New York City hits 20-mile protected bike lane goal in 2019, increases goal to 30 miles in 2020
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City met its goal of building at least 20 miles of protected bike lanes in 2019, and the city is on its way toward reaching its goal of 30 miles this year.
Mayor Bill de Blasio released a progress report Wednesday on the Green Wave, the city's plan to make streets safer for cyclists.
The report shows the city has built 104 miles of protected bike lanes since 2014, including 21.4 miles completed in 2019. The de Blasio Administration has built over 400 miles of bike lanes since 2014.
Going forward, the plan is to increase the annual production of protected bike lanes from 20 miles in 2019 to 30 miles each in 2020 and 2021.
In 2020, Manhattan will see its largest-ever single-year addition of protected bike lanes, including along 6th Avenue, extending the existing uptown lane from Herald Square to Central Park.
"We are now today showing off the 6th Avenue bike lane that is going to go all the way up to Central Park," New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said. "It's really taking folks through the densest part of the city where we've heard so clearly from the cycling community they want more protected infrastructure."
As part of the initiative, traffic-calming turn treatments will also be installed at the 50 most dangerous intersections for cyclists by the end of 2020, and DOT will increase protection on existing protected bike lanes.
Nearly 800,000 New Yorkers ride a bike regularly, according to the DOT. It is estimated that over 490,000 cycling trips are made each day in New York City.
Authorities say 29 people died while riding bikes in the city in 2019.
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