Skip to content

Guerrilla Stripers Paint Back Bedford Avenue Bike Lane

Looks like some New Yorkers who bike on Bedford Avenue decided not to sit idly by after the city removed 14 blocks of bike lane in South Williamsburg. Multiple sources informed Streetsblog this morning that DIY, unofficial bike lane striping has appeared along the stretch of Bedford Avenue that was sandblasted last week. We don't know who is responsible for this act of civil disobedience and guerrilla safety enhancement, but apparently, their efforts have run afoul of the law.

Looks like some New Yorkers who bike on Bedford Avenue decided not to sit idly by after the city removed 14 blocks of bike lane in South Williamsburg. Multiple sources informed Streetsblog this morning that DIY, unofficial bike lane striping has appeared along the stretch of Bedford Avenue that was sandblasted last week. We don’t know who is responsible for this act of civil disobedience and guerrilla safety enhancement, but apparently, their efforts have run afoul of the law.

SandBlastedOff.jpgAfter DOT blasted them off last week, Bedford Avenue bike stencils have reportedly reappeared. Photo: Elizabeth Press.

According to sources cited by Ben Muessig at Gothamist, the bike lane stripers were apprehended by NYPD this morning, with an assist from the neighborhood watch in South Williamsburg’s Hasidic community:

According to tipsters, the neighborhood’s volunteer community watch
group responded to reports at around 4 am that two men were using
spraypaint to recreate a section of the bike lane, which the Department
of Transportation controversially removed from a 14-block stretch of
Bedford Avenue last week. Police arrived at the corner of Bedford
Avenue and Rutledge Street and arrested two suspects, sources said.

Streetsblog has requests in with NYPD and the 90th Precinct to confirm the arrests. In the meantime, if you have more information or pictures of the unofficial bike lane, send to tips@streetsblog.org.

Photo of Ben Fried
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

The City Wants To Know Where You Want Secure Bike Parking

May 4, 2026

Monday’s Headlines: The Week Ahead Edition

May 4, 2026

Hit-and-Run School Bus Driver Kills 9-Year-Old Boy in South Williamsburg

May 1, 2026
See all posts