Vision Zero: Mayor de Blasio Announces New York City Added Over Twenty Miles of Protected Bicycle Lanes in 2018

December 19, 2018

New bike lanes include major additions to 1,200-mile bicycle network; As 2018 ends with record-low cyclist fatalities, protected bike lanes have helped make streets safer for all users

NEW YORK— Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that DOT had this year constructed over 20 miles of new on-street protected bike lanes along some of New York City’s major streets.  The additional lanes have expanded the city’s bike network, the nation’s largest, to 1,217 miles, of which 119.5 miles are on-street protected lanes. 83 miles of these protected lanes have been added since 2014 (see chart at the end of release).  DOT has continued its high productivity under Vision Zero, with this year’s 20.9 miles a record second only to last year’s 25 miles -- that includes major projects in all five boroughs, among them midtown Manhattan’s first-ever crosstown protected lanes as well as new lanes along: Broadway in the northern Bronx; Skillman/43rd Avenues in Sunnyside, Queens; 9th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn; and on Park Row connecting Chinatown and Lower Manhattan. As part of City Hall in Your Borough, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg was joined by transportation advocates and elected officials in Midtown for a bike ride along the new 26th Street crosstown protected bike lane, where she also cited a dramatic decline in cyclist fatalities during 2018.

“Our Vision Zero work never stops, as we have continued adding protected bike lanes at a steady pace across the city,” said Mayor de Blasio. “This work saves lives. With more New Yorkers than ever using a bicycle to get around, we are expanding our bike lane network to make biking more safe, convenient, and comfortable.”

“I want to thank DOT’s planners, designers and construction crews, as well as our Borough Commissioners and their teams, for another great year of new protected bike lanes,” said DOT Commissioner Trottenberg.  “From the north Bronx to Long Island City, and from Park Slope to here in Manhattan, where we installed four new crosstown protected lanes, our bike projects this year included important safety-focused projects and key network connections to make cycling in New York even easier and more enjoyable.  And while our Vision Zero work is far from complete, as we near the end of the year, we are grateful for the decline in cyclist fatalities we have seen this year.”

New protected lanes: Much of DOT’s protected bike lane production in 2018 focused on preparations for the L train tunnel shutdown that begins next April.  According to DOT estimates, 2-3 percent of the 275,000 displaced L riders will turn to cycling, which will more than double current cycling volumes – especially on routes in lower Manhattan nearest the Williamsburg Bridge.

This year’s new protected bike lanes are listed below.  Projects that are expected to be used most heavily by displaced L train riders are marked by *:

Cyclist Fatalities at Record Lows:  DOT announced that in 2018 cyclist fatalities had declined to a single-year record low: 10 cyclist deaths so far this year compared to 24 last year, and an annual average of 19 since Vision Zero began in 2014.  The previous annual low for cyclist fatalities was 12, during both 2009 and 2013. 

According to a DOT report released last year, Safer Cycling, an increase in cycling volumes and greater cycling infrastructure are direct correlated to fewer crashes and injuries for all street users: cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. 

“Protected bike lanes are good policy because they are lifesaving policy, and I am proud to support their construction here in my district and all over the city,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “We should be proud of the bike lanes we’ve built this year, from here in Chelsea to Skillman Avenue in Queens and everywhere in between, but we can always do more. I thank the Department of Transportation for its commitment to Vision Zero and I look forward to continuing our work together to help New Yorkers get around our city safely and efficiently.”

“Cycling is an ever growing part of our city’s transportation mix, making bike lanes more important than ever for the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists, alike,” said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez. “I’m pleased by the progress we’ve made in expanding bike lanes throughout the city and enhancements like these will be all the more important with the closure of the L Train. For my part, in the new Congress, I’ll continue pushing for additional federal resources to give New Yorkers safer and faster transportation options.”

“As someone who takes Citi Bike across my Senate district, I’m grateful to see more protected bike lanes to make it safer for the growing number of cyclists like me,” said Senator Brad Hoylman. “Thank you to the de Blasio Administration and NYCDOT Commissioner Trottenberg for their efforts to strengthen and expand our city’s bike network.”

“Bike lanes are a great New York asset,” said Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix W. Ortiz. “More and more people are taking to riding bikes as a healthier and cleaner mode of travel. Biking also comes with the responsibility to obey all traffic laws and to respect other cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. While I want to encourage more people to ride bikes, I will always emphasize the need to stop at stop signs, ride with traffic in the right direction, and to stay off sidewalks.”

