Photo: Todd Maisel

What’s new in the world of cycling and safe streets advocacy? Check out our February 2020 recap for exciting developments across the five boroughs.

• The NYC Council overwhelmingly approved Brad Lander’s Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program, which aims to deter reckless driving and get the most threatening drivers off the street. Motorists who receive 15 speed camera or five red light camera violations will be required to take a safety and accountability course; failure to complete the course will result in the offending driver’s vehicle being impounded.
• The Department of Transportation announced that Manhattan and Brooklyn will each receive 10 new miles of protected bike lanes this year. Manhattan’s lanes include some key connections, including 6th Avenue between Herald Square and Central Park, Broadway in Lower Manhattan, 5th Avenue north of 110th Street, and connections to the Queensboro Bridge. Brooklyn’s set includes extending 4th Avenue north to Flatbush Avenue,
• Citi Bike’s e-bikes are back in action! Spokesman Cory Epstein said the new e-bikes were designed specifically for NYC. Unlike the old models, which were removed from Citi Bike’s fleet last April due to safety concerns, the new e-bikes have a motor on the back wheel instead of the front, and have drum brakes that do not lock up. Citi Bike has also been soliciting input on dock locations for their next wave of expansion in northern Manhattan and the south Bronx.
• Astoria residents turned out in droves to support protected bike lanes on Crescent Street and 31st Avenues at a recent Department of Transportation workshop. The north-south lanes would provide direct connections between the Triboro and Queensboro Bridges–truly vital routes for bike commuters.
• Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg announced that the city will complete the fourth phase of Queens Boulevard, including protected bike lanes through Forest Hills, this summer. At a town hall later that day, Mayor de Blasio provided a contradictory account, insisting that the agency needs to consider alternate design solutions–much to the disappointment of local bike and safe streets advocates.
• We’ve repeatedly pointed out that drivers will continue to abuse protected bike lanes until the City makes good on purchasing properly-sized street sweepers and snow plows. We will call on the Department of Sanitation to purchase appropriate equipment during this year’s budget process.