Mayor de Blasio Adds “Bike Boulevard” on 21st Street to Better Protect Bikers

by Yehudit Garmaise

     Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this morning that the city will be creating, in every borough, “bike boulevards” that slow cars' speeds and limit traffic to create a low-stress and bike-friendly environment, as part of Streets’ Week! 

     “This is all part of creating a bike-friendly and pedestrian-friendly way to get around,” said the mayor, who today celebrated Bike-to-Work Month by biking his 6-mile morning commute in about an hour. “Biking is environmentally friend, and an easy way to get around.”

     The mayor’s commute today took place almost entirely along protected on-street bicycle lanes, of which he has created a record amount.

      Since the beginning of the de Blasio administration, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has created  475 miles of lanes:  130 miles of protected lanes, which is the most of any mayor in New York City history.

      In addition to the many miles of bike lanes, Mayor de Blasio announced the creation, in every borough, of bike boulevards with additional safety measures and better access to parks and greenways for bikers, which in Brooklyn will be on 21st Street. 

    “Thanks to record installations of protected bike lanes, cycling has never been safer, more accessible, or more popular in New York City,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Whether you’re a veteran cyclist, or just looking to try a greener and healthier commute, now is a great time to bike to work. The cycling boom is here to stay, and I’m proud to support it with more infrastructure than ever to keep cyclists safe.”

    “We know that cycling is an affordable, carbon-neutral, and healthy way to get around, and the Mayor has also shown that it is a great way to commute to work,” said the city’s Department of Transportation Commissioner Hank Gutman. “With our team’s hard work on putting protected bike lanes and now new bike racks around all five boroughs, there has never been a better time to get on a bicycle."

Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office