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

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 calling for the city to fix Amsterdam for years, and Citi Bike’s northward expansion makes the project all the more important.

Despite prior support from CB 7 for a protected bike lane on Amsterdam, nothing is assured tomorrow. The CB 7 transportation committee, chaired by safe streets opponents Dan Zweig and Andrew Albert, failed to endorse it, and Zweig and Albert will figure prominently at tomorrow’s meeting. DOT rarely implements life-saving street improvements without the blessing of the local community board, so a strong showing from supporters at Tuesday’s meeting is critical.

Here are this week’s calendar highlights. Complete listings are here.

• Monday: At a meeting of the Community Board 5 transportation committee, Vornado and the 34th Street Partnership will seek a resolution in support of permanent, people-friendly improvements around Penn Station. 6 p.m.
• Also Monday: The Manhattan CB 6 transportation committee will discuss bike safety initiatives, traffic on E. 23rd Street, and upcoming DOT projects, including a review of First Avenue and Koch Bridge access.
• Tuesday: The Manhattan CB 7 full board will decide whether to endorse the Amsterdam Avenue redesign. Arrive by 6:15 p.m. if you want to speak. The meeting starts at 6:30.
• Wednesday: The Manhattan CB 8 transportation committee will take up the proposal to add painted crosstown bike lanes on the Upper East Side. 6:30 p.m.

Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Drop us a line if you have an event we should know about.