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De Blasio: City to install 15 miles of bike lanes this year

Two female bicyclists are seen riding within the designated bike lane along W.218th Street in Upper Manhattan.
Two female bicyclists are seen riding within the designated bike lane along W.218th Street in Upper Manhattan. Photo Credit: ANNIE LIEBOVITZ

Bike riders throughout the city can feel a little safer this year.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Transportation announced Thursday that they will install 15 miles of protected bike lanes throughout the five boroughs by the end of the year.

De Blasio said this is three more miles than were built last year and it’s a key component of his “Vision Zero” initiative that aims to reduce traffic deaths.

“Even after the safest year ever recorded on our streets, our Vision Zero efforts will expand the network of protected bike lanes even farther, so we can have safer streets for all our people,” he said in a statement.

A protected bike lane has a barrier from road traffic.

There will be 10 sections of road that will get the bike lanes in four boroughs and one bridge. Manhattan will get the lion’s share of the protected sections in four locations: Amsterdam Avenue between West 72nd and 110th streets; Chrystie Street between Canal and 2nd streets; 6th Avenue between West 8th and West 33rd streets and; 2nd Avenue between East 105 and East 68th streets.

Three sections in Queens will get the lanes: 20th Avenue between 37th Street and Shore Boulevard; Hoyt Avenue North between 27th and 19th streets; and Shore Boulevard between Ditmars Boulevard and Astoria Park South.

A protected lane will also be installed at the Bruckner Boulevard between Hunts Point and Longwood avenues in the Bronx, the Marine Park Connector between Avenue U and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, and the Pulaski Bridge.