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Bicycling

Eyes on the Street: First DOT Makes Your Sign Official, Then Adds Bollards?

4:54 PM EST on February 1, 2016

Wow! After taking down our *unofficial* sign at 1st Ave & 59th St, @NYC_DOT put up an *official* one. #bikenyc pic.twitter.com/v8AK4uYOyr

— Transformation Dept. (@NYC_DOTr) January 28, 2016

In December the guerrilla street designers at the Department of Transformation installed DIY signage and put down some cones to try to keep drivers out of the First Avenue bike lane under the Queensboro Bridge. However, DOT soon removed the signs and abdicated responsibility for motorists blocking the lane, terming it an “enforcement issue.”

Then, last week, the Transformation Department tweeted a pic of new DOT signage, which looks remarkably similar to the home brew version.

It’s good to see DOT responding to public demand for safer streets in this way. Who knows, maybe we'll soon see physical barriers to keep the lane clear.

Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York'’s dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

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