Changes to Queensboro Bridge expected to reduce pedestrian safety hazards by summer

NEW YORK - The constant chaos you see at the foot of the Queensboro bridge on Manhattan’s side alone only scratches the surface of the brewing battle for space underneath.

Every day more than 7,000 bikers and roughly 2,700 pedestrians struggle to find their own lane.

FOX 5 NY spoke with Debra, a pedestrian who walks across the bridge a few times a week, and she tells us each trip comes with a near miss.

"At least 7 - 8 times every time I walk over the bridge. At least," she explained.

The tight narrow path alongside the bridge pedestrians and bicyclists share has been a growing safety hazard for walkers and bikers alike.

"It’s pretty tough. You have weave through a lot of people. A lot of bikers kind of spread out. It’s really hard to stay on one side so it’s pretty tough," another walked, Jakie Pan told FOX 5 NY.

"It creates a situation where everyone is competing with each other for space and there’s not enough of it," added Johnathan Bloom.

Bloom was hit from behind and knocked off his bike by an e-bike while crossing, and is now stressing that something needs to be done.

"I ended up going to the ER. I hit the back of my head and I also scratched up my back really bad. Fortunately, I didn’t have any serious injuries from it," Bloome recalled.

Councilwoman Julie Menin explains how the Department of Transportation plans to clear the congestion by summer.

"They’re taking the south outer roadway and creating a separate area for cyclists and pedestrians, so cyclists have one area pedestrians have another," Menin said.

A mutually welcomed split for both pedestrians and bikers.

"I think it’s good people who walk at a slower pace I don’t want to hit them. I don’t want them to be scared of me. It would be nice to have a bike lane separately for us as well," Pan added.

"I don’t know how many times I’ve dodged people walking going up and down so I think it’s a good idea," Manny Romero said.

DOT officials report the changes to the bridge should be complete by summer.