Chalk up more bikeway innovation
to the folks at the NYC Department of Transportation. Nearly
complete, the Sands Street approach to the Manhattan Bridge is now
safer and more enjoyable thanks to a New York City first: a
center-median, two-way protected bike path. The facility is a
perfect solution to counter the dangers posed by a tangle of roads and
highway on-ramps that burden the area. Dramatic before-and-afters tell
the delicious story.
We'll also take you back into the archives to April 2005, when, following a severe injury to Transportation Alternatives'
Noah Budnick, advocates held a passionate rally asking Mayor Bloomberg to not only improve bike access to the Manhattan
Bridge, but to all East River bridges. Four years later, there's much
to be proud of. As DOT Assistant Commissioner for
Traffic Management Ryan Russo points out, back in 2005 about 800 cyclists used the
bridge daily. In 2009, those numbers have soared to over 2,600. That
gives us a serious case of happiness.
