Comptroller Stringer: City DOT Must Protect Cyclists and Pedestrians around the Kosciuszko Bridge

(New York, NY) — Spotlighting a lack of protected bike lanes and walking paths on the streets leading up to the Kosciuszko Bridge in Greenpoint and Maspeth, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer sent a letter to New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Polly Trottenberg requesting further information on the infrastructure build-out and mitigation measures that NYC DOT plan to implement that would protect the safety of both cyclists and pedestrians on and around the newly opened bridge. The letter also requests a full accounting of why upgraded bike and pedestrian infrastructure was not ready on the first day of the opening of the bridge. Comptroller Stringer’s letter highlighted the urgent need for action as the city confronts cyclist and pedestrian safety across the five boroughs. In 2019 alone, 19 cyclists have lost their lives, nearly twice the number in all of 2018, which according to the NYC DOT, have occurred disproportionately in primarily industrial areas that have experienced significant residential population growth.

“Just as no transportation department would open up a highway before constructing the on- and off-ramps, it is utterly baffling that a new bike and pedestrian path could be introduced without sufficient connecting infrastructure – on Day One. The rebuilt Kosciuszko Bridge and the new pedestrian and cycling path are critical arteries, but without protected bike lanes, sufficient lighting, and high-quality signage in the immediate vicinity, cyclists and pedestrians could be placed in harm’s way,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “This is a matter of life and death. At a time when the city is reeling from a spate of cyclist fatalities, a comprehensive plan must be implemented.”

To read Comptroller Stringer’s letter to DOT, click here.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s comprehensive plan for the BQE, click here.

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