New Bike Lanes Installed Near Williamsburg Bridge

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — A new protected bike path that leads to the Williamsburg Bridge was installed this week, the Department of Transportation announced.

The green bike path was installed on South Fifth Place near South Fifth Street on Tuesday, according to the DOT.

The new lane is part of the city’s plan to prepare for the imminent 15-month L train shutdown — which is expected to cause a major uptick in Brooklyn commuters who cycle to work — by improving bike access to the Brooklyn side of the bridge.

The DOT’s Williamsburg Bridge Access And Connections proposal includes plans to add new bike lanes, connect already existing bike lanes and improve intersection safety near the Williamsburg side of the bridge.

Potential improvements include:

• A new concrete pedestrian island with signaled crossings at the intersection where South Fourth Place, Havemeyer Street and Borinquen Place meet.
• New bike lanes on South Third, South Fourth, Scholes and Meserole streets.
• A new eastbound bike path down the middle of the Borinquen Place Median between South Fourth and Grand streets.

City employees have already installed protected bike lanes on South Fifth Street between Berry and Grand streets and on South Fifth Place, according to the DOT.

The L train shutdown is slated to begin next April and will halt service between Manhattan and Brooklyn for the following 15 months.

More information about how the MTA is preparing for the Canarsie Line shutdown is available here and more information about the DOT’s proposed bike lanes is available in their report, which was presented to Community Board 1 in March.

Photos courtesy of the NYC DOT/Facebook