Wheels in motion to add bike lane to bridge

Elected officials have introduced legislation that could put a bike lane on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

The bill, introduced March 9 by State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas of Queens, would establish an advisory committee tasked with creating a strategic pain, in consultation with the MTA, to promote cycling and pedestrian access on MTA bridges and stations.

Advocacy group Bike South Brooklyn has long hoped for the idea to come to pass and its members are happy about the news.

“For Brooklynites looking to bike over the Verrazzano to Staten Island or the Marine Parkway Bridge to the Rockaways, MTA leadership has been more than indifferent,” said Bike South Brooklyn co-founder Brian Hedden. “This bill will be an important first step in catching the MTA up with its peers and ending the leadership’s pointless obstruction.”

The legislation would also require the MTA to consider and prioritize bicycle and pedestrian access when planning capital projects.

“Despite the rapid growth of bicycling in New York City over the last decade, the MTA has done little to improve bicycle access at its stations and prohibits cycling on its bridges altogether,” said Biaggi. 

“This legislation will create a mechanism by which we can ensure to improve the access to New Yorkers who want to cycle on MTA bridges by bringing stakeholders to the table,” said Gonzalez-Rojas.