New protected bike lane complete on Greenpoint Avenue Bridge

Queens and Brooklyn-bound cyclists alike now have an easier commute, with a protected bike lane now open on the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge, which connects the two boroughs. Before, cyclists had to dismount their bikes and walk them over the half-mile bridge.

“The challenge we have in New York City is accommodating our growing and changing city and serving all the diverse needs it has,” said Ryan Russo, Deputy Commissioner for Transportation Planning and Management for the DOT. “If you came here before we implemented the bike lane you really had no accommodation for the fastest growing transportation mode in New York City, which is bicycling.”

The bridge, which connects an industrial stretch of Greenpoint Ave., draws heavy truck traffic. Russo said although the site wasn’t a particularly high-crash zone, the lack of a bike lane next to substantial traffic presented a heightened risk.

“[Cyclists] were literally taking their lives in their hands just going to their jobs, or their friends house,” he said.

DOT Deputy Commissioner Russo and DOT employees ride on the new bike lane.