New York Set to Receive Massive Bike Safety Funding

New York Senator Chuck Schumer has promised his constituents that they’ll receive “an effing lot of money” for cycling infrastructure, according to a recent report by Streetsblog. During a news conference at the Queensboro bridge discussing the freshly passed federal infrastructure bill, Schumer said that $289 million in federal funding will be directed toward making the state’s roadways safer for bicycle users. 

The funding will reportedly be directed toward “transportation alternative grants,” as well as a “$200-million-per-year Safe Streets For All program that will support Vision Zero efforts.” Schumer reportedly expressed his “dream” of making New York more like Amsterdam, a city known for its cycling culture. “That’s what we’re having here in New York, a bike boom,” he said. “Unfortunately, the infrastructure hasn’t caught up with the boom… We are here to say we need much more infrastructure to make biking, more prevalent, safer, cleaner and better in New York. … My goal, my dream is to be like Amsterdam. I visited Amsterdam, bikes are way of life there. And it’s a beautiful way to live.” 

The funds reportedly will not be disbursed for several months yet, as lawmakers determine what they can be spent on. Still, Schumer assured attendees at the press conference “that he was committed to writing regulations that lock the street safety and cycling-friendly provisions into law,” and advocates responded enthusiastically with their own ideas. One organizer told Streetsblog, “We need solid, physically protected bike lanes on our dangerous arterials and we need to build out our greenway network to connect every neighborhood.” She also proposed the installation of protected bike lanes in “known dangerous arterials and speedways,” as well as greenway projects in Queens. 

Another bike safety advocate agreed that the state should deepen its investment in greenways, specifically a proposed 350-mile greenway left to languish by city officials. “The city has a greenway plan from 1993,” the advocate said, “and very little of it has been built.” 

More information on the $289 million in federal funding planned to be directed towards safe cycling infrastructure is available via Streetsblog.