February 22, 2022 By Allie Griffin

Three protected bike lanes in Queens will receive safety upgrades as part of an effort to better protect cyclists from cars across the city, the Department of Transportation announced Friday.

Bike lanes in Long Island City, Astoria and Forest Hills will be among the first lanes in the city to have their plastic bollards replaced with cement barriers as a result of this initiative. Four Manhattan bike lanes are also slated for early updates.

The three Queens lanes that will be hardened are Crescent Street from Queens Plaza North to Hoyt Avenue North in Long Island City and Astoria; Vernon Boulevard from 46th Avenue to 30th Road in Long Island City and Astoria; and Queens Boulevard from 73rd Street to Yellowstone Boulevard in Forest Hills.

The three protected bike lanes in Queens and four in Manhattan are the first lanes of the program. DOT plans to reinforce a total of 20 miles of the existing 40 miles of delineator-protected bike lanes in the city by the end of 2023. Existing plastic bollards currently separating bike lanes from traffic lanes will be removed and replaced by Jersey cement barriers that weigh several tons.

“Bicyclists in New York City deserve to be safe everywhere, but especially in protected lanes — where drivers too often will disrespect and block off this critical space,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement. “We have a concrete and achievable plan to protect cyclists and we will do this work to keep our lanes clear.”

He thanked cycling and transport advocates for helping identify the cycle paths that most need better protection. The DOT chose high-traffic lanes, a history of cars blocking bike lanes, and/or lanes adjacent to heavy vehicular traffic for the initiative.

The Crescent Street Bikeway is one of three protected bikeways in Queens that will soon receive new cement barriers. In this photo, a USPS van blocks the way (twitter)

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said the effort was a big step towards improving safety for cyclists in the city.

“These enhanced safety measures will provide cyclists with the strong protection they deserve and will help relieve congestion on our roads and reduce pollution by encouraging more people to get around by bike,” Richards said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing the hardening of bike lines at three high-volume locations in Queens in the coming weeks.”

Queen’s Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi also applauded the DOT’s plan, noting its need in his district which covers Forest Hills.

“I’m happy to hear that protected and reinforced bike lanes are finally coming to Queens Boulevard!” said Hevesi. “New Yorkers deserve safe streets they can walk on without fear of unnecessary tragedy.”

This effort coincides with the department’s commitment to build new protected bike lanes throughout the city. The DOT is testing several alternatives to plastic bollards for future lanes, including rubber and concrete barriers as well as curb designs that separate bike lanes from automobile lanes without requiring large-scale installations.

Queens Council member Shekar Krishnan and Danny Harris, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, both said the new protection features will save lives.

DOT crews install new cement barriers along a protected bike path in Manhattan (DOT)

“New Yorkers are walking more and the number of cyclists has increased in recent years, and our city needs to be more accessible and safer for those who aren’t driving,” Krishnan said. “We need to improve our infrastructure to protect cyclists and pedestrians in the five boroughs.

Harris said the cement barriers provide real protection that cyclists in the city badly need.

“Real protection, not just plastic or paint, is needed to keep cyclists safe,” he said in a statement on Friday. “Today’s announcement by Commissioner Rodriguez to improve 20 miles of plastic-marked bike lanes will save lives,”

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