Pedestrians now have the whole esplanade to themselves, while cyclists have their own two-way bike lanes, formerly the inside lane of Manhattan-bound traffic. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib
The treacherous mix of cyclists and pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge came to an end on Wednesday with the opening of a protected two-way bike lane that safely separates pedalers from foot traffic.
The innermost Manhattan-bound vehicular lane has been given over to cyclists, protected by a concrete barrier topped with a chain link fence. Pedestrians now have the whole walkway to themselves.
“This is a really incredible moment [showing] what’s possible with the leadership to deliver critical projects,” Danny Harris, executive director of the activist group Transportation Alternatives, said at the ceremonial opening of the lane. “Instead of going from vigil to vigil this is where we need to be.”
As many as 60,000 bikes cross the bridge in a month, and more than 10,000 pedestrians a day use the span, according to the Department of Transportation. Though each has had lanes of their own, pedestrians—especially tourists—frequently wandered onto the bike path.
Department of Transportation Commissioner Hank Gutman called the new lane “a great day for cyclists but it’s also a great day for pedestrians, especially with tourists back in force and the city reopening.”
Councilman Steven Levin, who regularly cycles to Manhattan over the bridge, expressed relief at the long-awaited change. “Yelling out, ‘Bike lane! Bike lane!’ every 10 seconds is not something I’m going to miss,” he said.