New 10-foot-wide bike lanes open on 10th Ave in Hell’s Kitchen
Between 37th St. and 52nd Street, the Tenth Ave bike lane has doubled in size and is now ten feet wide. This is the first phase out of two in the Adams administration for safety upgrades in Manhattan. The plan is to expand the wider lanes to 14th St. in 2024.
| 15 Dec 2023 | 06:14
Council member, Erick Bottcher (red helmet) cycling on the redesigned bike lane on Tenth Avenue. (
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The heavily traveled 10th Ave bike lane just doubled in size to ten feet wide in Hell’s Kitchen,marking the first phase of an expansion drive that will eventually bring wider bike lanes further south as well.
After years of local leaders advocating for safer bike lanes, this new lane infrastructure features new concrete pedestrian refuge islands with tree and flower beds, refurbished intersections for turning vehicles, and new bicycle corrals. A row of parked cars separates the bikers from moving traffic with a bike lane that is twice as wide as it was previously.
The changes were needed since 10th Ave. is notorious for being one of the most dangerous roads in Manhattan where in the past four years has been three traffic deaths, 68 cyclist injuries, and143 pedestrian injuries from 2016 and 2020.
“During my first month as a city councilmember, we organized a rally on 10th Avenue with PTA parents, block associations, and community board members who have long been calling for a redesign that includes a protected bike lane, pedestrian refuge islands, and shorter pedestrian crossings,” said Councilmember Erick Bottcher at a Dec. 13 press conference opening the new protected bike lanes. A row of parked cars separates the bikers from moving traffic.
The influx of bike mobility in the city has exacerbated the need for protected bike lanes and pedestrian walkways which has proven to reduce traffic injuries by nearly 20 percent, stated the CEO of Bike New York, Ken Podziba.
Next on the list–phase two–includes a similar redesign from West 14th Street to West 38th Street that is set to be completed in 2024.
“I was almost hit on both Friday and Saturday nights last weekend by impatient drivers swerving into the bike lane between 38th and 39th to make a left onto 39th to speed off to the tunnel,” commented Ryan MC on Bottcher’s instagram post announcing the improved bike lane. “I am for the bike lane and feel certain it’s safer for bikers on the whole, but I am not confident in the safety of pedestrians in these tunnel entrance intersections with aggressive drivers.”
Other criticisms has come from delivery workers who are running out of places to unload. Also, in order to make room for the 10-foot-bike lanes, many businesses had to permanently remove their outdoor dining after recently making changes to coincide with the new regulations. The cost to remove the sheds will be anywhere from $3,000-$5,000.
At the ceremony, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez remarked that excluding 2020, New York has had the lowest rate of pedestrian fatalities of any major US city over the past 114 years.
“I’m glad to hear that the fatalities are down. But until they are zero, they’re one too many,” said Assembly member Tony Simone who represents the Chelsea and Greenwich Village neighborhoods.