Bridges

Back in February, Manhattan Community Board 3 asked DOT to study a protected bike lane for Chrystie Street. Head over there during any rush hour and it's easy to see why: There are tons of people biking to and from the Manhattan Bridge, but the painted bike lanes on Chrystie are constantly blocked by double-parked cars and buses. Even when you're not weaving in and out of motor vehicle traffic, you have to keep your eyes peeled for illegal U-turns and drivers crossing the southbound bike lane as they exit garages.

Cars belonging to Con Edison employees assigned to a project on the Queensboro Bridge are squeezing pedestrians into the roadbed as workers illegally park on the sidewalk. On both the east and west sides of Vernon Boulevard at Queens Plaza South, near Queensbridge Park and Queensbridge Houses, sidewalks are being used as private parking for bridge workers. When confronted, Con Ed said it will tell employees to stop parking on the sidewalk.

Supporters of building a bicycle and walking path across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge are gathering tomorrow in Bay Ridge to rally for the project. The MTA released a preliminary report this week evaluating the prospects for a path, and it depicts a more complex undertaking than many advocates expected. The advocates working for walking and biking access on the bridge aren't deterred and say the fact that the MTA is taking the idea seriously is a major step in the right direction.

Ten days ago, DOT broke ground on a nice set of new bike lanes linking Upper Manhattan to the reopened High Bridge. Meanwhile, bike access improvements on the Bronx side are already pretty far along.

Video of opening day on the High Bridge: Clarence Eckerson.

Following a much-anticipated restoration that got a huge boost from the Bloomberg administration in 2007, the High Bridge is open to the public today for the first time in 45 years, providing a walking and biking connection between Washington Heights and the Highbridge neighborhood in the Bronx. Of course, Clarence Eckerson would never miss such a momentous occasion. Here are his photos from the day.

The wait is just about over. Tomorrow the car-free High Bridge will be opened to the general public for the first time in 45 years.