Community Board 2 backs redesign of West 3rd, seeks crosswalk on Bleecker

Community Board 2’s Traffic and Transportation Committee voted Jan. 27 to push the city for a redesign of West 3rd Street between LaGuardia Place and Mercer Street that would replace a painted “extended sidewalk” and floating parking with a curb-protected, double-width bike lane, a buffer for loading and drop-offs and short-term measures to discourage illegal parking.

The committee, led by Chair Janine Kiley, said the changes are driven by safety and visibility problems that have emerged since COVID-era street modifications. “The biggest safety improvements have come from the addition of a signal and crosswalk at Worcester Street,” Kiley said, but added that painted treatments have had unintended consequences: the extended sidewalk is being used for parking and drivers are cutting through the bike lane to reach driveways and loading areas.

Why it matters: Residents, committee members and DOT staff described a mix of vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian flows that the current design does not predictably accommodate. Multiple speakers said the midblock signal improved safety for pedestrians but that the single-block protected stretch surrounded by shared lanes creates confusing transitions for cyclists, drivers and people walking across the street.

Voices at the meeting were split on how to prioritize competing needs. Carter Booth, who attended a virtual walkthrough earlier in the day, said the midblock light made crossing “100 times safer” but called the block’s many moving parts — trucks, deliveries, apartment-driveway exits and a forthcoming jazz club on the corner — difficult to manage within the present layout. A longtime resident suggested moving underused bike racks to improve sight lines at a Washington Square Village driveway; another resident described fast e-bikes and mopeds that do not comply with the signal.

DOT’s Kate Shear said the agency is open to revisiting the block and testing interim measures. She noted DOT typically uses rumble strips rather than raised speed bumps in bike lanes and that flexible delineators are the most common vertical protection; she also referenced a 2022 pilot (armadillo/turtle-shell barriers) DOT has tested elsewhere and said the agency would take the committee’s concerns into its spring/summer planning process.

The committee’s near-term requests include: removing the painted extended sidewalk and floating parking on the south curb; installing a curb-protected, wider bike lane with physical delineation and a buffer that can host loading/drop-off or micro-mobility hubs; creating one or more short-term, nonpermanent measures to deter parking in painted pedestrian spaces; and asking DOT for a field walkthrough to identify interim fixes before a full redesign. Janine Kiley said she aims to have a formal resolution for the full board in February.

Opposition and safety concerns: Several commenters opposed eliminating the bike lane entirely, arguing that West 3rd serves as one of the only westbound bike routes and that cyclists need continued protection. One public commenter said, “I definitely oppose any proposal to remove the bike lane,” and another who witnessed a December hit-and-run urged removing the lane from that corridor because of speed and visibility concerns.

Vote and next steps: The committee approved a resolution by voice vote asking DOT to develop a redesign and to pursue short-term interventions; the transcript records the result as a voice ‘Aye’ without a roll-call tally. DOT said it will review suggestions, consider short-term physical or marking changes and evaluate longer-term design options subject to resurfacing schedules and contracting capacity.

The committee also signaled support for exploring truck/drop-off accommodations near NYU loading docks and pilot protections for bike lanes (delineators or other barriers) while avoiding treatments that could endanger cyclists if unexpected. The resolution asks DOT to report back with options and to participate in a field walkthrough with CB2.