Nearly Two Miles Of Bike & Bus Lines Planned For Third Avenue In “Complete Street” Redesign

An impressive 1.9 miles of bike and bus lanes are set to be added to Third Avenue, as part of what the Department of Transportation deems a “Complete Street” overhaul of the transportation corridor.

According to the DOT, 50,000 riders take the M98, M101, M102, and M103 buses down Third Avenue daily, meaning more than 150 buses hurtle down the street during peak morning service hours. The bus lanes will be offset, which entails that space for parking along the curb will be maintained by buses receiving a dedicated adjacent lane. This ideally would reduce traffic as well as sparring between car drivers and bus drivers.

The DOT also notes the new bike lanes will run nine feet across, instead of the typical six feet across. In two uphill stretches of Third Ave. (between 64th & 66th St. and 80th & 82nd St.) the bike lanes will be 11 feet across, in order to provide space for e-bike users to pass typical bike riders without risking collisions.

Delivery workers will also receive two customized “layover areas” to keep sidewalks clear, located between 84th & 85th St. and 86th & 87th St. The layover areas will consist of “painted, mid-block sidewalk extensions and bike corrals, planters, and granite blocks.”

Mayor Eric Adams proclaimed that “this nearly two-mile project will make a busy stretch of Manhattan smoother and safer for bus riders, pedestrians, and cyclists, including many hard-working delivery workers.” Adams added that “DOT has been creative in deploying a range of tools to suit this particular corridor, building on our ‘Charge Safe, Ride Safe’ plan with wider bike lanes to encourage more and safer cycling.”

The “Charge Safe, Ride Safe” action plan was introduced in March to balance the adoption of climate-friendly “e-micromobility” vehicles like e-bikes with the public need for safety.

The new construction is also intended to comply with the Complete Street Act of 2011. As per the NYC DOT, a Complete Street is “a roadway planned and designed to consider the safe, convenient access and mobility of all roadway users of all ages and abilities. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation riders, and motorists; it includes children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.”

Other prominent politicians chimed in on the planned improvements, with Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine quipping that “you can practically hear the cheers of cyclists along Third Avenue – this is a major win for safety along one of Manhattan’s busiest boulevards.”

Congressman Jerrold Nadler, the U.S. Representative for NY’s 12th Congressional District, added that “breaking ground on the Third Avenue Complete Street redesign is welcome news, making our streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians alike while delivering more efficient bus service to the East Side.” He also noted his belief that “we must continue to support innovative efforts that put pedestrians and public transit riders first, not private cars.”

A DOT spokesperson told Our Town that Community Board 8 (which encompasses the area where the lanes are slated for construction) “verbally offered their support” for the new lanes. Indeed, the Transportation Committee offered a resolution in favor of the plan in October of 2022, with a vote of 26 to 13 indicating some concern among certain members. The resolution added some crucial enforcement points they expected to be met regardless of CB8’s support, with punishment against vehicles of all kinds for running red lights sticking out.