Signal 1: Bike Protected lanes in NYC

New York City has had one of the highest increases in bike commuters in the last decade within the United States. In the last five years, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) has expanded and enhanced the on-street bike network by nearly 330 miles, including more than 68 protected lane miles. Because of all the initiatives being taken up by the DOT, the number of bike riders in NYC is at an all-time high.

In the fall of 2007, the DOT built the first on-street parking and signal protected bicycle facility in the United States on 9th Avenue between 23rd and 16th Street in Manhattan. Despite taking up car parking spaces, there were clear economic, mobility and safety benefits which came about from this move. Crashes with injuries were reduced by 48%. More accessibility to retail shops by the street helped in moving up sales by approximately 49%.

Building a network of safe bike lanes will help cyclists and other pedestrians feel safe moving about them. Looking at bike successful cities such as Copenhagen, wherein 2017, 62% of the people in Copenhagen preferred biking as their method of commute for work and study; can help NYC improve on this aspect further.

References:

https://nacto.org/case-study/ninth-avenue-complete-street-new-york-city/

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/cycling-in-the-city.pdf

http://www.cycling-embassy.dk/2017/07/04/copenhagen-city-cyclists-facts-figures-2017/