Columbus Circle Bike Lane Proposal Passes Community Board

COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NY — The Upper West Side's community board approved a resolution this week calling for bike and pedestrian safety improvements within Columbus Circle, according to a report.

Community Board 7 wants the city to look into installing protected bike lanes in the circle — which connects Broadway, Eighth Avenue, Central Park West and West 59th Street — Streetsblog first reported. There are currently no bike lanes within the traffic circle, except for a short connecter from Broadway to Central Park.

The community board's resolution called for protected north and south travel through Columbus Circle, which would connect existing bike lanes along Broadway, Eighth Avenue and Central Park West, Streetsblog reported.

As reported by Streetsblog, the resolution reads: "Such path would clearly separate cyclists from vehicles, ideally with physical barriers to prevent the mixing of cyclists and vehicles. In designing this protected path, the DOT should be mindful of the safety of pedestrians and the efficient movement of vehicles through the Circle."

Currently, Columbus Circle is relatively lawless. There exists little signage within the circle and much of the lane markers have faded beyond visibility. As a result, cars switch lanes as they please and the circle become a danger zone for pedestrians and bicyclists. Since 2011, 10 pedestrians and 18 bicyclists have been injured within the traffic circle, according to city Vision Zero data.

Read the full Streetsblog article here.

Photo by Stefano Ravalli via Flickr/Creative Commons