Tomorrow: Tell DOT to Get Moving on a Safer Dyckman Street

DOT will host a workshop tomorrow evening to collect public input on its plan for a road diet on Dyckman Street in Inwood.

Local residents initially proposed a protected bike lane for Dyckman, a commercial street that connects the east side and west side greenways, back in 2008. In the ensuing years Community Board 12 repeatedly asked DOT for improvements to Dyckman, but when a plan surfaced in June 2016, the board said more meetings were needed.

After failing to reserve a space for the workshop it said it wanted, last month CB 12 endorsed part of the DOT plan -- a protected bike lane for Dyckman's east end, from Nagle Avenue to 10th Avenue, next to Highbridge Park. The board declined to vote on a road diet and painted bike lanes between Nagle and Broadway, a lawless obstacle course where most of Dyckman's commercial activity is concentrated.

CB 12 says DOT will present the current plan Thursday, followed by a breakout session to gather feedback that "could be used in order to propose a more comprehensive plan for Dyckman Street in the near future." The workshop would be a good opportunity to press DOT to build out a protected bike lane from 10th Avenue to Broadway.

This community board has a long track record of dragging its heels on street safety projects. CB 12 ignored members of the public who turned out to support a Dyckman road diet last winter. With more than 300 traffic injuries in the nine years since locals first called for improvements, it's important that DOT and the board once again hear from people who want the city to finally move forward with a safer Dyckman Street.

Tomorrow’s workshop is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. at PS 5, 3703 10th Avenue, near the intersection of Dyckman and Harlem River Drive.