New Bike Lanes On 72nd Street Sparks Petition

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — City officials have proposed a redesign of 72nd Street that would add protected bike lanes from Riverside Drive to York Avenue, and more than 183 people have already signed a petition against it.

The plan, recently presented at Upper West Side's Community Board 7 transportation committee meeting, calls for protected bike lanes in both directions, a center turning lane and parking.

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The renderings also include painted safety islands to shorten crossing distances and bus boarding islands at bus stops, where applicable.

The proposal would remove one travel lane in each direction to make space for the redesigned street layout, taking traffic from four lanes to two lanes, according to the presentation.

"We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and concerned citizens, respectfully express our opposition to the proposed bike lane on West 72nd Street," the petition reads. "We believe this proposal may negatively impact traffic flow, public safety, local businesses, and neighborhood accessibility. We urge city officials to reconsider or modify this plan with greater community input."

The design for the Upper East Side has not been finalized yet, but DOT said it plans to finalize and present the Upper East Side's portion of the redesign and present it to the community this fall.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.