City Proposes Bike Lane Connecting Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park With Central Park

HARLEM, NY — The city Department of Transportation is moving forward with Harlem bike lane improvements first proposed this summer.

This week representatives from the DOT spoke to members of Community Board 10's transportation committee — which represents much of Central Harlem — about a protected, two-way bike lane on Fifth Avenue connecting Central Park's northeast entrance with Marcus Garvey Park, Streetsblog first reported.

Members of the community board committee did not take a position on the proposed street improvements, Streetsblog reported. A DOT spokesperson told Streetsblog that the department will continue to discuss bike improvements in with Community Board 10 and 11 throughout the fall.

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The protected bike lane was first pitched by the city in a June presentation about bike infrastructure upgrades in the neighborhood. The project would feature a complete street redesign of Fifth Avenue between East 110th and 120th streets, according to a DOT presentation.

The targeted stretch of Fifth Avenue is currently unsafe due to an excess capacity for vehicles, wide travel lanes encouraging speeding, long pedestrian crossings and a lack of bike infrastructure, according to a DOT presentation.

The Fifth Avenue redesign will occur in two portions — both featuring a protected bike lane. The section of Fifth Avenue between East 112th and 115th street will feature perpendicular parking whereas the rest of the stretch will not. Both stretches will feature floating parking lanes protecting a two-way bike lane except at intersections with an added left turn lane. Left turn lanes will be installed on East 118th, 116th and 112th streets, according to the DOT.

Here's how the streets could look if the DOT proposal passes:

From East 110th to 112th streets and East 115th to 120th streets.

From East 112th to 115th streets.

Intersections with left turn lanes installed (East 118th, 116th and 112th streets).

Read the full Streetsblog article here.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Hulton Archive/Getty Images