The “Avenue of the Americas” is now the “Avenue of the Protected Bike Lane.”
NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced on Wednesday the completion of a widened 6th Avenue protected bike lane, stretching from Lispenard to West 13th Streets in Greenwich Village. This completes a more than four-mile protected bike lane corridor running between the neighborhood and Central Park.
“Cyclists can now ride from the Village to Central Park without leaving a protected bike lane,” Rodriguez said. “This area of Sixth Avenue includes a new double-wide segment to accommodate traditional and e-bike cyclists.”
The installation of bike lanes along 6th Avenue, which originally started in 2016 between 8th and 33rd Streets, is part of the city’s ongoing Streets Plan, which includes safety and accessibility improvements for cyclists.
The new bike lane replaces one car lane on 6th Avenue and is around six to 10 feet wide, depending on the location along the avenue. The project also includes intersection redesigns to enhance safety for pedestrians and travelers inside vehicles by shortening the distance it takes pedestrians to cross the street, improving visibility and naturally slowing turning vehicles to safer speeds.
The project is one of several across Manhattan avenues to improve street safety and provide wider protected bike lanes to accommodate the city’s record growth in cycling.
The DOT’s annual bike traffic count over the East Side bridges last year reached an all-time high for a fourth consecutive year. The count, which is conducted from April 1 to Oct. 31 each year, revealed that an average of 28,108 cyclists crossed the bridge spans in 2024 — an increase of 8.4% recorded during the same time the previous year.
According to the DOT, protected bike lanes have been shown to reduce total deaths and serious injuries by 18.1%, and pedestrian deaths and serious injuries by 29.1%. The safety benefits for senior-aged pedestrians are even greater, the DOT noted, with a reduction in senior pedestrian injuries and deaths by 39%.
The 6th Avenue protected bike lane project is part of Mayor Eric Adams’ Charge Safe, Ride Safe initiative to better accommodate cyclists and stand-up scooter riders.
Local City Council Member Erik Bottcher described the newly completed bike lane stretch as a step toward making streets safer and more accessible.
“By completing the Sixth Avenue bike lane, we are not only improving the safety of cyclists but also enhancing the overall experience for pedestrians and drivers alike,” Bottcher said. “This project is part of our broader vision to create a more sustainable, equitable, and safer city for all New Yorkers. With safer streets and better infrastructure, we’re making it easier to get around Manhattan while helping reduce injuries and fatalities for everyone.”
Transportation advocates and Manhattan Community Board 2 also welcomed the bike lane. The advisory body noted its support in an April 19, 2024, resolution.
“We humbly believe the greatest city in the world should have the greatest streets in the world,” said Ben Furnas, executive director of the transit advocacy group Transportation Alternatives. “This bike lane here on 6th Avenue is a great example of the high-quality bike lane that we want to see as part of a protected network across the city.”
He also applauded the DOT’s redesign work at other Manhattan locations.
“We’re excited to see DOT complete the redesign of Manhattan’s 6th Avenue, as well as critical improvements on 1st, 2nd, 7th and 10th Avenues,” Furnas added. “These changes will make it both safer and more pleasant to travel throughout Manhattan.”
