Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release #21-010
Friday, March 5, 2021
Contact: Scott Gastel/Alana Morales (212) 839-4850
DOT Begins Installation of First of 10,000 New Bike Racks
Bronx Park East in Pelham Parkway neighborhood getting racks as well as major pedestrian and cyclist improvements; East Bronx communities will also see arrival of e-scooter share in late spring
New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Hank Gutman joined elected officials and advocates today as DOT crews installed bike racks along Bronx Park East in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx. These installations begin to fulfill Gutman’s first commitment made on his appointment to Commissioner last month: a pledge to install 10,000 new bike parking racks by the end of 2022 – more than triple the City’s current Green Wave commitment. The Commissioner also hailed major street improvement projects recently completed in the neighborhood, as well as discussed the recently-announced plan for e-scooter share in East Bronx neighborhoods this spring.
“With spring on the horizon, we are thrilled to complete some of the first new bike rack installations -- as we work toward an ambitious goal of 10,000 by next year,” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. “But DOT is not just committing to accommodating the city’s cycling boom with more accessible bike parking, we are pairing these bike racks with major bike lane and safety improvements. Here in the east Bronx, the incredible team at DOT is very busy; in addition to racks and safety projects, they will also bring e-scooter share to New York City for the first time in a matter of months.”
DOT today featured its work in the eastern Bronx, including:
New bicycle racks: The six bike racks installed today, among the first of the planned 10,000, are along Bronx Park East at two major intersections, Unionport Road and Bronxdale Avenue – both with direct access to the Bronx River Greenway. DOT is also this week installing new racks in the Bronx neighborhood of Pelham Bay – with plans to site new racks in all five boroughs.
Bike racks come in a variety of designs including large and small hoops, and bike sled corrals (pictured above). The city currently has over 28,000 bike racks, which equal 56,000 bike parking spaces.
New Safety Improvement Projects: Last fall, DOT implemented a major safety improvement project along Bronx Park East, which included building out missing sidewalks and installing curb extensions along Bronxdale Avenue and White Plains Road. Crews also added designated right turn lanes to ease traffic movement, built out pedestrian islands, and installed a raised two-way bike path that connects to the Bronx River Greenway.
This new project will also connect to a future bike project along Bronxdale Avenue, which DOT recently presented to Bronx Community Board 11. In addition to creating a protected bike connection to Bronx Park East and the greenway, the new Bronxdale Avenue project will calm traffic with dedicated turning lanes and improved pedestrian crossings.
DOT will announce other plans for eastern Bronx bicycle infrastructure in the coming weeks.
E-scooter share pilot, coming soon: Two weeks ago, DOT announced that the eastern Bronx had been selected as the pilot zone for the City’s first-ever e-scooter share pilot.
Commissioner Gutman today underscored how the planned pilot will offer a new shared mobility option in eastern Bronx neighborhoods from Eastchester and Co-op City to Throggs Neck and Soundview, an 18-square-mile area home to 570,000 residents. The pilot will allow DOT to see how e-scooter share works on City streets for the first time, and will require that companies operate in alignment with the City’s Vision Zero and equity goals. The pilot, expected to launch in the late spring, will run for a minimum of one year.
Allerton and Pelham Parkway are included in the pilot, with Bronx Park East serving as the western boundary of the pilot zone (see map below). A forthcoming announcement will introduce the companies selected from amongst those who responded to a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI), along with details about equipment, accessible options, pricing, equity policies and discounts, features, and a launch schedule. Once announced, selected operators and DOT will conduct outreach to all the communities within the pilot zone.
About the Bronx River Greenway: The Bronx River Greenway is an 8-mile path along the river for people to walk, run and bike on from Soundview in the South Bronx up to Nereid Ave. in the North. Together with dozens of partners, the Bronx River Alliance has transformed an abandoned concrete plant, a former manufactured gas plant, and more open spaces filled with opportunities into sections of the Greenway. When complete, the Bronx River Greenway will be a continuous series of parks and trails along the Bronx River, New York City’s only freshwater river.
“I am happy to hear that the DOT Commissioner’s ambitious goal to install 10,000 new bicycle racks by the end of 2022 is well underway. We must continue expanding these initiatives and work towards becoming the most sustainable, pedestrians and cyclist friendly City in the Nation,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman of the Transportation Committee. “Last year we saw a significant increase in cyclist ridership across the City. We must meet this increase in demand with additional cycling infrastructure. I look forward to continuing to work alongside DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman, Speaker Johnson, my colleagues at the Council, and advocates to ensure we continue expanding on these initiatives.”
“The installation of these bike racks is historic. The City is finally catching up with New York's transportation culture which for years has moved away from cars and towards greater mobility,” said Council Member Carlos Menchaca. “The Department of Transportation - beginning with the leadership of Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and now Commissioner Hank Gutman - has understood this trend from the beginning and I applaud their foresight and commitment.”
“Bike parking signals that cycling is safe, welcome, and available for New Yorkers," said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "We are glad to see Commissioner Gutman and NYC DOT taking the first steps to deliver 10,000 new bike parking racks in two years. We also look forward to upcoming safety improvements in the East Bronx, which will align with our NYC 25x25 vision to give more street space to people and help us reach our Vision Zero goals."
"Protected bike lanes and bike parking racks: perfect together," said Jon Orcutt, Advocacy Director for Bike New York.
“We’re excited that DOT is kicking off the installation of 10,000 new bike racks here in the Bronx, which has so much potential to be a great place for biking,” said Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC. “In tandem with new cycling infrastructure, like the new path on Bronx Park East, and the coming e-scooter share pilot program, residents of the east Bronx will soon have several great new options for getting around quickly and safely – without cars. We’re grateful to Commissioner Gutman and his team for prioritizing these new mobility efforts in the Bronx."
“Bronx River Alliance welcomes the investment the Department of Transportation is making in the Bronx," said Maggie Scott Greenfield, Executive Director of the Bronx River Alliance. "More bicycle racks and safer street connections to the Bronx River Greenway connects our communities to the trails and green spaces around the river and encourages healthy, active transportation. We look forward to the completion of these projects and the expansion of transportation options for the people of the Bronx.”
