New York Built 20.9 Miles of Protected Bike Lane in 2018, Falling Short of Record

Delays kept NY from setting a record in terms of new protected bike lanes, but the city continues to expand its bike network.

1 minute read

December 28, 2018, 2:00 PM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Prospect Park Bike Lane

Eric Fischer / flickr

Last year, New York set a record for the most miles of protected bike lanes the city had ever built, that record might have been broken this year, but the city failed to hit its lofty goals. "The city Department of Transportation revealed on Wednesday that it fell short of its own projection of installing 29.4 miles of protected cycling routes in the city this year — a prediction that would have represented a whopping 18-percent increase from last year’s record 24.9 miles," Gersh Kuntzman reports for Streetsblog NYC.

Still, 20-some miles a year is a rapid expansion compared to what New York had accomplished in the past and what other cities have done around the country. Some of the paths that have yet to be built may come online in 2019. "The shortfall likely resulted from projects that were delayed by the administration, including the fourth phase of Queens Boulevard (2.2 miles), filling a nine-block gap on Second Avenue in Manhattan (.4 miles), constructing a protected lane on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn (1.3 miles), and completing other projects that have been shelved, though possibly only temporarily," Kuntzman writes.

Kuntzman argues that more might have been built if projects hadn’t been held up at the neighborhood level.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 in StreetsBlog NYC

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

View from hilltop residential neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, California on a cloudy day.

LA Falling Behind on Housing Goals

Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.

May 27 - LAist

Canada geese and ducks on the shore of a lake with red brick boathouse in background across the lake in Lincoln Park, Los Angeles.

Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home

Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.

May 27 - Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

Children inside large slide at water park.

Palmdale’s Beloved Water Park Gets $2 Million Upgrade

To mark its 20th anniversary, DryTown Water Park has undergone major renovations, ensuring that families across the Antelope Valley continue to enjoy safe, affordable, and much-needed water-based recreation in the high desert.

May 27 - Antelope Valley Press

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.