New York City officials, like finally, decided to get their act together and actually follow through on a plan that’s been put off for years. They announced on Tuesday that they’re going to separate the pedestrians and cyclists on the Queensboro Bridge, starting this Sunday. It’s about time, right? Bikers and walkers will each have their own lanes on the bridge, putting an end to the ongoing conflict that’s been causing headaches for everyone involved. The whole thing was supposed to happen a while back under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, but then Mayor Eric Adams came in and everything got stuck in limbo.
According to Jon Orcutt, the advocacy director at Bike New York, shoving thousands of cyclists and pedestrians into a single 12-foot lane every day was just asking for trouble. The city had a plan in place since 2019 to separate the two groups, but it never quite got off the ground until now. The north outer roadway of the bridge will be transformed into a lane exclusively for cyclists, while the south outer roadway will be reserved for pedestrians. It’s a long time coming, but at least it’s finally happening. Not really sure why it took so long, but hey, better late than never, right?
The Queensboro Bridge sees a ton of bike traffic, with more than 7,500 people biking across it just on Monday. It’s actually the second busiest East River bridge for cyclists. The numbers have been steadily climbing in recent years, with 2.1 million cyclist crossings in 2024 compared to 1.2 million in 2019. Mayor Adams, who’s all about bikes, unveiled the new lanes with a pre-recorded video for the press. He made sure to mention that he was listening to feedback from the public, trying to cover all his bases. Supporters of the project are thrilled that it’s finally happening, despite the unnecessary delays. State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris expressed his excitement over the completion of the new pedestrian paths on the bridge, even though it took way longer than it should have. It’s a good thing it’s finally done, though.
