The City will open 12 more miles of streets and an additional nine new miles of temporary protected bike lanes to pedestrians and cyclists starting tomorrow, May 14. The combined 21 new miles brings the City total to 30 miles of Open Streets since the program was announced on Apr. 27.

 

Nearly eight miles of the new open streets will be placed in neighborhoods in every borough, and managed by local precincts; 1.35 miles, in three boroughs, will be managed by Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and community organizations; and another 2.83 miles will be adjacent to parks.

 

The nine new miles of bike corridors will be phased in over several weeks using barrels, signage, and other barriers, with a goal of creating critical connectors from already-established protected lanes.

 

Norwood News reported last summer about the addition of two new bike lanes on the Southern Boulevard, as well as the expansion of the Citi Bike program in the Bronx.

 

“Now that warmer weather has arrived, New Yorkers will need more options to enjoy the outdoors at a safe, social distance,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio on the date of the announcement. “We’re grateful to all our local partners, and we believe new bike lanes will lay the groundwork for a cycling surge in the months and years to come.”

 

Local Precinct

Management

 

 

Adjacent Park Roads

 

 

In April, the mayor and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced that 40 miles of streets citywide would be opened by the end of May to allow greater social distancing, with a plan to expand to a total of 100 miles in the weeks and months ahead. 

 

Pedestrians and cyclists can use the roadbed of each open street. No through traffic is permitted, with remaining vehicle traffic limited to local deliveries, pick-ups/drop-offs, necessary city service, utility, and emergency vehicles only. Such drivers are alerted to be hyper-vigilant and to drive at 5 m.p.h. along these routes. Open streets hours will be from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. but may vary slightly depending on staff availability.

 

The City will use barrels, signage, and other barriers to create temporary dedicated cycling space. The lanes announced today may be phased into permanent lanes as city resources come back online and as the Department of Transportation gathers additional feedback from affected community boards and elected officials.

 

NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg announced the program. “As we continue our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, we are also working to help New Yorkers travel more safely by bringing new temporary bike lanes and open streets to more neighborhoods, including the South Bronx, Upper Manhattan, Bushwick and Kensington,” she said.

 

“We thank the NYPD and all the BIDs and other community organizations that are stepping up to help us expand this important initiative,” Trottenberg continued. “As we continue to announce more of these projects in the coming weeks, we especially want to hear from residents of neighborhoods around the five boroughs who want open streets but may not have formal community partners to help with implementation.”

 

The move was welcomed by local Council Member Andrew Cohen. “As we look towards a thoughtful recovery, open streets and spaces to facilitate safe social distancing continue to be critically important,” he said.

 

“I thank the Mayor for dedicating open streets in the Northwest Bronx and commend community organizations and BIDs for their work to support this initiative. I look forward to the continued expansion of this program prioritizing our hardest-hit communities and focusing on equitable implementation throughout the City,” Cohen added.