Tonight: Speak Up for Safer Cycling Conditions on Deadly Northern Boulevard

DOT plan for a two-way protected bike lane on Northern Boulevard near Joe Michaels Mile, where a driver killed Michael Schenkman last summer.
DOT plan for a two-way protected bike lane on Northern Boulevard near Joe Michaels Mile, where a driver killed Michael Schenkman last summer.

In 2015, DOT denied a request from Queens residents for protected bike lanes on Northern Boulevard. After a motorist killed 78-year-old cyclist Michael Schenkman last summer, DOT proposed six miles of protected bike lanes on Northern and connecting streets. The route, much of which borders Alley Pond Park, would provide a safer ride to the Joe Michaels Mile bike path, where Schenkman was headed when he was killed.

The DOT plan — read all about it here — is the subject of a Community Board 11 hearing tonight.

Between 2010 and 2014, drivers severely injured three people walking and one person on a bike on the segment of Northern Boulevard where Schenkman was struck. Though locals have for years asked the city to make the street safer, it’s important that DOT and CB 11 hear from people who support this plan.

Also this week: With the state legislative session winding down, on Friday Transportation Alternatives will hold a rally calling on Albany to allow NYC to deploy more speed enforcement cameras near schools.

Here are this calendar week’s highlights. Check the full calendar for more info on these and other events.

  • Today: The MTA’s L train plan and a discussion on Access-A-Ride are on the agenda for the Manhattan CB 6 transportation committee. NYU School of Nursing, Dentistry & Engineering, 433 First Avenue, Room 220. 7 p.m.
  • Also today: Queens CB 11 holds a hearing on the plan for protected bike lanes on Northern Boulevard and other streets that connect to the Joe Michaels Mile bike path. MS 158 Marie Curie, 46-35 Oceania Street, Bayside. 7:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday: Help Transportation Alternatives develop a proposal for improved bike access on the Queens side of the Queensboro Bridge. More details and RSVP info here. Queens House of Pride, 76-11 37th Avenue. 6:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday: The Manhattan CB 8 transportation committee will discuss new M79 Select Bus Service and “resulting traffic impacts.” New York Blood Center, Auditorium, 310 E. 67th Street. 6:30 p.m.
  • Friday: TransAlt holds a rally for more speed enforcement cameras. City Hall steps. 12 p.m. More details here.

Watch the calendar for updates. Drop us a line if you have an event we should know about.

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The Campaign for a Safer Bike Connection to Joe Michaels Mile

By David Meyer |
When 78-year-old Michael Schenkman was killed by a speeding motorist on Northern Boulevard last month, he was on his daily ride to Joe Michaels Mile, a bike path that runs for two and a half miles along the Cross Island Parkway. Now business owners and residents in Little Neck and Douglaston are reiterating calls for safe bike access to […]