Brooklyn Bridge Bike Path Could Be Wider, Safer

Advocates want to see a safer plan for the proposed two-way path on one of the country's busiest commuter corridors.

1 minute read

April 27, 2021, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Welcome to Brooklyn

photo.ua / Shutterstock

The bike path proposed for the Brooklyn Bridge by New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT) engineers, writes Alissa Walker in Curbed, is "four feet wide in each direction, which is just barely enough for two pairs of handlebars abreast." And while "any dedicated bike path on the bridge that’s clawed back from traffic is a big improvement," Walker writes that the NYDOT's plan "is not nearly ambitious enough for a crossing on what’s arguably one of the most famous bridges in the world in a city with the largest bike-share system outside of China." NACTO's urban bikeway design guide recommends a 12-foot width for two-way cycleways, and the "convoluted meander of connecting paths at either side of the bridge" creates "a reliable recipe for collisions and crashes."

After adding 28 miles of bikeways in the city over the past year, the half-hearted Brooklyn Bridge design just doesn't "add up," writes Walker. "In an alternate timeline, the city would have widened the promenade so people on bikes got fresh air and skyline views instead of being condemned to the car cage below. But even with an imperfect path, the bridge is certain to get even more riders." Hopefully, Walker notes, the influx of commuters will convince the city to install a wider, safer bikeway in the future.

Thursday, April 8, 2021 in Curbed

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!

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 7, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person in yellow safety suit and white helmet kneels to examine water samples outdoors on a lake shore.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure

If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

May 1, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Aerial view of Freeway Park cap park over I-5 interstate freeway in Seattle, Washington at night.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

April 30, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

"Radiation Zone, Keep Out" sign on wood post with red Arizona desert mesa in background

Integrating Human Rights Into Energy and Extractive Sector Transitions

Why just transition efforts must move beyond economic considerations by embedding human rights principles into business practices to ensure equitable, transparent, and accountable outcomes for affected communities and workers.

5 seconds ago - Cambridge University Press

Concrete building wth Department of Housing and Urban Development sign

Blocked, Restored, Blocked Again — Housing Funds in Legal Limbo

Since Trump took office, the administration has blocked multiple affordable housing funding streams. Here's a look at which funds have been frozen, which have been reinstated, and which are in the courts.

1 hour ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Close-up of dirty pipe at oil drilling operation.

Mapping Groundwater Risks from Orphan Wells Across U.S. Aquifers

A new USGS study reveals that more than half of the nation’s documented orphan wells lie within aquifers supplying the vast majority of U.S. groundwater, posing widespread risks of contamination from aging, unplugged infrastructure.

2 hours ago - EcoWatch

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.