CB 8 Transpo Committee Approves UES Protected Bike Lane Reso

We didn’t want to let the week slip by without following up on some promising news from the Upper East Side. On Wednesday, a day after Community Board 7 deliberated, and ultimately approved, a resolution supporting protected bike lanes, Community Board 8’s transportation committee considered a similar reso:

WHEREAS, Manhattan Community Board 8 is concerned about the safety of all people who use our streets and sidewalks,

WHEREAS, protected bike lanes have brought measurable safety improvements to other neighborhoods in Manhattan,

WHEREAS, many members of the Upper East Side public, business community, and elected officials have all expressed support for protected bike lanes in petitions, surveys, letters, and public testimony,

WHEREAS, Manhattan Community Board 8 wishes to encourage safe, responsible cycling in, to, and from this district,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that CB8 supports the DOT’s initiative to create protected bike lanes and requests that DOT prepare a study for a neighborhood bicycle network that includes Class 1 protected bike lanes (including information on projected impacts on pedestrian safety, bike safety, parking, truck traffic, and neighborhood business) that would be subject to review and comment by Community Board 8.

The resolution passed unanimously.

Though there were glimmers of hope at CB 8 forum last week, given the board’s history when it comes to bike infrastructure, this is an amazing development. We’ll have more coverage later, but for now cycling and pedestrian advocates, and anyone interested in safer Upper East Side streets, should mark their calendars for the big day: October 21, when the resolution is scheduled to be taken up by the full board.

In the meantime, congratulations to everyone who made this happen.

  • Glenn

    This is great progress. Three years ago, we tried to get something like this accomplished and we were afraid a resolution like this would be resoundingly defeated.

    The TA Eastside Committee members, TA staff and in particular CB8 Community Board member Michael Auerbach deserve a lot of credit in moving the line of debate forward instead of letting the cranky biking critics hold sway.

    Now, we need folks writing letters to elected officials (Lappin, Garodinick, Stringer in particular) and showing up at the meeting on Oct 21st.

  • Suspiciously similar wording to CB7’s. I suspect a cabal.

  • What a week it has been! I was there with Glenn at one of those CB 8 meetings back when, and I never thought I’d see the day. Can’t wait to get back involved in the run-up to the 21st.

  • Marty Barfowitz

    This is a stunning success. I can’t believe this Community Board approved this project. Way to go, CB8, DOT, TA, etc.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Upper East Side Community Board Asks DOT for Crosstown Bike Lanes

By Ben Fried |
Manhattan Community Board 8 passed a resolution Wednesday night asking DOT for crosstown bike lanes on the Upper East Side. Currently the only east-west pair in the neighborhood is on 90th Street and 91st Street. With biking in the neighborhood on the rise and the recent arrival of Citi Bike, it’s increasingly obvious that’s not enough. […]

CB 7 Approves Reso Favoring Protected UWS Bike Lanes

By Brad Aaron |
Manhattan Community Board 7 approved a resolution Tuesday in support of protected bike lanes for the Upper West Side. According to Streetsblog readers who attended and the Westside Independent web site, a mostly positive discussion on the merits of such improvements — in front of a packed house of residents wearing "Protected Bike Lanes Protect […]

CB 6 Committee Votes on East Side Bus+Bike Improvements Tonight

By Ben Fried |
Sorry for the late notice folks, but there’s one more public meeting on this week’s busy schedule with big implications for street safety, and it’s happening tonight. The transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 6 is expected to draft and vote on a resolution regarding plans for Select Bus Service and protected bike lanes on […]

This Week: Speak Up for Safer Walking and Biking on Amsterdam

By Streetsblog |
Tomorrow, Manhattan Community Board 7 will vote on DOT’s plan for a protected bike lanes and pedestrian islands on Amsterdam Avenue from 72nd Street to 110th Street. Calming traffic on wide, one-way Amsterdam while providing a sorely needed northbound pair to the southbound Columbus Avenue bike lane has been a long time coming. Neighborhood residents have been […]