NYC neighborhood calls new bike lanes 'dangerous'

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Some residents of Douglaston, Queens, aren't holding back on how they feel about a recently installed bike lanes on Northern Boulevard and Douglaston Parkway. They are calling the lanes a "death trap," "kind of invisible," and "dangerous to bikers and drivers" because of a concrete barrier.

People in the area also told Fox 5 that several accidents have happened there. Some drivers worry winter will be even worse when snow falls.

State Sen. Tony Avella said no one is against bike lanes but they want safe bike lanes. He said the community board did approve the bike lanes but he believes the Department of Transportation acted too quickly, which resulted in a poor design.

Avella suggested this instead: widen the sidewalk, push back the park fence, and let bikes use the sidewalk so that vehicle traffic has more room.

In response to the criticism, the DOT issued a statement.

"This project is a direct response to a cyclist being killed on this section of Northern Blvd.," the DOT said. "We are currently installing additional safety treatments like reflective tape and flexible delineators that have been part of the design from the beginning of this project, to increase protection and awareness for all street users."

The DOT said it expects most of the project to completed by the end of the week.