NYers Strongly Support More Protected Bike Lanes, Poll Finds

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers will gladly give up parking spaces for better street features such as protected bike and bus lanes, according to a new poll.

The poll released Tuesday by Transportation Alternatives found 68 percent of city voters support adding more protected bike lanes to their neighborhoods.

Strong majorities of New Yorkers also supported adding bus lanes, crosswalk safety features, playgrounds, greenery and other quality of life improvements at the expense of parking space, pollsters at Siena College found.

Danny Harris, executive director for Transportation Alternatives, directed a message for candidates seeking citywide office this year.

"While the majority of our city’s streets are devoted to moving and parking vehicles, the majority of New Yorkers want streets that prioritize people," he said in a statement. "City streets must become fairer, healthier, safer, and put people first as we recover from the pandemic. With this latest polling, it’s clear that candidates running with bold plans to reimagine New York City’s streetscape will have public opinion on their side."

Giving over streets to bicyclists and pedestrians instead of cars sometimes proves controversial in New York City neighborhoods.

But the coronavirus pandemic prompted city officials to launch their Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs, which respectively give over street and curb space for walking, biking, dining and all manner of activity.

Open Restaurants and Open Streets receive high marks from New Yorkers polled — 64 percent said outdoor restaurant seating is an important use of space while 63 percent supported expanded open streets.

Even car owners — who are apt to complain about lack of spaces or grumble about alternate side parking days — largely supported more street features, according to the study.

The poll found 61 percent supported adding more protected bike lanes, 60 percent said they believe outdoor seating for restaurants is an important use of curb space and 57 percent supported expanding Open Streets in their neighborhoods.

More than 80 percent of car owners supported crosswalk safety enhancements and adding children's play spaces by taking away parking, the study found.

“The data is clear, the majority of New Yorkers support adding additional bike and bus lanes as well as green spaces to our City's streets even if that means less parking for vehicles," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, who heads its transportation committee. "I look forward to working alongside Transportation Alternatives and my colleagues at the council to ensure we continue reclaiming our streets and reduce the number of personal vehicles on our roads."

Click here to read the survey results.

See how Manhattan residents responded to the poll here.