Eyes on the Street: Bike Corrals Protect Ninth Avenue Bike Lane

4:18 PM EDT on April 5, 2013

Bike parking corrals adjacent to a protected bike lane -- a first for New York City, and perhaps the nation -- have been installed along Ninth Avenue in Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen. Check out these pics from Clarence, snapped on Thursday.

First requested by Community Board 4 in fall 2011, and receiving a supportive 11-0 committee vote in February, the corrals provide 18 bike racks along the "floating" parking lane the between the bicycle lane and general traffic lanes.

At the request of the community board, sidewalk bike racks on blocks that are receiving bike corrals will be removed.

A pedestrian island and bike corral on 9th Avenue at 36th Street.

Casa di Isacco restaurant is maintaining a four-rack corral between 39th and 40th Streets, Pomodoro restaurant is maintaining a seven-rack corral between 38th and 39th Streets, and Ora Thai Cuisine is maintaining a seven-rack corral by a pedestrian island between 35th and 36th Streets.

In the words of Streetsblog reader Eric McClure: Is there a higher form of bike lane than the bike-parking-protected bike lane?

In addition to the new bike racks, new curb-and-concrete pedestrian refuge islands continue to be installed along Ninth Avenue, most notably for pedestrians at 34th Street.

Asphalt is removed for a pedestrian refuge island on 9th Avenue at 34th Street. Photo: Clarence Eckerson, Jr.

Stephen Miller

In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation. From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.

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