Survey Says New Yorker Want More Protected Bike and Bus Lanes, Less Parking

"New Yorkers want more open streets, bike lanes, and bus lanes, and they’re willing to sacrifice some free parking to get them," reports Christopher Robbins, summarizing data from a recent poll by Siena College, commissioned by Transportation Alternatives.

According to the poll, "68% of registered voters in New York City supported adding more protected bike lanes, while 63% of those polled wanted to expand the city’s Open Streets program in their neighborhoods," according to Robbins.

"A majority of those polled also said they wanted more dedicated bus lanes, wider sidewalks, greenery, and spaces for children to play, even if it means sacrificing parking or space for vehicles."

The article provides breakdowns of the data on demographic lines, including the observation that protected bike lanes had the strongest support from poll respondents making less than $50,000 a year.

Robbins places the report's findings in context of the pandemic, noting the frustration among advocates for traffic safety and public transit that the de Blasio administration hasn't done more to further the city's Vision Zero goals with the Pandemic offering new opportunities for change.

According to Transportation Alternatives's messaging from the results of the survey: planning for non-automotive mobility is good policy and good politics.