The Bronx River Alliance was part of a ride-through last weekend to review plans for new bike lanes on 222nd Street. The new bike lanes will run 1.6 miles connecting Co-Op City with Shoelace Park.
(Image: 222nd Street ride through – left to right: Rich Gans, Jennifer Harris-Hernandez, Mel Rodriguez)
The City Transportation Department’s (NYCDOT) 222nd Street project will do what’s called a "road diet" – converting a 4-lane street with no turn pockets, into a 3-lane street with turn pockets, while adding new bike lanes. Federal research shows that road diets make streets safer for all users: drivers, pedestrians, and, of course, cyclists. NYCDOT is finalizing the designs. The new bike lanes are expected to be striped this summer.
The west end of the new bike lanes will be at the recently-renovated 222nd Street entry point for Shoelace Park. The 222nd Street entry includes a ramp and a stairway to connect into the park, making for easy bike connections to the Bronx River bike path below. The 222nd Street entry area also features rain gardens that soak runoff into the ground, preventing pollution from reaching the Bronx River.
The east end of the new bike lanes will be at the intersection of 222nd Street and Baychester Avenue / Hammersley Avenue, where cyclists can cross the street via a crosswalk, and continue to Co-Op City via the pedestrian bridge over the New England Thruway.
The 222nd Street bike lanes are a project of NYCDOT, but credit also goes to many individuals and organizations that have worked to make them a reality: thanks to Mel Rodriguez, Rich Gans, Transportation Alternatives, the East 222nd Street Block Association, Bronx Community Board 12, and other supporters.
We’re looking forward to riding the new lanes this summer!
