It took years of letters, petitions and protests but you guys actually did it. New York's Queensborough Bridge Now Has Separate Paths for Pedestrians and Bicycles! When people fight, they WIN ๐๐๐
Did they build a new path on the other side? Or Did they take one of the 9 car lanes and repurposed it for bike or walk?
they build a new path
Hahahaha!
But seriously. They took a streetcar lane, which has been torn out and repurposed for a car lane, but is so narrow and uncomfortable to use that in modern day few cars ever use it. I took a note to count the cars last time I rode over the bridge - the middle lanes were bumper-to-bumper, but only two vehicles used the outer streetcar lane. It's open and accessible, the drivers just choose to avoid it. Even the current pedestrian/bike path in the former streetcar lane on the other side is too narrow to use, which is why adding more pedestrian space is necessary.
The 4 car lanes on the top level are the ones that repurposed the original pedestrian path, as well as replacing two additional railway tracks.
I remember driving that lane, it was a little harrowing even in my narrow old first car, at anything beyond 25mph.
This is huge as the cyclists cannot safely operate with the bridge traffic and yet many โcyclistsโ (read douchebags on Citibikes without helmets aka not serious riders) would ride on the pedestrian walkway at full speed as if they have the right of way vs pedestrians when they do not.
Link to article?
Norm Macdonald would be proud of this, he had a friend that worked under that bridge.