Four Freedoms Democratic Club

Resolution to Support Permanent, Protected Crosstown Bike Lanes on East 60th, East 61st, and East 62nd Street

Whereas, the future of New York City depends on safe streets and reliable public transit; and

Whereas, nearly one in four adult New Yorkers ride a bike regularly and 15 percent of New Yorkers use bike share, according to the city Department of Transportation; and 

Whereas, New York City has a goal of building 30 miles of protected bike lanes every year; and 

Whereas, cycling increased significantly in 2020, including on 1st Ave., 2nd Ave., and the Queensboro Bridge bike path; and 

Whereas, DOT has identified East 60th Street (from 1st Ave. to York Ave.), and East 61st Street and East 62nd Streets (from 5th Ave. to 1st Ave.) as Vision Zero Priority Areas and has proposed to make permanent the existing, temporary protected bike lanes in these areas; and 

Whereas, these areas have seen 342 injuries, including 27 severe injuries, and three fatalities, placing East 61st and East 62nd Streets in the top 10% for killed or severely injured (KSI) in all of Manhattan; and 

Whereas, nearly 90% of fatalities occur on streets without bike lanes; and 

Whereas, protected bike lanes are proven to improve safety, resulting in a 15 percent decline in crashes with injuries and a 21 percent decline in pedestrian injuries, according to DOT; and 

Whereas, protected bike lanes are proven to reduce conflicts between bicycles, pedestrians, vehicles and trucks; and 

Whereas, protected bike lanes are a crucial component of building a citywide, interconnected bike network, and on the East Side provide vital, necessary connections between Roosevelt Island, the Queensboro Bridge, the East River Greenway, Central Park, and the West Side; and

Whereas, a 2015 study by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy found that a 20 percent increase in cycling globally could “cut carbon dioxide emissions from urban passenger transport by nearly 11 percent in 2050”; and  

Whereas, protected bike lanes will serve the growing demand for cycling, the rise of cargo bike deliveries, and delivery cyclists who risked their lives during the pandemic; and

Whereas, in November 2015 Manhattan Community Board 8 passed a resolution asking for a network of crosstown bike lanes on the Upper East Side “using the safest appropriate design”;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Four Freedoms Democratic Club calls on Manhattan Community Board 8 to pass a resolution supporting the permanent implementation of protected bike lanes on East 61st Street and East 62nd Streets (from 5th Ave. to 1st Ave.) and East 60th Street (from 1st Ave. to York Ave.).