Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

De Blasio: Bike Lanes That Replace Parking Spots, Travel Lanes Are Worth It

Elevated from the headline stack: CBS radio reporter Steve Scott elicited the following response from mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio on the subject of bike lanes. It's got a touch more specificity than the norm:

Scott ended the interview on the subject of bike lanes, asking if they are worth the parking spots and vehicular traffic lanes that they eliminate.

"They are, in the final analysis," said de Blasio. "My district in Brooklyn when I was in the City Council was one of the first to have bike lanes and they do help calm down the traffic. They do help make neighborhoods safer and more and more people are turning to bikes as an option, which is good for the environment, obviously good for people’s health."

"The way Mayor Bloomberg did it, as usual, was often insensitive to communities," he added. "But that doesn’t mean bike lanes aren’t a good idea. Yes, we should expand them deeper into the outer boroughs. I think we gain a lot of benefit from it."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

SCOUT’s Honor: Hochul To Expand MTA Program Pairing Nurses and Cops to Combat Mental Illness in Subways

Gov. Hochul's pitch to state lawmakers follows a nine month-long investigation by Streetsblog into how New York's social safety net struggles to help ill people in the subway.

January 13, 2026

Advance Look: Hochul Offers Major Transportation Policies in 2026 ‘State Of The State’ Speech

Why wait for the governor to start her annual address? We have the goods for you now.

January 13, 2026

State of the State Exclusive: Hochul Will Push ‘Stop Super Speeders’ Bill Through Her Budget

City motorists with a documented pattern of excessive speeding would be required to install speed-limiting devices inside their cars, Gov. Hochul is expected to announce today.

January 13, 2026

Westward Ho! Hochul Proposes to Extend Second Ave. Subway Along 125th Street to Broadway

The westward crosstown extension will connect what is now the Q train to seven different subway lines.

January 13, 2026

Delivery Apps Have Caused $550M In Pay Loss for Workers By Changing How Customers Tip: Mamdani Admin. Report

The average tip on UberEats and DoorDash is just 76¢ per delivery — compared to $2.17 on apps that offer the option to tip before checkout.

January 13, 2026

NJ Pols Want Registration Of Low-Speed E-Bikes, Despite Driver Mayhem

A restrictive e-bike registration bill is one step closer to becoming law in the Garden State.

January 13, 2026
See all posts