Statement on Mayor de Blasio Stopping 5th Avenue Protected Bike Lane Project

NEW YORK — On Wednesday, October 20, the de Blasio administration announced that they are not moving forward with a redesign of 5th Avenue in Manhattan, which was planned to receive protected bike lanes this year. Pre-pandemic, 5th Avenue had the highest bike ridership on any corridor in Manhattan without a protected bike lane. 

Fifth Avenue’s redesign has been repeatedly scaled back and delayed. The initial proposal from Mayor de Blasio called for a 24/7 busway from 57th to 34th Streets — installed by the end of last summer. The watered-down proposal broke the busway into two sections and reduced hours, and pushed it to the future.

Statement from Cory Epstein, spokesperson for Transportation Alternatives:

“This is ridiculous and yet another example of Mayor de Blasio prioritizing the convenience of drivers over the safety of people who bike and walk. As we face a climate crisis and record-breaking traffic violence, the last thing the administration should be doing is delaying projects like protected bike lanes and expanded pedestrian space. This decision flies in the face of Mayor de Blasio's Vision Zero goals at a time when the program needs to be expanded, not shrunk.”