You are reading

CM Julie Won Calls on DOT to Convert Car Lane Into Pedestrian Pathway Immediately

Councilmember Julie Won has called on the DOT to immediately implement its plan of converting a car lane on the Queensboro Bridge into a pedestrian pathway (Photo: Julie Won via Twitter)

Sept, 15, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

Councilmember Julie Won has called on the DOT to immediately implement its plan of converting a car lane on the Queensboro Bridge into a pedestrian pathway, citing ongoing safety concerns.

The DOT plan, which continues to face long delays, calls for repurposing a car lane on the southern outer roadway into a pedestrian pathway in order to free up space on the northern outer roadway of the bridge for bikes only.

The narrow northern outer roadway is currently shared by pedestrians and cyclists but safety advocates, including Won, say the strip is dangerous for users in its current format.

Queensboro bridge bike lane (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post, taken on March 16, 2022)

The Queensboro Bridge pedestrian/bike pathway is located on the northern outer roadway (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post, taken on March 16, 2022)

The DOT’s plan was initially expected to go into operation this year, but it has been delayed until at least 2024 while the DOT replaces the bridge’s upper deck. The agency says it needs to keep the southern outer roadway open to vehicular traffic during repairs.

However, Won says the delays are unacceptable and is calling on the agency to implement its plan straight away.

She toured the bridge Monday with DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and other DOT officials.

“The last 8 months, residents have called our office to report violent crashes on the north outer roadway,” Won tweeted late on Monday.

“The city MUST open the south outer roadway now to make the bridge safer for our neighbors.”

Won also tweeted that the northern outer roadway is overcrowded, and its bike lane is not wide enough for two cyclists to pass one another when going in opposite directions. The strip’s layout consists of a two-way bike lane and a two-way pedestrian strip.

Won, who represents western Queens, was joined on Monday’s walking tour with representatives from Councilmember Julie Menin of Manhattan. Both lawmakers’ districts are served by the bridge.

The Queens lawmaker said she was not satisfied with the DOT’s explanation for delaying the plan.

The DOT has said it needs to keep the southern outer roadway open to vehicular traffic during construction to ease congestion since at least one car lane on the upper deck has to be closed at all times to store construction materials and equipment. Additionally, the bridge has two traffic lanes closed during off-peak periods.

“It was like talking to a wall,” Won told Streetsblog after touring the bridge and speaking to the DOT. “They kept saying they can’t give the south outer roadway to pedestrians because there would be traffic.”

“Well, I don’t care about the congestion, in fact, congestion is the point,” Won told the outlet. “If we want climate justice, we need to redesign the infrastructure to make it harder to drive in the city, especially in the most transit-rich areas. Take the train, take the bus, ride a bicycle, walk, rollerblade.”

The existing pathway on the northern outer roadway, pictured, was scheduled to be repurposed for bicycles this year (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

On Wednesday, Won penned a letter to DOT Deputy Commissioner of Bridges Paul Schwartz and Rodriquez asking for a detailed explanation as to why the DOT was delaying the plan. The letter was also signed by Menin and Queens Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers, who is chair of the Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“The Department of Transportation must share their justification for prioritizing one of the multiple motor vehicle lanes over the lives and bodies of our constituents,” the letter reads.

The lawmakers wrote that usership of the northern outer roadway is up 35 percent since pre-pandemic levels which, given the tight nature of the strip, puts users in harm’s way.

“Constituent complaints indicate a growing number of increasingly bloody crashes as more people and faster vehicles try to use the exceptionally narrow bike lane,” the letter reads.

“The current situation puts people walking and on bikes in real danger,” they wrote.

The Queens Post reached out to the DOT for comment on the letter but has yet to receive a response.

Unlike Won’s tweet on Monday, the letter did not call for an immediate implementation of the city’s repurposing plan.

However, the lawmakers called for the DOT to provide a timeline as to when the conversion of the southern outer roadway will commence and when it will open to the public.

Furthermore, the narrow width of the current two-way bike lane is understood not to meet the 12 feet wide minimum recommended by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), a coalition of Departments of Transportation bodies from across north American cities.

The legislators asked the DOT to explain whether the bike lane was granted an exemption from the national minimum standards for a two-way lane.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Ros

Motorcycles are using the bike lane, speeding like crazy onto the pedestrians. No one does anything. NYC became garbage

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Advocates urge passage of New York for All Act as Assembly session nears end

Jun. 16, 2025 By Jimmy Robles

As the State Senate concluded its legislative session on Thursday, immigrant rights advocates renewed calls for lawmakers to pass the New York for All Act before the Assembly adjourns on Tuesday, June 17. The proposed legislation, along with several other immigration-related bills, remains pending as the clock winds down on this year’s session.

Queens gun buyback takes 74 firearms off streets, including ghost guns and assault weapons: DA

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday that 74 firearms were taken off the streets at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York in Jamaica during a gun buyback event on Saturday, June 14. The weapons were exchanged for bank cards pre-loaded with cash, with no identification required and no questions asked.

“Gun buybacks serve as a critical tool for reducing gun violence and promoting public safety within our communities,” Katz said. “This Saturday, working with the NYPD and clergy leaders in Jamaica, we received 74 surrendered guns — including five automatic weapons. As a result, these firearms will not be used to cause heartache and tragedy.”

Queens Distance Runners hosts second annual track meet at St. John’s University, spotlighting Olympian and local talent

Jun. 16, 2025 By Paulina Albarracin

Dozens of runners gathered at the DaSilva Field Track in St. John’s University for the second annual track meet last month. Hosted by Queens Distance Runners (QDR), a grassroots running organization, the sporting competition welcomed sprinters and distance runners of all skill levels to test their abilities, vying for the podium in track events from 100 meters to 5,000 meters.

Western Queens lawmakers back DOT’s 31st Street bike lane redesign

June 13, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas and Council Member Tiffany Cabán issued a joint statement voicing strong support for the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposed redesign of 31st Street in Astoria, which includes the installation of eight-foot-wide protected bike lanes beneath the elevated N/W subway tracks.