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Man hit by car and injured near a Bayside bike lane that’s been the subject of controversy

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Photo via Bayside, Queens Facebook group/Mike Beringer

A pedestrian sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being hit by a car in Bayside this morning.

At around 10:20 a.m. on Dec. 20, a 75-year-old male victim was walking across the Cross Island Parkway exit ramp at Northern Boulevard when he was struck by a vehicle, according to law enforcement sources. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers from the 111th Precinct also responded to the incident.

The collision took place at the site of a highly controversial bike lane that the city’s Department of Transportation installed earlier this year. After a member posted a photo of the incident on the Bayside, Queens Facebook group, comments on both sides of the bike lane debate came flying in.

Some began speculating whether the bike lane was a contributing factor in this and other accidents. A few users claimed the city safety project makes it more difficult for drivers to merge from the Cross Island Parkway onto Northern Boulevard.

Others said the blame lies solely with the driver of the vehicle.

“If you know how to drive, [the bike lane] shouldn’t be an issue,” wrote group member Jeffery Forgacs.

Police issued the unidentified driver of the vehicle a summons for failure to yield, an NYPD spokesperson said. There was no mention of the lanes in the report.