Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

The Beginnings of the Chrystie Street Protected Bike Lane

9:11 PM EST on November 21, 2016

It's not quite finished, but you can ride in the new, safer Chrystie Street bike lane. Photos: David Meyer

It’s not quite finished, but you can ride in the new, safer Chrystie Street bike lane. Photos: David Meyer

DOT has finished work on concrete pedestrian islands along Chrystie Street and has moved on to striping and painting the new two-way protected bike lane between the Manhattan Bridge and Houston Street. The project looks mostly complete, though there are some sections without green paint and not all the markings are down yet.

The Chrystie Street parking-protected bike lane replaces painted bike lanes that were constantly obstructed by illegally parked vehicles. The project also includes concrete pedestrian refuges at East 2nd Street, Rivington Street, and Stanton Street [PDF].

Markings delineating the buffer between the bike lane and the parking lane or moving traffic now extend for the entire length of the project, except for a short stretch just south of Houston Street, which is currently separated by jersey barriers. Jersey barriers slated for the southern end of the project, by the Manhattan Bridge, are not in yet. Also incomplete are changes to the Second Avenue bike lane between 2nd Street and Houston Street, which is supposed to be realigned along the eastern curb to better line up with the new position of the Chrystie Street bike lane.

DOT crews were out at work last week, but thermoplast can't adhere properly when temperatures drop below 50 degrees, so we'll need to hit a warm spell for work to completely wrap up.

The idea for a protected bike lane on Chrystie Street, which connects around 3,000 cyclists each day between the Manhattan Bridge and protected lanes on First Avenue and Second Avenue, emerged out of Transportation Alternatives' Brooklyn committee about two years ago. DOT's eventual proposal, modeled after the volunteers' suggestion, was approved by Manhattan Community Board 3 this past May.

Here are a few more photos to give you a sense of the state of the project:

chrystie_sdr_park-1
Stanton Street.
For about 50 meters south of Houston, there are no markings yet and the bike lane is separated from traffic by jersey barriers. Some drivers haven't figured out how the new configuration is supposed to work yet.
For about 50 meters south of Houston, there are no markings yet and the bike lane is separated from traffic by jersey barriers. Some drivers haven't figured out how the new configuration is supposed to work yet.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Tuesday’s Headlines: Don’t Look Up Edition

It's hard to believe that it's going to rain again today, plus other more important news.

September 26, 2023

Another Flip-Flop: City Hall Allegedly Pauses Almost-Done Underhill Ave. Bike Boulevard

City Hall is intervening in yet another street redesign project, and supporters fear it could be the start of dismantling other improvements.

September 26, 2023

Analysis: Everyone Agrees — Less Parking Means More Housing

Let's take a second-day look at Mayor Adams's "City of Yes" zoning proposal to do away with mandatory parking in new developments.

September 25, 2023

What is the Life of a Dead Pedestrian Worth?

A cop laughed that a normal person is only worth $11,000 — and that figure was partly due to his racism, but also how little we value the lives of people on foot.

September 25, 2023

Monday’s Headlines: ‘What is Up With All These Flip-Flops, Mayor?’ Edition

It's the same old story with this mayor and his chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin. Plus other news.

September 25, 2023
See all posts