A local advocacy group focused on cycling and street safety is taking significant steps to improve bike connectivity in Queens.
Ridgewood Rides, a grassroots organization founded in 2022, has officially launched its new campaign, “Complete the Connections,” calling for an expansion and improvement of bicycle infrastructure that links Ridgewood to neighboring communities like Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, East Williamsburg, and Long Island City.
The campaign is centered on a vision of safer, more connected streets that allow cyclists of all ages and experience levels to travel freely, safely, and efficiently. Ridgewood Rides is asking city agencies, local elected officials, and community boards to support a series of targeted improvements to Ridgewood’s current bike network, much of which is incomplete, poorly marked, or lacking altogether.
The group has also launched a petition, created in collaboration with the citywide safe streets advocacy organization Transportation Alternatives, to rally support for these changes.
At the heart of the campaign is a push to bridge the critical gaps in Ridgewood’s bike infrastructure, which the group says currently endangers cyclists by forcing them into mixed vehicle traffic.
“Many existing bike lanes in Ridgewood abruptly end or are converted into shared lanes (with sharrows). This lack of continuous bicycle infrastructure forces cyclists to enter vehicle traffic without protection, creating unsafe conditions,” the group stated.
“By extending lanes and upgrading painted lanes to protected lanes, we can ensure a continuous and safe cycling experience throughout Ridgewood and beyond.”
The campaign highlights explicitly seven key corridors where infrastructure is either missing, incomplete, or hazardous.
Woodward Avenue: This important north-south corridor has a partial bike lane ending abruptly at Flushing Avenue. Cyclists must contend with truck traffic, roadway debris, railroad tracks, and an extremely dangerous left turn onto Metropolitan Avenue to connect with bike lanes toward East Williamsburg and the Williamsburg Bridge. While NYC DOT’s official map indicates a bike connection, there are currently no signs, sharrows, or lanes on this stretch.
Metropolitan Avenue: A major route for Ridgewood cyclists, the current shared lane ends at Woodward Avenue, leaving a critical east-west corridor disconnected. Advocates are calling on DOT to extend this route and ensure a continuous bike lane.
Eliot Avenue: This corridor is one of the few direct connections between Ridgewood, Maspeth, and Middle Village. However, west of 69th Street, it has no bike infrastructure at all. The road narrows significantly between Mount Olivet and All Faiths cemeteries, creating hazardous cycling conditions.
Cypress Avenue: While a protected bike lane is currently being installed between Cooper Avenue and Cypress Hills Street, it ends abruptly at Clover Place. Cyclists are forced to use the sidewalk to connect to Cooper Avenue, which Ridgewood Rides says is inadequate and unsafe.
Cooper Avenue and Decatur Street: The NYC DOT has shared plans to eventually connect Cypress Avenue to Bushwick’s bike network via Evergreen and Central Avenues. However, Ridgewood Rides urges immediate action to implement those connections and link them with existing Ridgewood routes.
Rust Street corridor: Advocates are calling for the implementation of bike lanes along 56th Road and Rust Street, based on a plan presented to Queens Community Board 2 in May 2024. This would create a much-needed connection from Ridgewood to Long Island City and Sunnyside via Maspeth.
Harman Street and Himrod Street: Extensions and upgrades to existing lanes on these streets would help better integrate Ridgewood’s bike network.
Local cyclists and residents have offered strong support for the campaign by sharing personal stories of danger and difficulty navigating Ridgewood’s incomplete bike network.
“The Woodward bike lane is the fastest and most direct route to Metropolitan Avenue and the areas I want to go, but the lane abruptly ends at Flushing Avenue, and the cars constantly accelerate past me at high speed as I try to make my way to the right side of the road,” said Duncan Ballantine, a Ridgewood resident.
“We need to extend the existing bike lane and create a protected space for cyclists to make this key, direct route to and from Ridgewood safe and viable.”
Mike Fordunski of Maspeth described Rust Street as “full of trash, rats, and trucks,” while Bree Mobley from Bushwick called Eliot Avenue “stressful” and in dire need of bike lanes and lighting.
Glendale resident Nellie Metcalfe emphasized the importance of new bike infrastructure along Cooper Avenue, Decatur Street, and Cypress Avenue to improve access to existing and upcoming bike lanes. Magdalena Zink of Greenpoint echoed the need for safety upgrades, calling current routes “harrowing” and needing protected lanes.
To officially kick off the campaign and engage the broader community, Ridgewood Rides will host a public campaign launch event on Saturday, April 26, at Grover Cleveland Park beginning at 12:30 p.m. The event will feature speakers, campaign materials, and opportunities for residents to talk informally about the state of local streets and ideas for improvement.
The launch event will be preceded by a community bike ride starting at 11 a.m. from Rosemary’s Playground. The ride will follow the routes highlighted in the campaign, providing participants with firsthand insight into the conditions that cyclists face daily. Both the ride and the event are open to all members of the public, including community groups, elected officials, candidates and members of the press.
Ridgewood Rides has grown rapidly from a small collective of passionate neighbors into a recognized force for sustainable transportation and community building. The group champions a safer and more inclusive approach to urban mobility through social rides, educational events and persistent advocacy.
The Complete the Connections campaign represents their most ambitious effort yet, calling on the entire community to join them.
