Committee weighs extending two‑way protected bike lane on Lafayette Street

Members of the Manhattan City Transportation Committee discussed a proposal to extend a two‑way protected bike lane on Lafayette Street south from Prince Street toward West Fourth Street or Astor Place during a virtual meeting. Committee members and neighborhood residents described hazardous mid‑block conditions and urged a study and design changes to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

The discussion centered on a request to extend the existing two‑way segment north of Prince farther south so southbound and northbound cyclists can avoid Broadway. Committee members said delivery vehicles, double‑parked cars and heavy pedestrian flows on blocks south of Houston Street create “dangerous” conditions for people cycling. One participant described the route south of Houston as a “death ride,” and several board members urged a block‑by‑block review before any extension.

Kate Shurer, the DOT representative who joined the meeting, said the agency is “always looking to make improvements to the bike network” and that including a request to widen the lane would be reasonable. Board members and residents suggested a wider two‑way lane than currently exists on Lafayette, with one speaker recommending at least a 10‑foot width where feasible; another observed there may be roughly 8 feet currently in some segments. The committee discussed whether narrowing vehicle lanes could create the space needed for a wider protected lane.

Speakers also raised operational concerns specific to blocks: freight and truck loading often occur in the buffer adjacent to the bike lane, delivery bikes with trailers make sharp turns in tight areas, and high foot‑traffic storefronts create frequent spillover into moving lanes. Committee members asked DOT staff to evaluate the segment between Spring and Prince—near Ladder 20’s firehouse at 253 Lafayette—so emergency vehicle access and curbside loading patterns are preserved.

Several members urged that any extension include clearer delineation between sidewalk, loading areas and the bike lane (for example vertical elements or widened sidewalks), and pointed to Eighth Avenue as an example where expanded sidewalk space and shifted bike lanes improved safety. DOT staff said such redesign options would require engineering review and a site‑by‑site assessment.

The committee agreed to move the subject into its business session for a possible formal request to DOT for a block‑by‑block study, design options (including lane widths), and suggestions to manage deliveries and curbside parking. The meeting concluded without a formal vote on the Lafayette proposal; the committee instead planned a follow‑up discussion and to gather measurements and photos to support a formal ask to DOT.