CB4’s TPC Gets On the Bus for Crosstown Bike Lanes
Via DOT
Street width and uninterrupted connectivity from the Hudson River Greenway to First Ave. make 26th and 29th Sts. ideal for the protected bike lanes.
BY RANIA RICHARDSON Citing an urgent need for more robust measures to protect cyclists and pedestrians, the Transportation Planning Committee (TPC) of Community Board 4 (CB4) voted unanimously to support a plan from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to install crosstown protected bike lanes on 26th and 29th Sts. In a packed room at Cameo Studios (307 W. 43rd St.) on the night of Jan. 17, the majority of local residents, block association members included, expressed enthusiasm for the new plan. Many experienced cyclists brought up very specific issues regarding individual blocks and intersections — input they hoped would further inform the plan presented by DOT Director of Greenways, Ted Wright. “Our goal is to make it more and more safe for more people to take bicycles,” Wright said. With a four percent growth in ridership yearly and no signs of slowing down, it is imperative to protect the safety of cyclists — especially as the city is still mourning the deaths of Dan Hanegby and Michael Mamoukakis, who were killed within days of each other last June by charter buses on W. 26th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.) and on Seventh Ave. at W. 29th St., respectively. The fear is that BIKE LANES continued on p. 12
Photo by Rania Richardson
At CB4’s Transportation Planning Committee meeting, community members asked questions and gave feedback (seen raising her hand, a local resident). Standing: the DOT’s Ted Wright and Christine Berthet, co-chair of the Committee.
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Januar y 25, 2018
NYC Community Media