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Residents and merchants press DOT and NYPD over Bronxdale Avenue bike lane, parking and safety
Summary
Neighborhood residents and board members told the Community Board 11 Transportation Committee the Bronxdale Avenue protected bike lane has caused persistent parking and safety problems; DOT staff said it is collecting data on the corridor and noted enforcement is primarily an NYPD responsibility.
Residents, merchants and Community Board 11 members used an extended portion of the May 3 Transportation Committee meeting to raise safety and parking problems along Bronxdale Avenue after the street’s protected bike lane and roadway changes were installed.
Several residents and board members described repeated double-parking, vehicles parked perpendicular in the bike lane and drivers using the former driving lane for parking and pickup and drop-off at nearby schools and businesses. Diana (public participant) told the committee, “They park perpendicular, so they're cutting off the entire bike lane. There's no way to get around unless you go up onto the sidewalk or into the lane of traffic.” Another commenter said parents drop off students in the middle of Bronxdale Avenue during school arrival and dismissal, creating dangerous pedestrian crossings.
Jesus, a borough planner for the commissioner’s office, said the Bronxdale configuration has been in place about three years and that DOT is gathering safety and accident data before producing a formal report for the board. He described recent adjustments and said staff would follow up with additional information. Committee members and residents emphasized that much of the day-to-day problem is enforcement: vehicles blocking bike lanes and bus lanes and cars parking where they impede sightlines and intersections. Staff repeatedly said policing and ticketing are NYPD responsibilities, while DOT can consider signage, daylighting and engineering changes.
Speakers also flagged particular pressure points: commercial driveways, valet operations and individual business behavior (residents and staff cited 905 Bronxdale Avenue and nearby commercial uses as recurring problem locations). One staff member said he had filed multiple 301 requests and provided photos showing vehicles obstructing crosswalks and the bike lane at school drop-off times.
Board members and attendees urged DOT and the district manager to coordinate enforcement, improve curbside controls and consider physical changes where appropriate. The committee asked staff to compile a list of specific intersections and segments where parking in the bike lane is recurring, so DOT and enforcement partners can act.
Ending
DOT staff said they would collect location-specific evidence and return with recommendations; residents asked the committee to press NYPD for enforcement in tandem with any design changes.
