Western Queens Improving for Cyclists--More Bike Lanes Planned, More Citibikes Requested

The city’s Department of Transportation is planning on adding nine new miles of bike lanes to Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside. The new lanes, to be installed by the end of the year, will nearly double the miles of bike lanes in those neighborhoods. According to the Long Island City Post, the new lanes will provide safer connections to the East River Ferry and from the Pulaski Bridge to Astoria.

And there is demand for expanding the Citi Bike bike share program which is scheduled to start up in Long Island City in the  coming months. While residents in Brooklyn Heights complain about the bike share program, local politicians in Queens are doing their best to bring more of the blue bikes to the borough. State Senator Micheal Gianaris recently wrote to Mayor Bloomberg saying that his office has been swamped with calls requesting the bikes in Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City. He wrote, “Western Queens already has limited transportation options; as more and more people flock to this area, the need for transportation alternatives grows clearer. Its residents should also enjoy this healthy and efficient way to move around the city.” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer has also pushed for more of the bikes and the city says that more of the bikes may be incorporated along the G train to help with expected service disruptions due to repair work.

It looks like transit issues in Western Queens are finally getting some attention at the policy level too. The transportation division of the city’s planning department is beginning a study of the area–the federally funded Western Queens Transportation Study–focused on improving bicycle and pedestrian links as well as transit improvements, given the fast-paced development of the area. The study is seeking participation from local community boards and civic organizations.

Nine Miles of Bike Lanes Coming to Long Island City and Sunnyside [LIC Post]
Western Queens Transportation Study to Address Safety, Connections to Transit [Mobilizing the Region]
Pol Wants Citi Bike to Come to Astoria [Times Ledger]
Heights Citi Bike Station Covered in Trash [Brownstoner]