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Brooklyn Bridge bike lane to officially open Sept. 14

Brooklyn Bridge bike lane
The Brooklyn Bridge bike lane.
Department of Transportation

The city will officially cut the ribbon on the long-awaited Brooklyn Bridge bike lane Tuesday afternoon, according to a press release draft that Brooklyn Paper’s sister publication amNewYork Metro obtained Monday afternoon.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, Department of Transportation (DOT) reps, and local politicians will celebrate the opening of the two-way protected bike path on the iconic bridge’s roadway on the Manhattan end of the span at 2:15 p.m. on Sept. 14.

“This is a historic moment as we work to get New Yorkers out of their cars and promote sustainable modes of transportation,” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman in a statement. “Bridges for the People is a step in the right direction towards a safer and more sustainable transportation future that puts people first – and we look forward to implementing similar changes to the Queensboro Bridge this year.”

DOT workers started setting up the new lane in June, closing off the inner-most lane on the Manhattan-bound side with protective barriers and fencing, and connecting to a new bike path in Manhattan.

It’s the first reconfiguration of the bridge since trolley tracks were permanently removed in 1950, according to DOT. 

Bike crossings on the Brooklyn Bridge previously peaked at 60,000 per day on the lane on the wooden boardwalk above, which cyclists share with 10,000 daily pedestrians.

Bike crossings on the Brooklyn Bridge previously peaked at 60,000 per day on the lane on the wooden boardwalk above, which cyclists share with 10,000 daily pedestrians.

The old path was often a dangerous squeeze for all involved, with commuters and tourists competing for space.

The news of the Brooklyn Bridge bike lane was first broken by Brooklyn Paper in June 2020, before DOT handed a release to the New York Times months later ahead of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s official announcement during his State of the City speech in January.

Some pedal pushers already tried out the new bike lane before its official opening last, but the city quickly closed off the entrances again.

The new bike lane on Centre Street connecting to the bridge on the Lower Manhattan side has been overtaken by NYPD officers and other city employees parking their personal vehicles in the green path, reported Gothamist in June 2020.

A version of this story first appeared on amNewYork.