Community Board 4 wrote a letter to DOT asking them to study the feasibility of protected crosstown bike lanes on 37th and 38th Streets from 11th to 8th Avenue .
The bike lanes would connect workers and residents of the emerging Hudson Yards district to the northbound / southbound lanes on 8th and 9th Avenues. And the recent fatality on 26th street has illustrated that further protection is needed to make this mode of transportation safe for all. This could also be a boon to the Javits’ Center visitors who need a more protected environment to use a bike in New York city.
“CB4 supports Hudson Yards/Hell’s Kitchen Alliance BID ’s proposal for bike lanes on these streets and requests that DOT create a plan for protected bike lanes on these streets from Eighth Avenue to Eleventh Avenue. Over the past several years, CB4 has repeatedly requested that DOT provide safe, protected crosstown bike lines. While DOT has stated they are working on several proposals, the safety of our city’s pedestrians and cyclists cannot wait. In this case, the local businesses and communities are explicitly requesting these lanes in order to make their streets more friendly and inviting.”
The developers are anxious to see this facility come on line and we are too!
I find 35th Street to be a reasonably safe westbound street for bicycling and it can easily accommodate a protected lane. A jog over on 11th to 34th and you have an ok connection to the Greenway. With minimal engineering this could be a safe route with full protection.