MANHATTAN - Construction officially started on Manhattan's Second Avenue, including wider bike lanes and upgraded bus lanes.
The NYC Department of Transportation announced that 59 blocks of Second Avenue, spanning 2.9 miles, will be redesigned from 59th Street to Houston Street.
"This revamped Second Avenue will make commutes faster and more reliable for 57,000 daily bus riders, better protect the increasing number of cyclists, and improve safety for all road users," NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said. "We are putting people first on Manhattan’s avenues by improving bike, pedestrian, and bus infrastructure, helping the vast majority of commuters on these corridors get where they’re going quicker and safer."
The NYC DOT said there are 57,000 daily bus riders and 6,000 cyclists.
The project is expected to be completed later this year.
JUMP TO BUS LANES | BIKE LANES | SAFETY UPGRADES
Bus lanes
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 2: A taxi drives near an MTA bus on December 2, 2022 in New York City. NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority has proposed a 5.5 percent fare hike next year, this would push subway and bus fares to $2.90 in 2023. (Pho …
The NYC DOT announced that there will be a 24-hour bus service for the M15 local and select bus service routes.
The current operations of the curbside bus lane are weekdays from 7 a.m. - 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
To enhance bus service, the NYC DOT will shift the current curbside bus lane on Second Avenue one lane over, creating an offset bus lane.
Bike lanes
A temporary bike lane on Second Avenue in Manhattan. (Courtesy of NYC Transportation Department)
Cycling in New York City has increased by 54% since 2019 when roughly 3,855 cyclists were recorded on the corridor, the NYC DOT said.
The department will expand the existing 6-foot parking-protected bike lane along Second Avenue to between 8 and 10 feet throughout most of the corridor.
This follows the installation of wider bike lanes on Third, Ninth, and Tenth Avenues in Manhattan.
NYC DOT is also considering widening bike lanes to fill gaps on Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Manhattan and other busy lanes citywide. These efforts are part of the Adams administration’s Charge Safe, Ride Safe action plan to better accommodate legal e-mobility options.
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Additional bike parking and new layover spaces for delivery cyclists will be installed, the NYC DOT said.
The department will also install a wider, parking-protected bike lane between East 35th and 52nd Streets, replacing the current 6-foot bike lane that runs alongside a rush hour travel lane.
Safety upgrades
Along Second Avenue, the NYC DOT will upgrade select painted pedestrian islands on the east side to concrete islands and install new painted pedestrian islands and curb extensions on the west side of the corridor.
In Kips Bay, the NYC DOT will build on recent safety upgrades between East 30th and 33rd Streets.
They will add new and upgraded painted concrete sidewalks on the eastern side.