski Bridge this week, according to the agency.
Cyclists were seen riding over the bridge in the protected bike lane on Sunday and many thought the highly-anticipated lane had officially opened.
However, according to the DOT, those riders had not paid attention to cones blocking the entrance to the lane, and the agency still has some finishing touches to do.
This morning, the DOT had made a greater effort to block cyclists off from using the new bike lane, placing a vehicle at the entrance on the Long Island City side.
The bike lane comes after years of friction between cyclists and pedestrians—which grew worse as bike ridership and pedestrian traffic increased.
The two-way dedicated bike lane creates a lot more room for cyclists and pedestrians to go across the Pulaski Bridge. Previously, cyclists and pedestrians shared an 8.5-feet-wide lane.
The shared lane was converted into a pedestrian only walkway. The two-way bike lane was added to the bridge, bringing some change to Brooklyn-bound motorists: the number of lanes for drivers going from Queens into Brooklyn has been cut down from three to two, to make room for the dedicated bicycle lane.
April 25
Featured Events
11 Comments
Pedestrians have been yelling at me to use the bike lane. It is obviously closed and unfinished. If you are going to be a jerk, make sure you are right first. Also, why did they use the grated concrete? I am a rollerblader and that surface is bumpy, slow and dangerous.
What’s the hardest part of rollerblading? Telling your father you’re gay.
They can designate pedestrian lanes all they want. They’re meaningless as the bikers regularly swerve into the “designated” lane. I stopped walking over the 59th street bridge for that reason.
There’s a wall between the pedestrian section and bike lanes, so no swerving, don’t worry.
Great news.
Much better than the Queens/Brooklyn trolley boondoggle.
In my defense there weren’t any cones blocking the BK entrance! Seemed finished.. 🙂
It’s people like you that give cyclists a bad name by not following the rules and breaking traffic laws. The cones were placed there on purpose and you chose to ignore which makes you a trespasser and a criminal.
the original poster said “they’re weren’t any cones blocking the BK entrance”
How were they to know that it would be blocked on the other end?
Take it easy, Mr Long Island Curmudgeon
edit…there weren’t any cones. jeez
//facepalm
edit…”there weren’t…”
Just in time for Spring!