Bicycling

Eyes on the Street: Much of the 158th St. Greenway Connector Is Missing

A utility crew ripped up 158th Street where a two-way bike lane connects to the Hudson River Greenway and hasn't re-installed the bike lane after patching up the asphalt.

By Brad Aaron

4:41 PM EDT on July 15, 2016

158crop1 — 158th Street looking east toward Riverside Drive.

A utility crew ripped up 158th Street where a two-way bike lane connects to the Hudson River Greenway and hasn’t re-installed the bike lane after patching up the asphalt.

A reader sent us photos of the bikeway, which is supposed to be a green, two-way route between Broadway and the Henry Hudson Parkway, separated from car traffic by plastic posts. A ramp at the western end of the bike lane leads to the greenway.

The bike lane was installed last year as part of a package of bike and pedestrian improvements linking the greenway and the car-free High Bridge.

We asked DOT why this happened and when it would be fixed. DOT said it “is aware of the condition of the bike lane at 158th Street, where utility work was recently done, and are working with the contractor to remedy the situation.”

Without the paint, our tipster said, the bike lane is being used for parking, like it was before the plastic posts were installed.

What the bikeway used to look like. Photo: Alec Melman — What the bikeway is supposed to look like. Photo: Alec Melman

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.