c/o the “No 72nd Street Bike Lane Coalition”
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They came with signs and chants on a Saturday morning, and organizers say their message was heard — with a key vote approaching.
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Roughly 150 residents turned out at Verdi Square on Saturday morning to oppose a city plan that would install a two-way protected bike lane along the length of West 72nd Street. The rally, organized by a group calling itself the “No 72nd Street Bike Lane Coalition,” came three days before a scheduled Community Board 7 vote on the proposal.Demonstrators carried signs reading “Pause the Plan,” “Pedestrian Safety Comes First,” and “Save Lives, Stop E-Bikes,” and led chants opposing the lane, amNewYork reported. Organizers have argued the redesign could create new obstacles for older residents and people with limited mobility, increase pedestrian conflicts with e-bike delivery traffic, and worsen congestion on a corridor that is already heavily trafficked.
The rally followed the launch of a petition opposing the proposal that began circulating last month, in which signers describe the redesign as a threat to traffic flow, public safety, local businesses, and neighborhood accessibility, and ask city officials to reconsider or modify the plan with additional community input.
The DOT proposal, first presented to CB7’s transportation committee last month, would convert West 72nd Street from four travel lanes to two, with a center turning bay and a parking-protected, two-way bike lane along the north curb. The agency has framed the project as a way to provide a continuous crosstown cycling connection between Riverside Park, Central Park, and points east, and has pointed to data showing that protected bike lanes reduce risk for both cyclists and pedestrians, including a 39 percent reduction in deaths and serious injuries among older pedestrians.
DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn previously said the design reflects the agency’s commitment to safer streets and to meeting growing demand for cycling.
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Not all neighbors who have spoken publicly oppose the plan. Cyclist Julian Kaiser told NY1 the lane would make him feel safer and reduce the need to dodge taxis and double-parked trucks, and dog walker Dennis Regan said he would like to see more lanes installed running north-south as well.Among those who have raised concerns, Upper West Sider Judi Bosworth told NY1 that seniors and people with disabilities would have to cross two bike lanes and watch for cyclists traveling at speed in both directions. Driver Mariam Conteh told the outlet she believed reducing the number of travel lanes would worsen congestion.
CB7’s transportation committee has already passed a resolution in support of the redesign. The board is set to take an advisory vote at the full board meeting on June 2, according to the CB7 website at mcb7.org (it says they just moved it to June, as they were originally supposed to discuss it on May 5. They are also accepting feedback on the issue).
The board’s recommendation does not bind DOT, which has said it intends to move forward with the project this summer.
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