Members and volunteers from Bronx Committee for Transportation Alternatives have been holding their monthly “Complete the Concourse,” protest bike rides that aim to raise awareness of the risks to both pedestrians and cyclists of traveling on the Grand Concourse. Transportation Alternative’s mission is to reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile, and advocate for better cycling, walking, and public transit for all New Yorkers.

 

During an Oct. 24 ride, Streetmemorials.org representatives and members of Five Boro Bike Club, joined Bronx Transportation Alternatives for the installation of a “Ghost Bike” memorial on the corner of Grand Concourse and 180th Street. Sadly, Ghost Bike memorials have become more and more common on New York City streets. They consist of installing silvery-white painted bikes and flowers at the sites of bike accidents in memory and tribute to the bike victims killed, many of whom are often immigrant, delivery workers.

 

The Oct. 24 ceremony in the Bronx was in honor of Victorio Hilario-Guzman, 37, a delivery bike rider who was struck and killed by a “hit and run” driver on Sept. 23 in the Bronx. Guzman’s brothers attended the tribute, and spoke of wanting justice for their fallen brother. According to Transportation Alternatives, Hilario-Guzman was the fourth bike delivery person to be killed on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx in 2020.

 

Bronx News12 had previously reported on the incident, and the 46th precinct had set up a digital sign at the location asking the public for information about the deadly crash, in case anyone could help with its investigation.

 

Since that hit and run incident, Hilario Guzman’s family has been holding regular, public awareness rallies every Thursday at 5 p.m. at the same corner where the deadly crash occurred, to highlight the dangers faced by cyclists. Hilario-Guzman was the seventh bike rider killed in the Bronx this year, a consequence, perhaps, of increased food and home deliveries amid the coronavirus pandemic. Another reason is excessive speeding by drivers, according to Transportation Alternatives. Whatever the reason, they say there were zero bike collision deaths in the borough in 2019.

 

Kevin Daloia, an avid cyclist and one of the volunteers who participates in the regular, protest bike rides, told the Norwood News that he has raised the issue of bike safety at various Bronx community board meetings across the borough, because the boards can influence the City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) in relation to highway renovations that run through local jurisdictions.

Daloia said he has experienced resistance from some community board members when it comes to the issue of bike lanes in the borough, saying some people don’t seem to care because they, themselves, don’t use bikes, including some members who are on the older side. He said such members are sometimes more concerned that bike lanes will knock out available parking in their neighborhoods.

 

He added that bike advocates feel the DOT needs to “push past the community boards” and make the Grand Concourse safer for the tens of thousands of people who live and work along what he calls “the most dangerous roads in the Bronx.” He said this need is urgent given the Citi Bike program has been expanded, more people are driving than using the subway amid the pandemic, and many others continue to use alternate ways to commute, including cycling.

 

Daloia did not specify which particular community boards provided resistance to the bike lane plan proposals. Norwood News reached out to Bronx Community Board 7 and was informed by District Manager Ischia Bravo that, since her time in the role, CB7 has always been supportive.

Daloia outlined one concrete example of the type of safety concerns that exist in the borough. “The issue is that the bike lanes from 161st Street to Mosholu Parkway still need to be completed,” he said, explaining that there are new medians in place i.e. the strips separating opposing lanes of traffic on divided roadways but that this is not enough. He also acknowledged that there are better crossovers, allowing traffic to get on to the service roads, the subsidiary roads that run parallel to the highways, giving access to houses and businesses.

 

However, he said this was where it became dangerous for bike riders, because the bike lanes are inconsistent in that, for a short distance, they are located on the left-hand side of the road, but further on, they are on the right, requiring bike riders to cross over the busy travel lanes.

As reported previously by Norwood News, Bronx cyclists were given a boost on Friday, Nov. 20, when officials from the de Blasio administration announced that DOT completed a major transformation of the Edward L. Grant Highway in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, with major bicycle safety improvements to the corridor, including a combined 2.4 miles of dedicated red, center bus lanes, and new green protected bike lanes (PBL).

 

While elected officials and bike advocates were encouraged by this latest development, they urged the administration to forge ahead with additional bike lanes on the borough’s remaining highways since further bike lane expansion and improvements are still needed.

 

Transportation Alternatives issued the following statement to Streetsblog on Nov. 25. “This year is projected to have the most traffic deaths of any year during Mayor de Blasio’s time in office. However, rather than fight to save human lives, the mayor has slashed the budgets for life-saving programs like Vision Zero and the Green Wave Plan, and he delayed the rollout of the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program and the Streets Master Plan.”

 

The statement continued, “We know the New York City Department of Transportation is capable of delivering safe streets, but without support from the mayor, New York City will continue to prioritize the convenience of drivers over human life.” Norwood News reached out to the mayor’s office for comment, and did not receive an immediate response.

 

Elsewhere in other cities across the globe, as reported by The Wired, in Oslo, Norway, the capital city has brought bike deaths down to zero through the implementation of a program whereby inner city areas are largely pedestrianized. This has reduced bike deaths to zero, without impacting city trading.

Only 15 percent of protected bike lanes are in Brooklyn and only three percent in the Bronx. In the Bronx, fatalities more than doubled compared to last year.

— Transportation Alternatives (@TransAlt) November 25, 2020

 

On Sunday at #WDoR2020 we laid over 200 pairs of shoes in front of City Hall to represent each New Yorker who has died in traffic violence this year. A big thank you to @gentlegiantmove who made this possible and helped us get all the shoes to City Hall Park. pic.twitter.com/L0bJCrk4Wb

— Transportation Alternatives (@TransAlt) November 17, 2020

 

 

Anyone who has information regarding any hit and run incident can contact police on 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls are confidential.