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

The Jay Street Bike Lane Won’t Work If NYPD Parks All Over It

Double-whammy: these caps are blocking a bus stop and the bike lane. Photo: Brandon Chamberlin
Police officers block the bike lane and a bus stop on Jay Street this morning. Photo: Brandon Chamberlin
Double-whammy: these caps are blocking a bus stop and the bike lane. Photo: Brandon Chamberlin

As crews restripe Jay Street to implement a curbside protected bike lane, some sort of learning curve is to be expected. Drivers need a little time to adjust to the new parking lane, which floats to the left of the bike lane buffer. But NYPD should know better from the start.

Streetsblog reader Brandon Chamberlin snapped the above photo of two police vehicles parked in the bus stop in front of City Tech on Jay Street this morning, blocking the way for both buses and cyclists. The bus stop has always been there -- it's not new.

In DOT's redesign, the bike lane and curbside bus stops are "shared space" -- as opposed to a floating bus stop design where bus drivers would pull up to a boarding island to the left of the bike lane. It's a situation that requires some extra effort, with cyclists and bus drivers having to look out for each other -- even without factoring in illegal parking.

If police ignore the rules and park at the curb, things will break down quickly. Cyclists will have to weave out of the bike lane into traffic, and bus riders will have to walk off the curb to board. The stress and chaotic traffic conditions that the Jay Street redesign was supposed to fix will just resurface in slightly different form.

DOT's redesign includes mixing zones that maintain curb access for cyclists at bus stops. Image: DOT
In DOT's Jay Street redesign, some bus stops occupy the same curb space as the bike lane [PDF]. Image: DOT
DOT's redesign includes mixing zones that maintain curb access for cyclists at bus stops. Image: DOT

Illegal parking by police and other placard holders has been the scourge of Jay Street for a long time. When DOT presented its Jay Street proposal to Community Board 2 in March, transportation committee members worried that the new lane would be compromised by rampant parking placard abuse, which NYPD has overlooked for years.

Police from all over Brooklyn come to the courts on Jay Street (one of the squad cars in the photo is from the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville). If the redesign of one of NYC's busiest bike routes is going to work, NYPD needs to get the message out that officers can't block bus stops or the bike lane.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

New Bill Would Block Apps From Deactivating Workers Without Cause

A Brooklyn Council member wants delivery app companies to be more human and less robot.

July 18, 2025

Friday Video: Is Berlin a Great Biking City?

Have recent moves by anti-bike, pro-car legislators ruined the experience in the capital of a unified Germany? Sort of!

July 18, 2025

Eyes on the Street: Meeker Avenue Bike Lane Is a Failure

The Department of Transportation still hasn't finished a critical bike lane under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that the agency has been stalling for over four years even after identifying the strip's danger and lack of proper signals.

July 18, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Cuomo’s Road Rage Edition

Why does Andrew Cuomo drive so recklessly? Plus other news.

July 18, 2025

Fixing Third Ave. Was Once ‘Top of List’ For Eric Adams — But as Mayor He Backed Off

Mayor Adams has delayed a redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue despite once saying safety fixes there should be "at the top of our list."

July 17, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Jerry Nadler Edition

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler faced off with Sean Duffy on Capitol Hill. Plus more news.

July 17, 2025
See all posts