“Adding critical bike infrastructure ensures safer streets for all New Yorkers, so I’m thrilled that the city has added over 20 miles of protected bike lanes this year,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. “As our city continues to grow, it will be essential for DOT to promote bike lanes, which help cut down on congestion and provide New Yorkers an active mode of transit. There is safety in numbers and in infrastructure, and I hope that with each new protected bike lane, more and more New Yorkers will feel comfortable getting out on their bikes.”

“The Department of Transportation has made significant progress since 2014 with the expansion of protected bike lanes throughout New York City. However, the expansion of Citi Bike, the future legalization of e-scooters and e-bikes, will require that our City increase the amount of protected bike lanes,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the Committee on Transportation. “I call on the Administration to aim for 100 miles of protected bike lanes per year and ask Speaker Johnson and my colleagues to work together to advance this proposal that would help reduce car ownership from 1.4 million vehicles today to 1 million by 2030."

“Bike lanes make our streets safer,” said Council Member Ben Kallos. “It is great to see this administration committing to adding and improving transportation infrastructure in our City. The more than 20 new miles of protected bike lanes are welcomed by New York City's commuters and everyday cyclists who rely on their bikes to get around each and every day. Thank you to Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg for getting this work done and for being committed to even more improvements to infrastructure in the years to come.”   

“The new cross-town protected bike lanes in my District are already a hit not only with my constituents, but my family as well!” said Council Member Carlina Rivera. “I hope to see DOT add more protected routes throughout my District and others in the coming years and finally complete the bike network our city so desperately needs. If we are going to really kick our car addiction with quality alternate public transit options, we must dramatically increase our investments in infrastructure such as protected bike lanes, which save lives and make it easier to become an everyday bicyclist.”

“Bike lanes save lives. They make roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers,” said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. “Building more protected bike lanes makes a safer City for all and is a vital component of Vision Zero. The accomplishment of more bike lanes, including those along 43rd Ave and Skillman in my district, is good, but we must continue to expand the network to make a safer City for all.”

“Across Midtown and the East Side, there is a need to protect New Yorkers on our roads. Protected bike lanes in these high-traffic areas are an investment in safety for both bikers and pedestrians. As we approach large projects like the L train shutdown, it is important that we strengthen alternate methods of transportation. I thank DOT for its continued work toward Vision Zero,” said Council Member Keith Powers.

“Bike lanes that are well-planned in consultation with our communities make our streets safer for all and get us closer to the goals of Vision Zero,” said Senator-elect Robert Jackson. “I am glad to see these steps taken to expand protected bike lane networks in all five boroughs, with special foresight given to how the impending L-train closure will impact congestion on our city's streets.” 

“We commend Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Trottenberg, and the DOT for continuing to deliver on their commitments to Vision Zero, helping to make our streets safer and more accessible for bicyclists,” said Ken Podziba, President and CEO of Bike New York. “Bike New York taught bike skills to more than 28,000 New Yorkers this year, but even the most experienced and law-abiding cyclists may feel vulnerable on streets that lack bike lanes – particularly, protected bike lanes. These additional miles of protected bike lanes will enable even more New Yorkers to enjoy bicycling's benefits, from better health and a greener environment to the freedom that comes with exploring our great city from behind the handlebars.”

“This year, the Department of Transportation has installed protected bike lanes on some of the most important corridors in the five boroughs, and in some cases, in the face of groundless opposition,” said Transportation Alternatives Deputy Director Marco Conner. “Commissioner Trottenberg and her department deserve credit for forging ahead to improve critical routes where bicyclists are most vulnerable, as well as in places where ridership is expected to skyrocket during the L Train shutdown. We look forward to a continued partnership with the DOT as they seek to further expand the city's bike network in 2019.”

“It’s a great time to be a cyclist in New York City," said Caroline Samponaro, Head of Bike, Pedestrian & Scooter Policy at Lyft. “Not only is Lyft making a major investment to expand Citi Bike, but we’ll also have more safe streets to ride on, thanks to Mayor De Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg's outstanding leadership. We see it as Lyft's responsibility to support the Administration’s Vision Zero goals and look forward to partnering on more improvements to our streets.”

About Vision Zero
Vision Zero is the de Blasio administration’s initiative to use every tool at its disposal to reduce traffic deaths and injuries on New York City streets. In 2017, New York City experienced its safest year on record with the fourth straight year of fatality declines. Since the program’s inaugural year in 2014, when New York City became the first American city to adopt Vision Zero through 2017, the city’s traffic fatalities have declined 26 percent with a 42 percent decline in pedestrian fatalities — bucking national fatality trends, which have increased 13 percent over the same period.

For more information about the Vision Zero initiative, please see www.nyc.gov/visionzero.