43rd Avenue. near 48th Street (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
Oct. 31, 2019. By Shane O’Brien
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that he plans to make 43rd Avenue more bicycle friendly by adjusting traffic light sequences to cycling speed as part of the Vision Zero Program.
The city is planning on implementing its new “Green Wave” signal timing on the avenue in 2020 which sets traffic lights to accommodate cyclists traveling at about 15 miles per hour.
Typically, lights turn green to accommodate a car driving at the legal speed limit of 20 miles per hour on the thoroughfare.
Green Wave Signalling was introduced in a pilot program along Hoyt and Bond Streets in Brooklyn this year and the mayor’s office argues that it increased bike traffic on both streets and made journeys quicker, safer and less stressful as it allowed cyclists to comfortably ride without stopping.
The pilot program also saw vehicle speeds drop slightly, according to the mayor’s office.
The city is also implementing Green Wave Signal Timing on Prince Street in SoHo and Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights.
De Blasio said that the city was committed to ensuring the safety of every bike rider in New York City feels safe. The mayor was speaking on Oct. 23 at the ribbon cutting of the 100th mile of protected bike lanes installed since he became mayor.
“Vision Zero means making sure people on bikes in every neighborhood feel safe—whether they’re in Boerum Hill, Bath Beach or Bushwick,” de Blasio said. “We’ve installed 100 miles of protected bike lanes—more than any administration in history—and are not stopping there. With our ‘green wave’ plan, we’re doubling down on our commitment to end senseless traffic fatalities.”
The mayor’s press conference came just days before the City Council voted to install an additional 250 miles of protected bike lanes and 150 miles of protected bus lanes across the city over 5 years–starting in 2022.
